10 September, 1962
Celebration Story
( Continued from Page S)
Pony Championship Slake on Saturday night— a co-leature with the Grand Championship Stake.
Kay McFarland, the Kansas girl who has been a symbol of great riding and great showing of Walking Horses for a decade, took the Owner- Amateur on Walking Mares class victory with her Midnight Queen Bee— a horse known and seen from coast to coast, The McFarland Farms of Topeka, Kan., has been a prime contributor to modern history of the breed.
Other first five finishers in this tremendous amateur class were: second, jack Darnell of Huntsville, Ala., on his Mack K’ s Mary Bell; third, Joe Bales, Jr., on Lu’ s Lu Lu, owned by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Bales of Thomasville, N. C.: fourth, Joe Bales, Sr., on his Caroline; and fifth, Shirley Sharp of Dallas, Tex., on her Shadow’ s Blaze. In riding, Joe Bales, Sr., appeared to be little handicapped by his fall of Tuesday night in the Owner-Amateur on Stallions Class when his great Sun Down-S staged a runaway and collided with another mount— Bales falling to the track.
The victory of five-year-old Golden Sundust— defending his crown of 1961 as the World’ s Walking Gelding Champion— came as the final event. Prior to the award an impressive tribute was held in honor of Mr. Sensation— who died several weeks ago of peritonitis at the Don Decker farm, Omaha, Neb. He was ridden to six gelding world’ s championships, five by Vic Thompson and one by Steve Hill. Last year Deedy Decker won the world’ s championship for Owner-Amateur on Walking Horses after taking the preliminary Owner-Amateur on Geldings, four years and over. Announcer Emmet Guy recounted the great record of Sensation who was never shown until age six. Deedy presented a floral horseshoe to Golden Sundust in memory of Mr. Sensation and Celebration Trophy Chairman Evan Lloyd Adamson presented a dozen red roses to Miss Decker in appreciation to her. Vic Thompson, scheduled to be in the ceremony, was competing in the class.
Golden Sundust immediately became one of the co-favorites for the World ' s Grand Championship Stake on Saturday night— an event in which he placed third in 1961. Groover rides him for W. P. Howell, Jr., Athens, Ala.
Finishing in the first five, behind Golden Sundust, were: second, College Boy with David Welsh up for Hashe & Sanders, Greenville and Richlands, Va.; third, Spurs Big Man with George Witt riding for Mr. and Mrs. W. O. Crawford, Montgomery, Ala.; fourth, Confederate Raider, Marcia McGee of Oklahoma City, Okla., riding her own mount; fifth, Go Boy’ s Big Man, Donald Paschal up for Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Myers, Goodlettsville, Tenn.
THURSDAY NIGIIT
More great Three-Year-Old Tennessee Walking Show Horses than ever before seen by man anywhere will vie tonight for the 1962 Junior World Championship Walking Horse title at the thronged Celebration Grounds— travelling in the steps of the 16-1 different footprints etched into the track Thursday night by history’ s greatest group of Walking Stallions, Four- Yea rs-and-over, ever assembled.
But sharing honors with whoever chance places on the Junior World throne will be the 10 " giants of the past— and one giant of the present day” in a colorful“ Oldtimers Ceremony” that should be one of the most precious sights in all 24 years of Celebration history.
Starting with Black Angel, 1943 World ' s Grand Champion and only surviving mare Queen of the Tennessee Walking Horse World, the champions will pass in review— either ridden or led. Expected also are Midnight Sun, age 22 years, Merry Go Boy, Old Glory’ s Big Man, Talk of the Town, Go Boy’ s Shadow( officially retired last niglu), Sun’ s Jet Parade, Setting Sun, Rodgers’ Perfection, Mack K’ s Handshaker and Major Wilson.
Of these title holders in previous years, Black Angel is a broodmare, Talk of the Town is a gelding, and the others are“ retired to stud” with the exception of Mack K’ s Handshaker— 1960 Grand Champion. Handshaker last night won the Aged Stallion Class and became a favorite to do something never before done by a Tennessee Walking Horse— that is win the World’ s Grand Championship after holding out a year.
Handshaker will try that unparalleled achievement Saturday niglu in the Grand Championship Stake terminating the 24th annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration. No other horse has won in one year, skipped a year as Handshaker did in 1961 when he was too heavily used in stud service to get into track condition, and then won the crown again.
Handshaker Becomes Favorite Handshaker’ s triumph in the Aged
( Continued on Page 12)
Miss Sunbeam. Champion of Colored Grooms on Walking Horses Class, with Brother Wilson up for JJ, C. Bailey Stables, Jackson, Miss.