THE " BIG COUNTRY " LOVES WALKING HORSES
By Aletha Wiehl
We took a few hours we didn’ t think we had to drive over to Missoula, Montana. Our first object was to see Mr. and Mrs. E. C. Gray and their Walkers.“ Preach” has a small compact stable built to withstand the coldest, windiest winter day, and his horses are under his personal care. Preach saddled his own gelding“ JUNIOR,” whom he has shown successfully several seasons, for Lloyd to ride out cross-country. Preach rode the Bob Keyser’ s‘“ QUEEN’ S LIL JOE” a full brother to“ JOE’ S LIL QUEEN” who made such a showing last fall at the Pacific International. This stallion has a good smooth way of going and shows promise of developing great speed. After a short pleasure ride, Preach mounted“ JUNIOR” and took him around the ring a few times to show us what he could do in his running walk. That horse can fly. Not many will be able to catch him.
Mr. and Mrs. S. L. Weidner of Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho, have their beautiful“ MERRY GO MID NIGHT” in training here. This horse can look thru a bridle like a fine harness horse yet he has all the outstanding qualities of the Tennessee Walking Horse sires, MERRY GO BOY and MIDNIGHT SUN. A black horse, with a nice blaze— he’ s a picture.
Mr. and Mrs. Bob Keyser have their black stallion, SECRET VEN TURE in training at this stable, too. This is the stallion Bob purchased at Celebration time last
10 year. It’ s hard to fault his conformation, and I have the word of both Bob and Preach he’ s a dream to ride. He has a way about him that is hard to resist, and a free, easy way of going.
Helen Gray’ s pride and joy is a liver chestnut 2 year old filly, K’ S FEATHER DUSTER. She’ s a beauty, and time and Preach will soon tell what she can do. She has the breeding and she’ ll soon have the
training.
The Grays have one brood mare to foal in July bred to MERRY GO MIDNIGHT. This mare, royally bred, is a full sister to“ JUNIOR.”“ GOLDEN FEATHER” made her place in the show ring. Now the spotlight will be on this foal due in early summer. Another brood mare MIDNIGHT STAR DUST from DEANE’ S MIDNIGHT JUDY will be bred to MERRY GO MIDNIGHT.
This is a quiet barn.“ Preach” puts his philosophy of training succinctly,“ Break’ em lazy, and they’ re never crazy.” He maintains he’ d rather“ encourage them on” then continually yell“ whoa,”“ whoa,”“ whoa” all the time.“‘ Cause they can sure get silly.”“ A nice, quiet horse never gives you a minute’ s trouble. My horses are quiet. But they know they have to work for me. And they show for me.” They do just that. They certainly do!“ Preach” may teach them“ gentle,” but when they go thru the gate you’ d think Satan was in the saddle or right at their tails.
No mention of the“ Preach” Gray stable is complete without introducing Jack, the black Labrador who welcomes visitors with a big rock in his mouth, his gimmick for getting extra attention. It works.
And speaking of attracting attention, it was“ Preach” Gray who showed SGT. O’ KEEFE, the horse with the golden shoes. It came about more or less by accident when the farrier was searching for the right size shoes to replace some worn ones.“ Preach” glanced at the gold ones hanging on the tack room wall, and jokingly said,“ Wonder if those would fit!” The farrier took him seriously and“ Preach” thought“ Well, why not, let him try’ em.” They fit. And that night in the show they gleamed so brightly under the lights, and attracted so much attention, that next day they made up a pair for the hind feet too. From then on SGT. O’ KEEFE was introduced as“ the horse with the golden shoes.” Just a bit of razzle-dazzle for the show ring. The crowds enjoyed it, and, incidentally, the judges couldn’ t overlook him either.
Just as were ready to leave for home,“ Preach” or Helen happened to mention the Keysers lived only a short drive from Missoula. As a result of correspondence with Bob and Erna Rae, they were on my“ must see” list. So out we went to their place. There coudn’ t be a nicer family. We were sorry to learn that Bob had had a severe heart attack in March and still had to take it a bit easy. But that didn’ t keep him from leaping on“ HEY JOE” their wonderful‘ foundation sire,’ and zipping away in a running walk to bring in the brood mares and fillies.
This ranch is located in a beautiful valley, with the mountain glaciers coming down almost to the valley floor at this time of the year. As the mares ran in, with that beautiful mountain background, it made a picture long to be remembered. This is perfect riding country, gently sloping up to the mountains, covered with beautiful scattered evergreens. This year the Walking Horse Association in Montana voted to ride into the Bob Marshall Wilderness area on the annual trail ride, probably the last week end in July. A very distinguished guest who owns and rides Walkers on his ranch in Texas, is to be invited. News has not been released to the press as yet, so you’ ll just have to“ guess who!” I hope he can fin the time to make it, as any one would find relaxation in this beautiful country with these wonderful people. This is Big country, and the people measure up to it. You meet them, and you want to stay, and get the place“ right next door.
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