Ebony Masterpiece Joins Merry Go Boy Atomic Star In Beech ' s 24-Stall Barn
4 January, 1963
Ebony Masterpiece Joins Merry Go Boy Atomic Star In Beech ' s 24-Stall Barn
A brand new chapter in breeding of the Tennessee Walking Horse got under way in January, 1963, when S. W. Beech, Jr., of Route 5, Lewisburg, Tenn. launched his New Year’ s program with three World ' s Champions at stud in his new breeding barn.
Ebony Masterpiece, age 6, crowned 1962 Grand Champion of the World at the Shelbyville Celebration last September, was placed at public service at the Beech establishment. The stallion is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Billy Hale of Gallatin, Tenn., and was ridden to the 1962 championship by Sam Paschal of Murfreesboro.
At the Beech Farm already were Merry Go Boy, age 20, twice Grand Champion of the World( 1947-4S)— and also Atomic Star, twice World Championship pony( 1958-59) and owned by Miss Virginia Jones of Canton, Ga.
Beech said he did not know of any other breeding farm where three such champion stallions were available for service at a single location. He planned to start breeding operations by January 15.
Merry Go Boy, who has been at Beech’ s farm since 1955, was recently bought for syndicate use as announced on page I in this magazine.
In preparation for his expanded program Beech has constructed a 21- stall barn especially designed to meet the needs of breeding activity.
BARN 192 FEET LONG
This frame structure is 192 feel long, and 45 feet wide, including a hallway 20 feet wide.
Twenty-three of the stalls measure 12 feet by 12 feet but there is onestall double size, 12 feel by 2-1, for stallion use.
Included in barn facilities are a large office, a rest room, tack room, a wash room with concrete floor and drain, and a double set of cross ties.
Beech said the barn was especially designed to care for broodmares, weanlings and yearling colts although the hall is large enough for exercise and other use.
Atomic Star will be used chiefly for the production of colts, he explained, but also can be put to other service. The veteran breeder said w h e n Atomic Star was shown to the pony championship he was generally acknowledged to be one of the finest“ Walking Ponies ever seen in competition.”
He is a son of Atomic Gentleman and is a“ line-bred Wilson ' s Allen " stallion— his sire being by Miller’ s Wilson Allen. Atomic Star is a registered pony, Beech pointed out.
” 1 am most happy to have Ebony Masterpiece standing at our place,” said Beech. 1-Ie pointed out that the 1962 Grand Champion had a most distinctive natural walking gait and should become a fine producing sire.
The 1962 champion was sired by Son of Midnight at Solitude Stock Farm, Goodlettsville, Tenn.— owned by H. L. Worrell— and his dam is Lady Lee, a daughter of old Merry Boy. His grandfather on his sire’ s side is Midnight Sun. Ebony changed ownership several times and when 4 years old was used for stud service. He has a few weanling colts at the present time, Beech said.
GAVE BREED‘ MODERN LOOK’
Merry Go Boy is one of the best known stallions in the history of the Tennessee Walking Horse and is credited with having given the breed a new“ modern look " when he won the two world’ s grand championships and exhibited speed not previously shown by Walking Horses. This speed was attributed largely to the heritage from Giovanni, an American Saddlebred stallion infused into the breed by the late Henry W. Davis of Warlrace back in 1914. Giovanni sired Wiser ' s Dimples who was the dam of Merry Go Boy— this mare being mated to old Merry Boy.
Many world’ s champions in various classes have been sired by Merry Go Boy, including Go Boy’ s Shadow who twice won the grand title— in 1955-56— with Winston Wiser up. Wiser owned Shadow and also owned Merry Go Boy when he was acquired by C. G. Turner for a record price.
Among the most recent Merry Go Boy-sired champions are: Little Mystery, world’ s champion mare of 1962; Cotton Queen’ s Go Boy, winner of the World’ s Junior Championship( 3-year-old) of 1962; Go Boy ' s Black Jack, reserve in the 2-year-old championship stake competition; Go Boy’ s Black Dandy, co-winner in the split division for 2-year-old stallions of 1962. He also sired Go Boy’ s Big Talk, the reserve junior champion for 1961.
Beech himself was“ raised in” the Tennessee Walking Horse business. His late father, S. Wood Beech, Sr., was one of the early breeders, active in the original Tennessee Walking Horse Breeder’ s Assn,( now the Breeders & Exhibitors’ Assn, at Lewisburg) and a prominent farmer in the community.
WORKED WITH HIS FATHER
Young Beech worked with his father and rode the 4-year-old stallion, Trouble, to the stallion world’ s championship in the first Shelbyville Celebration-staged in 1939. He later won other Celebration classes and took the Reserve Grand Championship on Black Angel at the 1914 show— when riding for Bliss Yancey of Wilson, Ark. The mare had won the grand championship in 1943 with the late Winston Wiser rilling for R. F. Ellis of Orrville, Ala.
Beech returned to the home place in 1945 several months before his father’ s death on Sept. 28.
A year later Beech secured Brown Allen and stood this prominent sire until he began to stand Merry Go Bov in 1955— and bought an interest from G. C. Turner. Earlier Beech and his father had owned Trouble and stood him for two years. This horse was still living last fall— reportedly in Kansas.
Young Beech married Miss Margaret Moore of Lewisburg and they have three sons: Bobby, 21, student in industrial management at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn; Steve, 20, student in agriculture and a pre-veterinary course at Middle Tennessee State College, Murfreesboro, Tenn.; and Ray, 13, eighth grader at the Belfast School several miles from the Beech home.
Beech was elected president of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeder’ s fc Exhibitor’ s Assn, of America, Inc., at its annual meeting in May, 1962. He had served on the board of directors and executive committee for several years, and had been identified with the association for a long period. He was a judge at the 1953 Celebration and has judged at many other major shows. He retired from riding competition almost 10 years ago.
In recent years Beech and his sons have scored an amazing number ol victories in colt competition at the
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