( Continued from Page 20 ) owned and ridden by Gus Blanchard of Gunnison , Miss . This fine horse is a son of BROWN ALLEN and out of MAUD GRAY , and is a top-flight animal in any ring .
GLORIOUS NIGHT , famous daughter of PRINCE ALLEN and out of BESS GLASSCOCK , reserve champion for walking mares , stallion or gelding at the Tennessee State Fair , 1938 , owned by L . D . Rouse of Montgomery and ridden by Dick West , was fourth in the awards ; while the fifth place went to BLACK PEPPER , a great horse which is owned and was ridden by W . H . Davis of Wartrace .
Other rings of the eight classes shown on the final night of the three-day walking horse celebration were outstanding , and the evening ’ s program moved with speed and precision under the direction of Jess Talley of Nashville as ringmaster and judging by Earl Pemberton of Bowling Green , Ky ., Clyde Westbrook of Greenville , Miss ., the Rev . N . B . Hardeman of Henderson , and Charles Ramsey of Viola , who served as an alternate . Dr . A . C . Topmiller was qualified as an expert to settle questions of blemish , if any , and W . H . Davis was chairman of the horse show .
SENATOR ROBERTS , a horse from the Blanchard Stables at Gunnison , Miss ., won the three-year-old stallion top award ; and HAYNES ALLEN of Haynes Haven Farms at Spring Hill was first in the champion walking stallion any-age class . The champion two-year-old walking stallion , mare or gelding was STROLLING MARY , property of Steve Hill of Beech Grove and ridden by Urban Small .
In the plantation walking pony class for any age , but fifty-eight inches and under with the rider not over sixteen years old , TEN NESSEE TRAVELER , owned and ridden by Billy Tune of Shelbyville placed first , while YANKEE DOODLE carried away the high award for three-gaited ponies under fifty-eight inches with the owner , Irma Jean Brooks of Madison up .
STROLLING JIM — 1939 World ’ s Grand Champion Walking Horse — Owned by Col . C . B . Bacon of Louden , Tennessee and ridden by Floyd Caruthers of Wartrace , Tennessee . Floyd Caruthers — Up .
Photo courtesy of Floyd ' s Walking Horse Hotel . Wartrace . Tennessee .
KENTUCKY STAR , a fine fivegaited horse owned and ridden by Jo S . Crawford of Estill Springs , won first money in the five-gaited stallion , mare or gelding class for any age ; and PRINCESS WAR CLOUD , owned and driven by Crawford , won in the fine harness class at the third and final night of Shelbyville ’ s big celebration to the Tennessee Walking Horse .
But it was the walking horse that stole the show held in the captital of Bedford County , and it was the grandchampionship ring , the final event of three days that made walking horse history here , that took the spotlight and was towering in the tall tops of a mammoth event .
Top Horses Shown
Well known breeders and competent judges and exacting critics , many of whom were gathered here for the celebration , were of one opinion as the end came on Saturday night . This opinion was that the greatest living walking horses of the world had been assembled here , and that no walking horse show had ever eclipsed that of Shelbyville in fine flesh or in magnitude of excellence from the standpoint of the best in the breed .
Jimmy Joe Murray of Lewisburg said , “ Never before in the history of the walking breed has there ever been assembled the high classes of the walking horse , including top mares , geldings and stallions in the championship contest declaring finally the grandchampion of them all . This is the opinion of breeders and critical judges , and it eclipsed all records of the past for true performance and confirmation .”
Mr . Hardeman said , “ The celebration has had more to do with an inspiration for better breeding than any similar event ever held , and it has brought together the best lot of walking horses in the world . Bedford County and Shelbyville should be proud of their achievement .”
The Twin Queens of the Celebration , Misses Mary and Margaret Wallheiser , who rode two snowwhite horses into the arena after STROLLING JIM had won the grandchampionship award of $ 250 which was handed his rider , Floyd Carruthers , by the State ’ s Chief Executive , Prentice Cooper , who acted as ring master in this final event , and who took the huge horseshoe of roses from the twelve visiting queens and after dismounting , placed it about the neck of the new king as the vast audience roared their acclaim , said , “ We don ’ t know anything about con-
22 VOICE of The Tennessee Walking Horse