1964-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1964 September Voice | Page 6

prepara him for showing as a two- year-old, it became very obvious that his judgment in predicting greatness for CARBON COPY would be borne out. In 1962 he cli­ maxed a very successful year by winning the championship stake for two-year-olds at the National Celebration, and was at that time called the greatest horse of his age ever to show in this event. In May of 1963 at the show in Little Rock, Mr. Pete Raney, brother of T. J. Raney, brought one-half interest in PERFECTION’S CARBON COPY for a reported price of S25,000.00. This placed a market value of $50,- 000.00 upon the horse early in his Junior season. This is believed to be the highest evaluation ever placed upon a Tennessee Walking Horse so early in his career. As a matter of fact, bids for CARBON COPY in excess of $50,000.00 were received during the year but were refused because his owners felt that he had the ability to win the big championship. Again their judgment has proved to be right. September 5, 1964, in one of the shortest stake classes in recent his­ tory and after a five-horse work­ out of only seven minutes, PER­ FECTION’S CARBON COPY was crowned Grand Champion Walk­ ing Horse of the World. Thus, he and the skillful trainer who rode him, attained the very pinnacle of success. A black stallion of perfect con­ formation, standing sixteen hands, solid black (except for just the trace of a star on his forehead), and with a fineness rare in a horse demonstrating so much stamina and speed, PERFECTION’S CAR­ BON COPY is a rare achievement in breeding. Sired by RODGERS’ PERFECTION, and out of MID­ NIGHT DOLL (by MIDNIGHT SUN), he is truly “bred in the pur­ ple.” According to his expert trainer, PERFECTION’S CARBON COPY has all the form, the big lick and the speed so much de­ sired in present-day show horses of the breed. Mr. Binns, Dr. Raney, Dr. Rodgers, and Mr. Webb also own a yearling colt and a wean­ ling filly which are also by ROD­ GER’S PERFECTION out of MID­ 6 NIGHT DOLL. Perhaps one or both of these can follow in the pattern of greatness set by their older brother. This accomplishment will not be easy, however, for the entire ca­ reer of PERFECTION’S CARBON COPY has been marked by victory upon victory. As has already been mentioned he impressively won the two-year-old Stake at the 1962 National Celebration to climax a season of triumphs. In 1963 he was undefeated until he was placed Reserve Champion in the class for three-year-old stallions and also in the Junior Stake. Both of these ties came on split decisions. CAR­ BON COPY came back stronger than ever to win Junior honors at the Dixie Jubilee in Baton Rouge, until he became ill with a virus. In 1964 he has been undefeated and a champion all the way. Such is the pattern of greatness achieved by this magnificient performer. Especially proud of the accom­ plishments of CARBON COPY is Dr. Porter R. Rodgers, who is re­ puted to have bred more World’s Grnad Champions than any other person, and who is the owner of the 1959 World’s Grand Champion, RODGERS’ PERFECTION. Point­ ing out that four-year-old CARBON COPY belongs to the first crop of colts sired by RODGER’S PER­ FECTION and that the relatively few of PERFECTION’S offspring who are old enough to show have done exceptionally well, Dr. Rod­ gers expressed his complete satis­ faction with this nine-year-old stallion that he and Joe Webb con­ fidently expect to see become re­ cognized as the greatest sire of Tennessee Walking Horses yet pro­ duced. The outstanding record of PERFECTION’S progeny partici­ pating in the 1964 National Cele­ bration lends weight to their view. Now, let us become better ac­ quainted with the other partners in the 1964 Champion. Dr. T. J. Raney and Mr. Howard Binns have owned Tennessee Walking Horses for approximately seven years. They are the former own­ ers of CHAMPAGNE JET, and they also raised GO BOYS ROYAL HEIR. SULTAN’S CLOWN, the good horse ridden by Mr. E. L. Burgess, was produced by their mare, MIDNIGHT DOLL, the dam of CARBON COPY. Mr. Pete Raney picked a real winner for his first, and thus far his only, Tennessee Walking Horse; how­ ever, we predict that he will soon venture into owning others as a result of the thrill received from seeing PERFECTION’S CARBON COPY win the Grand Champion­ ship of the World for him and his partners. Of coui'se, the masterful hand behind the tremendous victory ac­ hieved on September 5 belongs to the man we salute as TRAINER OF THE YEAR, Mr. Joe Webb, of Searcy, Arkansas. Highly regarded as one of the outstanding young trainers in the business, Joe proved his greatness in 1959 when he rode RODGERS’ PERFECTION to the Grand Championship of the World in one of the truly thrilling stake classes on record. In select­ ing one of the very first colts by his champion and bringing him all the way from a weanling to the Grand Championship, Joe Webb has re­ served for himself another place of honor among those who deve­ lop and exhibit Tennessee Walk­ ing Horses. He shares with the late, great Winston Wiser the dis­ tinction of developing a horse through its entire show career, winning the Grand Championship, and then developing one of that horse’s sons into a Grand Cham­ pion in his own right. What Win­ ston Wiser did with MERRY GO BOY and GO BOY’S SHADOW, Joe Webb has now done with ROD­ GERS’ PERFECTION and PER­ FECTION’S CARBON COPY. Like Wiser, Webb is regarded as expert in every phase of training and showing — from breaking colts to exhibiting champions. His know­ ledge of horses is wide-spread. Two years ago Joe added to his many distinctions that of becoming an author. His book, THE CARE AND TRAINING OF THE TENNESSEE WALKING HORSE, is the most complete storehouse of information now available on the subject of developing Walking Horses. As a further illustration of the quality VOICE of The Tennessee Walking Horse