1963-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1963 May Voice | Page 10

May, 1963
8
Echoes of Judging
(Continued from page 7)
as this. It is up to you gentlemen to
initiate remedial action as vigorously
as you can. Yours for a better Walking
Horse sport.
In a personal note this gentleman
said:
“Mr. Green — This letter was not
written just for publication in your
magazine—though that is OK if you
desire. It is the hope of many of us
that ‘Voice’ will mount a strong gen­
eral attack against this condition and
be instrumental in its eradication.”
And Letter No. 3, coming from
some 1,500 to 2,000 miles away from
the other two, speaks of a particular
show and says in part:
"I attended the show . . and on the
whole, the show was very good. How­
ever, one thing happened that marred
the show completely and I feel it more
than important enough to bring to
light, not only to Walking Horse
breeders, but to the public. . . . What
I am about to say has been going on
for a long time, and while many peo­
ple know this, they are afraid to try
to do anything about it.
“Biased And Political”
“Ben, many fine horses have been
entered . . . several came from long
distances at great expense to the own­
ers. I have always believed in honesty
and integrity in anything I have done
or anything anyone else is doing, but
the show (on the final night) left me
disgusted, disallusioned, disturbed and
downright mad! The judging of the
event was biased and political, totally
unfair both to the owners and the
spectators. . . .
“Several of these horses were just
not judged, period! The judge was
very conveniently looking the other
way when they went around, for he
knew who was going to win before
they entered the ring! Is this honest
judging? These horses were not judged
by what they could do, but by who
owned them and how much political
pull they had. This is not fair in any
sense of the word. I have watched this
sort of thing for quite a while and
think it should come to a halt before
it ruins the good work and tears down
the breed. . . . The horses that really
performed well were not even placed.”
(Editor’s Note—The foregoing letters
are handy samples of opinion as expressed.
Apparently thousands of other folks have
similar opinions — some expressed and
others not expressed. There are also grave
differences of opinion. Various agencies
have sought to bring uniformity of rules;
to bring about greater unity of opinion
on how a horse of a certain breed should
show. Dishonesty is certainly deplorable,
Pop, 75, And Mom, 66 (With Cancer), Plan
Walker Ride For 50th Wedding Anniversary
By REV. PAUL McGRADY
Bethany Nazarene College—
Bethany, Okla.
Even though I am a minister and
a college professor, I am an ardent
lover of the Tennessee Walking Horse.
While doing graduate work at Vander­
bilt University in 1954 and pastoring
a rather large church, I was told by
my doctor that I must develop a
hobby. I shall always be grateful that
I turned to the Tennessee Walking
Horses—the best medicine in the world
for over-wrought nerves.
Soon thereafter I shared my enthusi­
asm for Walkers with my parents, then
living in semi-retirement in the coastal
region of South Carolina. (Address:
Rt. 4, Box 187, Walterboro, S.C.—
Phone; Victor 4-2155, Hendersonville,
S.C.) Dad has always been a horse-
lover while Mom has had no time for
them.
I said, “Dad, if I bring you some
Walkers, Mom will start riding with
you.” Pie replied, “That day will
never come. Son.” I was the best
prophet, for among the truck-load I
took him, was “My Little Lady”, (pic­
tured in letter.) Immediately she be­
came Mom’s mare. Now she rides
often through those huge pine planta­
tions and over those soft, sand roads.
Lady has a fast, smooth running
walk and is a black beauty. Besides
that is is an excellent brood mare.
Oh yes, I should mention that Mom’s
health has improved immeasurably—
thanks to God and the Tennessee
Walking Horse. (In 1955, she had
cancer which was too far advanced for
surgery, but now is feeling fine.)
When she began riding, Mom had
not ridden a horse for half a century.
Then, past 60, she immediately be­
came an efficient rider—excellent proof
of the gentleness of the Walker.
Although Dad had no knowledge of
Walkers, he immediately became an
expert at breeding, raising and train-
differences of opinion are a different mat­
ter. Refereeing, judging, officiating, etc.
in all sports where eyesight, viewpoint,
experience and personal preferences can
dominate are always subject to comment.
I do not believe the Voice can do any­
thing better than to reflect opinion—
and let it go at that. We do not intend
to try to make people be honest, when
they prefer to be otherwise. But the horse
show committees can do something about
that job insofar as their individual shows
are concerned. BAG.)
ing them (for pleasure). He has sol