1963-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1963 January Voice | Page 3

Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse
1
Syndicates Form For Breeding Of Merry Go Boy,
Go Boy's Shadow, Sun Dust, Midnight Mack K
A trail-blazing new phase in Ten­
nessee Walking Horse breeding was
announced in Shelbyville, Tenn., on
Jan. 10 with formation begun of four
syndicates involving at least four
prominent stallions—being purchased
for sums reported to total nearly a
half million dollars.
Don Decker of Omaha, Neb.,
spokesman for the group, said stal­
lions already secured were: Merry
Go Boy, “bought for the highest
price ever paid for a Tennessee Walk­
ing Horse as of this time,” to remain
at the S. W. Beech, Jr., farm at Bel­
fast, Tenn. (mail address Lewisburg
Route 5) ; Sun Dust and Midnight
Mack K, to be at the Vic Thompson
Stables, Shelbyville.
Negotiations were under way for
Go Boy's Shadow, with this deal due
to be closed on Feb. 15 for a reported
price of 200,000. At that time it is
planned to bring Shadow to Vic
Thompson’s Stables from the H. C.
Bailey Stables at Jackson, Miss. Indi­
vidual prices on other stallions in­
volved were not specified, but reports
were general that Shadow would
bring more than three times the high­
est price previously paid for a horse
of this breed.
In the group with Decker were
Jack Corn of Brentwood, Tenn., real
estate man and president of the Ten­
nessee Horsemen’s Assn.; Thompson
in the three syndicates for horses lo­
cated at his stables; and Beech in the
Merry Go Boy Syndicate.
Decker said the four stallions each
would involve an entirely separate
syndicate. It is said to be the first
time Tennessee Walking Horses have
been publicly syndicated, although
the practice is common in the
Thoroughbred industry and also has
been done with some other breeds.
Decker said plans are for “shares in
each stallion to be ofEered for sale—
and each purchaser will be allowed
one service per season for each share—
for the remainder of the stud's active
breeding life.” A shareholder may sell
his season at any time.
Decker indicated each stallion’s
breeding potential would be limited
to approximately 100 mares per year.
Merry Go Boy is 20 years old—was
world's grand champion in 1947-48,
won world’s championships at all ages
from weaning through five years old,
and also won get of sire titles. He
was formerly owned by C. C. Turner
of Broadway, Va., and Beech. The
stallion began standing at Belfast in
1955. He was sired by Merry Boy
out of Wiser’s Dimples. Turner ac­
quired the stallion in 1948 for a then
record price before he won his sec­
ond grand championship.
Go Boy’s Shadow, 11 years old—was
world’s grand champion in 1955-56,
winning both the junior title and the
grand championship as a 3-year-olcl
in 1955. He and his sire were both
ridden to the titles by the late Wins­
ton Wiser of Shelbyville. Shadow was
bought from the Wiser estate early
last year by FI. C. Bailey of Jackson
for what was then reported to be the
highest price ever paid for a Walk­
ing Horse—Said to be in excess of the
S55,000 reported paid by C. C.
Turner for Merry Go Boy. Shadow
was sired by Merry Go Boy out of
Merry Walker and foaled at Dr.
Porter Rodgers’ farm at Searcy, Ark.
Midnight Mack K, 15 years old,
was bought by the syndicate from
W. Joe Urquhart of Columbia,
Tenn., where the stallion has been
standing. He is the sire of Rodgers’
Perfection—world's grand champion
at the 1959 Celebration in Shelby­
ville, and also of Mack K’s Hand­
shaker, the 1960 champion. The stal­
lion was sired by Midnight Sun out
of Panola.
Sun Dust, also 15 years old, was
bought by the syndicate from Pat
Kimbro of Atlanta, Ga. Previously he
was owned by E. A. Sisco of Mt. Plea­
sant, Tenn. Sun Dust has been promi­
nent as a sire in recent years although
his show record was cut short when he
teas foundered while a two-year-old.
Among the get of Sun Dust are:
Golden Sun-Dust, Sun-Ray, Sun-Down
S, Paper Doll, Society Mist, Sun-Dust
Defender, Sun-Set, Another Sun Dust,
Sun-Dust Little Star, Sun-Dust Ju­
bilee, Star Dust, Dust Storm, Sun
Dust of Midnight, Sun Dust Sensa­
tion, Mr. Executive, Town & Coun­
try, Lady in Lace, Sun Dust Angel
and Sun Dust Rambler.
“With this syndicate proposition
we hope to improve the Walking
Horse by eliminating over-breeding
which we feel has been weakening
the industry,” Decker declared. “Also,
we feel that this method will give the
small breeder the opportunity to buy
into top horses.
Legal details in connection with
the syndicate operation were being
pushed to completion as quickly as
possible.
Thompson said he expected Sun
Dust and Midnight Mack K to arrive
at his place by Feb. 1 and Merry Go
Boy immediately after Feb. 15. He
said he plans to build at once a fire­
proof, air-conditioned barn to house
the stallions—across the highway
from his new training barn. His new
stables are eight miles north of Shel­
byville on Highway U.S. 41-A, to­
ward Nashville. Thompson, a veteran
trainer, rode Sun's Jet Parade to the
1957 Celebration world’s grand cham­
pionship. This horse died at his sta­
bles last fall.
Jackson, Tenn.
Mid-South Site
Meeting of the Mid-South Horse
Show's Assn, will be held in Jackson,
Tenn. on Feb. 10-11. The Voice issue
of December announced this meeting
date but identified the meeting place
with the incorrect State. The Ed itor
regrets this error.
Annual dinner for the association
on Sunday night, Feb. 10, is expected
to have 500 present—this being held
at 6:30 p. m. following a directors
meeting. Three directors are to be
elected and horse show dates for the
1963 season in the Mid-South area
will be cleared.
The Monday schedule will include
a directors meeting, and an afternoon
school for show' managers and other
officials conducted by Eli Long of
Germantown and other nationally
cognized authorities.
Reservations for this meeting should
be made through Secretary Treasurer
Emmet Guy, P. O. Box 1592, Jackson,
Tenn.