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

Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse ] High School Honor Student Aims High jimmy Ellis, 18-year-old high school honor graduate at Orrville, Ala., will also graduate from Celebration Juve­ nile Class competition this year—rid­ ing Sun's Glory Boy who took him to the reserve championship in the pony class for older juveniles in 1962, and also in the stake event. The Alabama farm boy will “go for broke” in an all-out effort—as tlie time clock pushes him into the older age bracket lor later Celebrations. Celebration class competition will be nothing new for Jimmy, who has ridden in 12 Celebrations and has finished “in the money” every time. His frequent appearances have served to develop a throng of followers who are on hand every year to cheer for this son of Mr. and Mrs. R. F. Ellis. The Ellises owned Black Angel when she won the Grand Championship Walking Horse Stake in 19-13 with Winston Wiser in the saddle. Two years later, Jimmy was born. At age 6 years he began to ride Ten­ nessee Walking Horses and Ponies. At the 21st and 22nd Celebrations he rode his Merry Little Lady to third place in the preliminary and also in the pony stake. Two years ago in the 23rd Celebra­ tion he placed fourth in the stake on Sun’s Glory Boy, then 4 years old. He advanced to second position in the class and in the stake last year—and many who have seen the boy on his pony this year say an advance to the World’s Pony Championship may well be expected. Jimmy has “tuned up” for the 25th Anniversary Celebration by taking part in a number of Tennessee horse shows this summer. He placed first at the Columbia Spring Jubilee held in June. Last fall he won top honors with Sun’s Glory Boy in the Southern Championship show at Montgomery, Ala. Sun's Glory Boy is in training un­ der Doug Wolaver of Giles County, who rode Mack K’s Handshaker to the World’s Grand Championship in 1960 and rode Cotton Queen’s Go Boy to the 2-year-old and 3-year-old world’s titles in 1961 and 1962. Jimmy entered the fast-breaking show season after closing out his high school career in championship style. He was graduated on May 29, 1963 at Orrville High School—and at that time received the Balfour Award—the highest honor possible for a student on the basis of scholarship, achieve­ ment and loyalty. He attended the 1963 Boys’ State—sponsored by the American Legion—as a Dallas County representative. in sports he starred as football quarterback, high scorer in basketball, and leading hitter in baseball. He was voted the “best athlete,” served on the Student Council and was a member of the Beta Club. I\Text September he will register at Middle Georgia College, in Cochran, Ga. After completing the two-year course there—aided by a basketball- baseball scholarship—Jimmy will en­ ter Auburn University at Auburn, Ala., to study agriculture. He is also a talented singer although he has never taken any voice training. This summer when not away from home to compete in horse shows, Jimmy is working on the farm with his father. He works his horses early in the morning and late in the after­ noon. He often shoes his own horses. This summer he has worked Go Boy’s Flowing Star, Big Rooster, a pony, and also a 3-year-old who have placed well in Alabama shows. Jimmy is an expert motor mechanic and does much to keep motorized equipment in shape for operation over the 5,000-acre Ellis farm. Large acre­ age is planted to cotton, corn, and other field crops and pasture is pro­ vided for plenty of Tennessee Walk­ ing Horses. For 12 years Jimmy has been travel­ ling this furrow—with his eyes con­ stantly set on a World’s Champion­ ship Pony Blue Ribbon at the Cele­ bration as his great goal. On the basis of past competition, his 1963 showing should be his greatest ever. Eddie Wiser, 26, Dies In Airplane Crash In Miss. Edward O. (Eddie) Wiser, 26, wide­ ly known Tennessee Walking Horse trainer-rider, was instantly killed July 11 in the crash of a freshly refueled small single-engine airplane near Pas­ cagoula, Miss. He was the son of Mrs. Katherine Wiser of Shelbyville, Tenn., and the late Winston Wiser, world- famous trainer and rider to five world grand championships at the Shelby­ ville Tennessee Walking Horse Cele­ bration. Surviving in addition to his mother are a sister, Judy Wiser, winner of the pony world championship in 1961, one brother, Bobby, both of Shelbyville; his widow, Mrs. Sonja Arnold Wiser, and two children. Wiser was a passenger in a T34 Air Force trainer plane piloted by Capt. Guy E. Enabnuc, 30, of Turner Air Force Base, Albany, Ga. The plane was reportedly owned by a flying club at Turner Air Force Base. The plane caught fire shortly after takeoff. Wiser, who formerly trained with his father and later at H. C. Bailey Stables, Jack- son, Miss., has for months been train­ ing at a dude ranch establishment at Ocean Springs, Miss. Funeral services were held July 13 at Shelbyville. Wiser has not only been training and rid ing in competition but also has been judging a number of shows this year. The airplane reportedly had been for a trip to McMinnville, Fayetteville Term. Show cleared Tenn. where another landing was con­ Has 9 Walking Classes templated enroute to Lexington, Ky. Nine classes with Tennessee Walk­ to attend the horse show under way ing Horses eligible are listed for the there in its final stages. Fayetteville, Tenn., Lions Club Horse News of the tragedy came as a great Show on July 20 at 7 p.m. in the show to the Tennessee Walking Horse Lincoln County Fairgrounds. A. E. World—especially in Middle Tennes­ McEwen of Williamsport, Tenn., will see where the family has been promi­ judge the TWH classes. nently identified with Tennessee Top prize money in Walker classes Walking Horse History since its earli­ is $30 with trophies and ribbons also. est stages. Pioneer In Nevada Willard Hamlin of Fernley, Nevada, certainly qualifies as a TWH pioneer in that pioneering state. “I bought my first Walking stallion 18 years ago and have raised a few ever since,” he writes. “For years I owned the only ones I could hear of in this state. There are still a very few of them. "I own a stallion with the following foundation animals in his pedigree: Bramlett F-9, Hunter's Allen F-10, Roan Allen F-38, Dr. Hal F-39, Bu­ ford L. F-ll, Allan F-l, Earnheart's Brooks F-25, Allis F-85, Mitch F-5, and Merry Legs F-4.” (We feel sure Friend Hamlin has an 8 -generation pedigree or better, anti has studied pedigrees a lot.)