1964-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1964 April Voice | Page 21

Arnold, “Cotton Ginner” won the
1948 Stallion Stake in the Celebra­
tion with Vic in the Saddle. In 1951,
Vic decided that if he was to make
his living with Walking Horses he
should move to the heart of the
business and in 1951 the Thompson
family moved to Shelbyville. Vic
points out that to his knowledge he
was the first person to introduce
top Walking Horses to Indiana
horse lovers and was able to get
top prices for his stock in that ter­
ritory.
Relating some of the more in­
teresting events of his life with
horses, Vic tells of his experience in
1944 when he rode “MIDNIGHT
BLUE EAGLE” in the Celebration
while in his Air Force uniform.
They beat MIDNIGHT SUN that
night in the Stud class. He also be­
lieves that he was the firA person
to ride a horse on the current Cele­
bration track after it was com­
pleted. He was up on a horse named
MIDNIGHT FERRY.
Looking back on the Walking
Horse business, Vic points out that
he feels that Clyde Tune, father of
Bill Tune, current president of the
Celebration, Incorporated, is
largely responsible for the current
success of the Tennessee Walking
Horse and the National Celebra­
tion. He states that he believes the
Celebration has done more to pro­
mote interest in the Tennessee
Walking Horse than any other
single event.
Vic has put major emphasis on
young amateurs and his daughters
are well known in the Walking
Horse show rings. “Vickie” Lynn,
who is now 18 years old and a stu­
dent at Gulf Park College, has
shown since she was nine years old
and has won a blue ribbon every
year that she has exhibited in the
Celebration. She is considered by
many to be one of the top feminine
exhibitors of Walking Horses in
the nation. Vic’s youngest daugh­
ter, Kathy, who is 14 and a student
at Shelbyville High School, started
exhibiting in 1963 and has already
made a notable impression as an
outstanding juvenile rider. Among
the leading amateur riders that
have shown out of the Vic Thomp­
APRIL 1964
STALLION STABLES,
INC. — Located just
across the highway
from the Vic Thomp­
son Stables. This struc­
ture houses four stal­
lions and was designed
specifically for this
purpose.
BIG MONEY---A copy
of the check closing
the transaction for
T A L K OF THE
T 0 W N, three time
winner of the Celebra­
tion, which Vic handled
as an agent.
son Stables is “Deedy” Decker,
daughter of Don Decker of Omaha,
Nebraska. "Deedy” first showed
MISTER SENSATION under Vic’s
guidance in 1961 and won the Ama­
teur Class at the Celebration as
well as almost every other class in
which she showed the famous geld­
ing. After SENSATION died in
1962, “Deedy” came back, to ride
SHADOW’S RED WARRIOR to
many blues in top shows.
It goes without saying that Vic
has some definite ideas as to how
various phases of the Walking
Horse business should be managed
and what is the goal of the pro­
fessional trainer. Vic maintains
that a trainers potential lies in his
ability and talent. He also main­
tains that too many trainers are
giving their services away and that
they feel they could not stay in
business if they charged top prices
for their services. He states that if
a trainer has the ability, good
facilities and a little business know­
ledge he should be able to demand
and get better prices for his serv­
ices.
The impressions of Vic Thomp­
son vary throughout the Walking
Horse business. He is salesman . . .
trainer . . . promoter and business­
man. He has been associated with
as many worlds champions and
top horses as any man in the busi­
ness, either as trainer or through
buying and selling, including
SUN’S JET PARADE, 1957 World’s
Grand Champion, MISTER SEN­
SATION, three time World Cham­
pion Gelding and TALK OF THE
TOWN, three time World’s Grand
Champion (see photo). He has done
much to help the Walking Horse
business to the mutual advantage
of everyone. Vic likes people but
has an unabashed approach that
sometimes give the impression that
he is overbearing. If you have ever
seen Vic working with children and
young people you would realize
that behind his gruff approach
there is a sincere and genuine per­
son. He wants more than anything
else to see his colleagues and fellow
trainers be successful, not only in
the show ring but in business. He
has, through his own efforts, tried
to establish a precedence for the
Walking Horse busine ss and has
tried to provide the finest facilities
for horses, to approach his custom­
ers in a professional manner and to
up-grade the Tennessee Walking
Horse business in every way pos­
sible.
25