1963-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1963 December Voice | Page 21

DECEMBER
H0RSE
1963
Ray Beech And "Little
Bit of Trouble"
Make Perfect Team
Ray Beech, 14-year-old son of
Mr. and Mrs. S. W. Beech, Jr.
made his debut in the show ring
at the Gallatin, Tennessee, Horse
Show in May of 1963 riding the
well-known Walking Pony, “LIT­
TLE BIT O’ TROUBLE” for
owner, Joe Kelley, Jr. of Colum­
bia, Tennessee. Ray and TROU­
BLE made a perfect team and this
combination was a familiar sightat
all the 1963 shows, winning first
place at the following shows.-Gal­
latin; Lewisburg; Shelbyville;
P-TA Show, Shelbyville; Junior
Riding Club Show, Nashville;
Madison; Chapel Hill; Murfrees­
boro; Goodlettesville; Savannah,
Tennessee; Bowling Green, Ken­
tucky; Cornersville, Tennessee;
Clarksville, Tennessee; Kentucky
State Fair, Louisville, Kentucky;
the class for Riders 14 and under
at the Celebration and third in
the Championship Stake at the
Celebration.
Ray is a well-known horse show
fan, as well as rider, having been
“born in the saddle,” so to speak.
His granddaddy, Wood Beech,
was one of the charter members
of the Tennessee Walking Horse
Breeders’ Association, and was
very active in promoting the
breed in its infancy. His daddy,
S. W. Beech, Jr. started showing
colts at a very early age. After
gaining experience and a little age
he trained horses for the public
showing at all the major shows.
In the past few years, S. W. Beech
D. O. KIBLER, Owner
TOM BOHL, Mgr., Farm Operations
has devoted his time to maintain­
ing a breeding farm with the as­
sistance of Ray and his two bro­
thers, Bobby and Steve. Bobby
and Steve are already known for
their successful showing of colts
and Ray is looking forward to
showing colts in 1964 as well as
being back in the saddle for the
pony classes.
DUST, two well-known stallions
of the breed, entered new quarters
near Shelbyville, Tennessee. The
syndication program, similar to
that which has been effective in
Thoroughbred and Standard bred
horsedom for many years, was set
up to be operated on a share basis
and was established to help stabi­
lize prices for top-bred Walking
Horses and to enhance the value of
(EDITOR’S COLUMN CONTINUED)
the get of the syndicated stallions.
A very encouraging sign of the
As time passed, the Florida
times is the increasing numbers “Sunshine” Circuit got off to an
of boys and girls showing Ten­ impressive and active start and
nessee Walking Horses. They succeeded in being a proving
brighten every show and thrill the ground for many horses who
spectators — families, friends and were to reach the top during the
casual observers. May their tribe year. With most of the shows be­
increase!
ing held during January, February
We are proud to salute young and March (months which find the
riders in this issue, and we send majority of states iced over and
it out with the hope that hundreds the weather certainly not suitable
more young Americans will soon for horse shows), the many avid
discover for themselves the plea­ Walking Horse enthusiasts who
sures of owning and riding Ten­ participated in these early season
nessee Walking Horses and Ponies. activities began a weekly and
monthly trek north that slowly
moved into Georgia and finally
1963 . . . YEAR OF PROGRESS
into Tennessee as spring began to
FOR TENNESSEE
peek through.
WALKING HORSE
In the early spring came word
As each year closes and we anti­
cipate the events of the next from the West Coast of increased
twelve months, it is always in­ interest in the Tennessee Walk­
teresting to review the past, to ing Horse, both for show and
summarize outstanding e v e n ts pleasure. A boom was in the mak­
and to take an objective look at ing that would see the far west
the conditions of things. The year embrace the Tennessee Walking
1963 has proved to be a most excit­ Horse during 1963 in a way that
ing and eventful year for Walking amazed even the most ardent ad­
Horse lovers across the nation. Per­ mirers of the breed in that part of
haps the most newsworthy event to the country. This increased inter­
usher in the year was the an­ est was subject to organization as
nouncement that Syndication had the formation of the “Northern
entered the Walking Horse world. California Walking Horse Associa­
The first week of February, tion” was announced in March,
MIDNIGHT MACK K and SUN-
(Continued on Page 21)
Dlie J(iUer 5 armd
TENNESSEE WALKING HORSES
444-3605
MT. ORAB, OHIO
PAUL “WHITEY" WHITEHEAD
Mgr.-Tralner, Walking Horse Division