1963-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1963 May Voice | Page 7
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Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse
How Would You Answer This
Letter From A 14-Year-Old?
(Editor’s Note—Read this heart-
wrencher from a 14-year-old boy or
girl, then see what we managed to
tell him or her. BAG).
R. 5, Box 712-A
Battle Creek, Michigan
Dear Ben A. Green
I am a 14-year-old and love horses
very, very, very much.
My Mother don’t like me to spend
money on them so. I weigh 100
pounds. I am about 5’1”. I dream
of horses every night.
I’m reading your book Biography
of the Tennessee Walking Horse.
I like it very much.
Is White Star still alive? If she is,
how old is she?
The same with them all; Rodgers’
Perfection, Mack K’s Handshaker,
Setting Sun, Go Boy's Shadow, Talk
of the Town, Old Glory’s Big Man,
Midnight Mary, Merry Go Boy, and
Midnight Sun.
Do they still sell Tennessee Walk
ing Horse Magazine? If they do, how
much does it cost? And if they can
still get the Tennessee Walking Horse
Celebration’s Blue Ribbon can I get
it? If they do, how much does it cost?
I will like to learn more about these
champion Walkers and the Allans
and the Tom Hals. I know I am tak
ing up your time, about the Times—
Gazette and the same as the other
ones; If they are free—that I get out
of your book. And how can I start
getting?
I think Sun’s Jet Parade is one of
the pretty ones, don’t you?
(Editor’s Note—I seem to have lost
the last page so I cannot give this
young man’s name. I think the writer
was a boy. I have replied to him. My
reply was substantially as follows:
“When I was your age I dreamed
ever)' night of having a bicycle. I
gloated over the outlook in Sears-Roe-
buck catalogues. I envied the other
kids who had bicycles. But I believe
my Mother thought I might get hurt
if I had a bicycle and rode in traffic.
Mothers were more scared of traffic
then than now. Mothers then rarely
—if ever—drove automobiles.
Got Bicycle In College
So I did not get a bicycle until I
was in college—working my way with
a typewriter—and then I paid $5 for
a second hand cycle (it may have been
|2.50). I took copy to the printer in
town for the college newspaper (at
the University of Alabama).
It did not hurt me—really—not to
have a bicycle earlier. It was just a
youthful yearning—and my life was
not blighted.
My younger brother wanted our
Father to get him a bear; nagged my
Father about this wholly impractical
yearning; and I believe he ran off
from school a time or two—maybe
looking for bears.
So you, at age 14, are just having
yearnings other kids have in one way
or another. And 999,999 times out of
a million Mamma’s Right at your age.
All the horses you mention by
name are living except: White Star,
who died in December, 1962, and
Dr. W. V. Gamier of Bastrop, La. is
erecting a wonderful marble statue
of her at his farm; Old Glory’s Big
Man, who died at the Bucld Cigar
Co. stables of Quincy, Fla. during the
1961 Celebration; Sun’s Jet Parade,
who died at Vic Thompson’s Stables
near Shelbyville last October while
Vic was in Kansas City at a show; and
Midnight Merry, who I understand is
dead but I do not know particulars.
If you trill read the Voice of the
Tennessee Walking Horse you will
know where all the others have been,
are and apparently will continue to
be. I am sending you a booklet—
What On Earth Is A Tennessee Walk
ing Horse—that will answer some
more questions that you have not ask
ed me. Love and Luck, Pal, be you
a boy or a girl. BAG. . . .
P.S. That Biography book tells you
that the old Tennessee Walking
Horse Magazine was discontinued
after seven years—and it started in
1944. The Celebration Blue Ribbon
is free to all folks who write for it—
care of the Celebration, Inc., P. O.
Box 192, Shelbyville, Tenn.
NEW SHOW IN
TRENTON, TENN.
Trenton’s Elks Club has calendared
its first annual horse show for June
20 at 7:30 p.m. at the Gibson County
Fairgrounds. Five Walking Horse
classes are booked with Fred Fowler,
Somerville, Tenn., judging. A free fish
fry for owners and riders will follow
the show, says Robert S. Phelan, horse
show chairman, 224 Lombardy, Tren
ton, Tenn. Robert A. Shelton, Cham
ber of Commerce president, says the
144 members of that organization will
help in every way. He is writing to
all prospective exhibitors.
Celebration Facts
Silver Anniversary (25th annual) show
scheduled Sept. 1-7.
For ticket information write directly
to Ticket Chairman John P. Castleberry,
Celebration, Inc., P. O. Box 192, Shelby
ville, Tenn.
For room or house rentals write to
Shelbyville Chamber of Commerce,
Shelbyville, Tenn.
For entry information—after July 1—
write to Celebration Office, P. 0. Box
192, Shelbyville, Tenn.
(Do not write to the Voice Editor for
any of the above. We try to answer all
questions but cannot buy tickets, enter
horses, or provide housing accomoda
tions.)
The Celebration Vacation Brochure—
a great 4-color production — is being
mailed to all on the Celebration Blue
Ribbon list, and also placed at points
where they will be appreciated. Write
Celebration, Inc., P. O. Box 192, to get
on the Blue Ribbon List.
Batesville, Miss. Plans
2-Night Show, May 23-24
Six Tennessee Walking Horse clas
ses are listed for May 24 at 7:30 p.m.
to conclude th e 2-day Batesville, Miss.
Lions Club Third Annual Horse
Show. O’Neill Howell is master of
ceremonies with Ed Stalcup judging
everything. One class for Open Pleas
ure horses is eligible for Walking
Horses on May 23 at 7:30 p.m.
The Walker classes on the final
night include 2-year-olds, Juvenile
Riders 18 and under, Men’s Amateur,
Ladies to Ride, Walking Mares 4
years old, Walking Stallion and Geld
ing. All classes net S25 plus trophies
and ribbons for first place. Earl Pear
son of The Panolian, Batesville, Miss.,
gets the mail about this show.
VISIT INDIANA'S NEWEST
WALKING HORSE STABLE
ARNOLD HABIG
STABLES
P. O. Box 173
Sales
Jasper, Indiana
Boarding
Training
Finished Horses & Prospects
For Sale
AT STUD
GOLD SHADOW 571544
Mr. & Mrs. Arnold Habig,
Owners
Harold Hayes, Manager-Trainer
Phones
Stables: 1119-K
Night: 1270-K