1964-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1964 May Voice | Page 8

46th ANNUAL
MURRAY FARM SALE
REFLECTS INCREASED
INTEREST IN
WALKING HORSE BREED
BEECH AND YOKLEY
PURCHASE MURRAY FARM
The 1964 Murray Farm Sale pro­
duced many new records for the
sale of Tennessee Walking Horses.
Biggest news to develop however
was the proposed sale of the en­
tire facility to Mr. S. W. Beech
and Mr. Pete Yokley. Mr. Harold
Wise, owner, announced to the
press on Friday, April 30, that the
farm, including all rights to the
annual sale had been purchased
by Beech and Yokley.
Murray Farms, the world’s old­
est and largest Walking Horse auc­
tion center, sold reportedly for in
excess of $100,000.
Harold Wise, Lewisburg, who
has been connected with the faci­
lity off and on since 1939 and owner
of the 54-acre site and stables
since 1961, confirmed the sale, but
declined to disclose the price.
Wise said terms of the sale had
been agreed upon and the closure
would come shortly.
Auctions of the famed Tennessee
Walking Horse breed plus other
transactions at Murray Farms net­
ted nearly $500,000 during the past
12 months.
Beech and Yokely, who also hold
a three-day consignment sale at the
annual National Walking Horse
Celebration at Shelbyville, will
hold Murray Farms’ October sale
this year and take possession of
the property January 1.
The facility is located two blocks
northeast of the Lewisburg Pub-
K
BIG BUSINESS . . . S. W. Beech, Harold Wise and Pete Yokley contemplate
the sale of the Murray Farm which Beach and Yokley recently purchased for
an estimated $100,000.
lie Square in the East Hill area and
contains stables for 350 horses.
It was begun in 1938 by Jimmy
Joe Murray, who died in 1947.
Wise described this spring’s 46th
semi-annual three-day sale as the
“best sale we ever had. It broke
all records for everywhere for sell­
ing horses.” Horses brought $200,-
000 .
One horse, OUR SHADOW, was
purchased for $14,100 by R. D.
Keene, of Orlando, Fla., from J. E.
Milton, Providence, Ky. The ani­
mal was sired by GO BOY’S
SHADOW, a former world’s cham­
pion Walking Horse.
Beech is a well-known Walking
Horse breeder and owner and
Yokely is better known for train­
ing and showing gaited and road-
horses.
Wise said he plans to move his
training, buying and selling opera­
tions to his other farm, three miles
east of Lewisburg on U. S. 431.
He first became connected with
Murray in 1939 as a trainer and
sales manager. From 1946 until
1950 Wise lived in Arkansas where
he also dealt in horses.
In 1950, Wise and Sam Gibbons,
now of Athens, Ala., leased Mur­
ray Farms for five years. In 1957
Wise alone leased the farm and
operated it until he purchased the
center in 1961 from Misses Mar­
tha and Lillie Murray, sisters of
the late Jimmy Joe Murray.
THE CAMERAS TURN . . . News re-
porter Rick Moore of WLAC-TV, Nash­
ville covers the story of the sale for
the Tennessee Television audience.
Cameraman Hank Widrick pans in on
the principals for the interview.
—
JUST LOOKING . . . Buddy Hugh
pauses a moment in the shade of a big
oak with Billy and Doris Gilmore of
Roll Rurklo Tennessee.
nviXG AND SELLING . . . ag*"
aschal, Russell Pate and Jimmy «a"
e (hick of (he biddmff
re in the iuivr «*
It...
--a on (side.
VOICE of The Tennessee Walking
Horse