TEI( IMG H i 6JHSE
NOVEMBER
WALKING HORSE FEVER DESCENDS ON ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA WITH
OPENING OF NEW TRAINING
Last Christmas a Tennessee Walking Horse“ atomic bomb” was dropped upon an Allentown, Pennsylvania, housewife, and it set off a tremendous chain reaction. So far it has brought about a 34-stall stable, plans for a Celebration-size track, a trainer, and a breeding program with a band of 20 to 30 mares. All this information was unfolded to us in an enthusiastic letter from C. Richard( Dick) Bell, a partner in the Bell Stevens Corporation, C enter Square Bldg., Allentown. They are manufacturers’ agents.
Dick ordered 100 copies of the VOICE Editor’ s 20-page pamphlet,“ What On Earth Is A Tennessee Walking Horse?” The Editor asked“ why” and this is Dick’ s explanation:
“ It all started Christmas morning of last year when my business partner, Richard Stevens, bought a small black stallion for his wife as a gift. A few days later I was at his farm. Though I had never been on a horse before, his offer to ride intrigued me. To my surprise this little animal carried me over their farm just as easily and smoothly as if I were cruising down the Pennsylvania Turnpike in my Cadillac. Well, I just had to have one of those magnificient animals, which I was told was a Tennessee Walking Horse.
“ The next two months were stories in themselves. I bought my wife a pleasure Walking Horse, my partner bought one, and I owned everything else; such as five-gaited walking horses, walking quarter horses, but had nothing but Walking Nightmares.( One of the reasons for buying your pamphlets was to give them to others so they won’ t make the same mistakes.)
“ It was at this time I ' bought your book and subscribed to the VOICE to learn more about the breed. I had made up my mind not
AND BREEDING STABLE to buy anything but a registered horse. I heard there was a registered stallion nearby, but he proved to be so mixed-up that he couldn’ t out-walk my Bassett Hound. I had his papers and searched through your book and found that I had a horse of good breeding( the sire is MIDNIGHT SUN and dam is GOLD BOND) and felt that if he were properly trained, I could have a nice horse.
“ A good friend of mine told me that 30 miles south of Allentown, a man by the name of Jim Lindsey was a Walking Horse stable man, and I sent my horse to him. Although not expecting too much, I was amazed to learn that I not only had a Walking Horse, but a potential great show horse.
“ Three weeks ago Jim Lindsay and I went to Tennessee, and I bought a beautiful three-year-old MIDNIGHT SUN colt( 13 foundation horses are listed in his pedigree) called SUN’ S HIDDEN GOLD from Steve Hill. He is a beautiful golden sorrel with a white tail and mane and is a full brother to MIGHTY SUN.
HIDDEN GOLD can do three perfect gaits and has a big front end like MIGHTY SUN and the ability to sit down and walk and climb. I think you’ ll hear a lot about him, and he is real Celebration material.
“ This is only a small portion of the story, for on December 1, Dick Stevens, his two brothers( Dave and Tim) and myself are opening a new 34-stall show and training barn( 204 by 44) exclusively for Tennessee Walking Horses. We are duplicating the Celebration ring and have over 150 acres of land now being developed into pastures for the 20 to 30 hand-picked brood mares with which we are undertaking a large breeding program. Jim Lindsey will be trainer, and we already have half our barn committed.
“ Several pages of advertising in the VOICE are contemplated when we announce the opening of our complete operation in early summer, and of course we would like to have you attend. I’ m sure that you will agree, this is quite a story hat has been brought about in less than a year.”
YOUR HELP APPRECIATED
The dozens of people ready to assist in the production of the VOICE is gratifying. We need your help and sincerely appreciate the efforts of each of you volunteers.
As we gradually build a network of correspondents who will be covering the nation before long, we solicit each reader to send news in his area so that all events of general interest to the Walking Horse World can be included.( Please understand that limited space and editorial judgment may sometimes force us to condense or omit some information; however, we will use all the material possible.)
Please send to us news of horses bought, sold and traded, show horses moved from one training stable to another, show horses retired from competition, trainers who relocate, and any other information of this kind. Also we will be glad to receive the official results of Walking Horse Classes in every show and will report on as many of these as possible.
With the kind of cooperation you are willingly giving the VOICE OF THE TENNESSEE WALKING HORSE will grow“ bigger and better,” Thank you.
CORRECTION, PLEASE
On the inside front cover of the October issue it was erroneously stated that Trainer Sammy Cecil rode SPUR’ S JET FIRE to the North Carolina Amateur Championship. Of course professional trainers do not ride in Amateur Classes. The rider in this Championship event was Mr. C. E. Clement, the owner of the horse. Our apologizes— and, congratulations to Mr. Clement, of Hickory, North Carolina, upon his victory.