1964-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1964 March Voice | Page 9

have them wish they did after the
first few hours. To my satisfaction,
these reports are correct. Without a
doubt, the Tennessee Walking
Horse is the favorite mount of gun
dog sportsmen everywhere. For
this type of sporting event, a good
horse is almost as important as a
good dog. A brief outline of a typi­
cal day’s events should prove our
point.
During the National Field Trials,
the sleepy town of Union Springs
comes to life about 6:00 A.M. All
over town, participants, spectators
and officials are preparing for a
hard day in the saddle. The im­
mediate schedule calls for donning
warm clothes, eating a hearty
breakfast and heading for the
Maytag Estate Stables, where all
of the horses are being readied for
the day’s activities. Many people
bring their own horses to this
event, but those who do not can
rent mounts. Horses are brought in
from all parts of Alabama and sur­
rounding states, including many
from the Livingston Estate further
south. Mrs. Livingston owns MID­
MARCH 1964
NIGHT SUN and SUN’S BIG
SHOT, stabled at Harlinsdale
Farms in Franklin, Tennessee.
These rental horses are, for the
most part, Walking Horses.
A most interesting activity is the
selection of horses suitable for dif­
ferent riders. A series of hitching
rails is set up and horses by the
hundreds are tied up, many of them
complete with saddle and bridle.
Prospective riders are questioned
regarding experience, preference,
etc., before a horse is given to them
and all precautions are taken to
provide everyone with a suitable
horse.
As the crowd gathers for the
first brace, everyone is anxious to
get started. Horses, prompted by
the cold, crisp morning air, ar e
moving about with somewhat re­
luctant riders trying to keep them
under control. The handlers of the
dogs for the first brace are work­
ing with their animals while their
seconds hold their horses. The
Judge finally gives the word to
“turn ’em loose” and off they go
. . . working to the commands of
their handlers in search of a faint
scent of the presence of birds.
Close behind is the gallery, com­
posed of men, women and children
on horseback. This is the pattern
. . . over fields, through woods,
across creeks and bridges and down
highways. Each brace lasts for
forty-five minutes and there are six
held before the crowd returns to
the Stables for lunch about 2:00
P.M. Sometimes the pace is slow
and leisurely. At other times it is
necessary to prod the horses to a
faster gait in order to keep up with
the dogs.
Along about 11:00 A.M. a keen
observer begins to notice some­
thing significant about the gallery.
Some horses fare better than ever
and their riders seem to enjoy the
ride more and more; while others
begin to look for a short-cut back
to the stables. At this point we
started talking to riders, inquiring
about their horses and almost with­
out exception we could pick the
Walking Horses out of the crowd.
To our amazement, we found some
excellent old troupers of the horse
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