1963-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1963 October Voice | Page 19

October
TE
INC H'19jltSE
SUN'S DELIGHT ends
SHOW CAREER in
IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY
SUN’S DELIGHT, crowned World’s
Grand Champion of 1963 on Septem­
ber 7 at the Tennessee Walking Horse
National Celebration in Shelbyville,
Tennessee, was formally retired from
competition in the show ring, Satur­
day night, September 14, at the
Kentucky State Fair horse show in
Louisville, This occasion was chosen
for the impressive ceremony because
Covington, Kentucky, is the home of
the champion’s owners, Mr. and Mrs.
Fray Escue and their daughter, Nancy.
A throng of more than 18,000 en­
thusiastically cheered the retiring
champion and his talented trainer and
rider, Sam Paschal, of Murfreesboro,
Tennessee, as they demonstrated in the
ring of the famous Coliseum that per­
fection of form in the three gaits of the
Walking Horse which has earned for
SUN’S DELIGHT the highest honors
attainable in his breed. Called by Pas­
chal, “the greatest horse I ever rode,”
SUN’S DELIGHT gained new friends
and admirers during this splendid ex­
hibition.
When horse and rider had stirred
the crowd with their performance,
they were called to the center of the
ring, beside the judge’s stand. There
Paschal dismounted and ceremoniously
stripped the saddle from the retiring
champion. Then Mr. and Mrs. Escue
and Nancy were introduced to the
audience, as was Mrs. C. H. Paschal,
mother of the only living trainer to
have saddled three horses to World’s
Grand Championships. To the thun­
derous applause of the crowd, Mr.
Leon Simms, manager of the show,
then draped across the champion’s
back a blanket made of 1,500 roses,
with the horse’s name spelled out in
red against a white background.
As the great champion docilely fol­
lowed his famous trainer toward the
exit, he stopped upon command and
parked in his best show-horse pose to
receive the sustained applause of the
appreciative audience.
After the show Mr. and Mrs. Escue
entertained well over one hundred
guests at a dinner in the Sheraton
Hotel. As a memento of his most
coveted victories, Mr. Escue presented
Sam Paschal with three minature horse
shoes made of artificial roses, each
Draped in ceremonial blanket made of 1,500 roses, SUN’S DELIGHT follows trainer
Sam Paschal from the ring following impressive retirement ceremonies at the Kentucky
State Fair Horse Show in Louisville. Owned by the Fray Escue Pontiac Company,
Covington, Kentucky, SUN’S DELIGHT was crowned World’s Grand Champion at the
1963 Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration in Shelbyville, Tennessee, September
^rseshoc signifying a World’s Grand
hampion that Paschal had trained
id ridden. In addition to SUN’S DE-
IGHT, Paschal trained EBONY
[ASTERPIECE and rode him to the
tie in 1962 and SETTING SUN in
)58. With his victories in both 1962
id 1963, Paschal became the only
ainer to win the big stake in con-
cutive years on different horses.
When asked about their reasons for
•tiring SUN’S DELIGHT at age 4,
hen he is just reaching his physical
?ak and very probably could be shown
iccessfully for several more years,
ith Escue and Paschal affirmed their
?lief that such removal of a World’s
hand Champion from active com­
petition is “good for the breed.” (Pas­
chal has consistently retired his horses
upon their becoming World’s Grand
Champions, beginning with SETTING
SUN in 1958). The owner and trainer
also emphasized that they believe the
retirement of champions is eminently
fair to other exhibitors, trainers, and
to judges. Their decision to retire
SUN’S DELIGHT has caused much
favorable comment from horsemen
who love the breed.
SUN’S DELIGHT has been return­
ed to Paschal’s City View Stables in
Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where visi­
tors are welcome to see the Grand
Champion in his special “picture-win­
dow” stall next to Paschal’s office.