WALLACE BRANDON ( Cont ' d .) blue ribbon march that has lead to
over twenty five wins in succession in Juvenile and Amateur Classes in the top shows in the country .
In 1962 . Mr . Frank Mason of Dallas , Texas , decided to enter the Walking Horse business . He had studied the trends in the business and decided that he would try to find and work out an agreement with a trainer with proven ability and a knack for working with people . After due consideration , “ Mr . Frank ” contacted Wallace Brandon and shortly thereafter work began on a new and unique type of Walking Horse Stable . Frank Mason is called the “ awning king of America .” He operates several of the largest manufacturing facilities in the country for production of metal awnings and has grown with the business from the days of canvas awnings . “ Mr . Frank " put his facilities to work and developed an all-metal and concrete stable that can be opened completely on both sides to allow maximum circulation of fresh air throughout the stable in the summer . In the winter , roll-down , garage-tvpe metal doors each twelve feet wide ( one for each stall ) are fastened down and the entire facility is as snug as a stable should be .
“ Doodles " Thompson and FAIR WARNING followed Wallace to his new stables , which he operated as a public barn , and along with several other top riders pose a threat to all amateur and juvenile classes in which they show . SUN ’ S GO BOY AGAIN , with Frank Mason up . won the 1962 and 1963 Worlds Champion Amateur Fifty Years and Over Class as well as his share of blue ribbons throughout the Southwest Circuit and in other top shows . Shirley Sharpe of Dallas , Texas , riding her renowned SHADOW ’ S BLAZE won the World Champion Amateur Mare Class in 1963 to round out the Wallace Brandon Stables roster of winners .
Are there any keys to success in the Walking Horse business ? Wallace says nothing other than hard work and a keen eye for horses . He
28 is constantly on the lookout for that one-in-a-thousand top horse that will make a winner for one of his amateur riders . He is very hard
to please and says that good feet and mouth are the keys to a good horse . Without these a potentially
great horse is just another front runner . Outstanding in the mind of Mr . Brandon is the fact that there are a lot of good horses around but very few great horses . He feels that the market has gone up considerably on top mounts and that they are several thousands of dollars higher than they were last year . He feels that many trainers are making too many Saturday night show horses and are not taking the necessary time to train their stock . “ Despite the problems of some disreputable publicity and misrepresentations within the breed ... we are on the threshold of a new era in popularity for the Tennessee Walking Horse ”, so says Wallace Brandon of Dallas , Texas .
Mr . and Mrs . Brandon , the former Geneva Finley , and their children live in Lewisville , Texas , just a short distance from Grapevine , where the stable is located . The children , twins Jimmy and Janice , 12 years and daughter Debora , 15 years , all share a different interest in the horse business . Geneva assists in the management of the stable by handling the books and the business end of the operation and the kids have their own horse activities . Wallace is careful not to push any of the children into the horse business . He says like everything else it is something that your heart must be in for a person to make it a livelihood . We certainly believe it in the case of Wallace Brandon .
Remember Back When ( Cont ' d .)
Chairman Henry Davis , concluded it may be necessary to provide still ether stables to take care of other horses that will come from a considerable distance .
While several horses already have reached the scene of the celebration , Clarence Haynes was canvassing this and neighboring counties by telephone and personal visits , in an effort to supply a sufficent number of mounts for the rideathon next Saturday afternoon .
Letters have come from persons in 38 states to which the “ Blue Ribbon " yearbook was sent inquiring if it will be possible for them to rent horses for the back-trail ride and every time the past five days when Haynes believed he had plenty of horses pledged , he has received other requests .
“ I believe we may have more than 150 riders and I want good horses for everybody ,” the chairman declared .
RIDEATHON SET
The rideathon will leave from the Eblen home at 3 p . m . Saturday and a picnic supper will be served at the Clive Parsons farm by women of the First Church of Christ . The eight-mile trail will lead through shady woodland most of the way and will cross the paved highway only once , at which time a truck with cold drinks will meet the caravan . It will be possible for persons in automobiles to see the start of the cavalcade and to join the riders at supper if they desire , Haynes said .
From a Missouri physician this week came a letter to Orr thanking the director of the “ Blue Ribbon ” and adding : “ This solves my vacation problem . I will come to Shelbyville . Please reserve me a horse for the rideathon .”
But the cross-country ride on Saturday is only one of several events scheduled for the entertainment of visitors in addition to the three horse show programs .
Opening the exhibition Thursday at 1 p . m . boys and girls on ponies , bicycles , miniature floats , in goat and dog wagons and on foot , will parade through Shelbyville in the junior parade sponsored by the P . T . A . of Shelbyville grammar school .
When the parade has passed a free concert on the square will be given by a mounted cowboy band ( Jewell Cowboys ) and the same musicians will play for a street dance after the first night ’ s horse show competition .
Led by Gov . Prentice Cooper , Mr . and Mrs . W . P . Cooper , officials of ( Continued on Page 30 )
VOICE of The Tennessee Walking Horse