1965-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1965 April Voice | Page 17

HEADS UP , the

WALKING HORSE WORLD
By BETTY MARGRAVE Box 168 Union , Kentucky
This is about the time of year that everyone in the Walking Horse World is hoping that March winds will soon blow the ground dry so that horses may be taken out of the barn and started to work outside . With the long winter just about over , trainers and amateurs are now putting the finishing touches on their horses before the show season really gets under way . The Gordon Stables , located at the Mercer County Fair Grounds , Harrodsburg , Kentucky , have a barn full of horses . Mr . JUNIOR GORDON and his father , Mr . A . R . GORDON , have 40 head of walking horses stabled with them and are working over 30 head each day . BARBARA GORDON , the lovely daughter of Mr . Junior Gordon , has been riding her strawberry roan pony Little Abner regularly , and will be showing him again this year in the pony classes . Mr . Gordon and Junior have a black two-year-old filly by King ’ s Sun who is by the well-known Midnight Sun . The Gordons believe she is an outstanding filly and will be Celebration-bound this year with her .
Dr . E . N . RUSH of Louisville , Kentucky has his stallion Blackjack in training with the Gordon Stables . The talk is that this stallion is going to be a top contender this year . Dr . Rush also has his aged mare Libby Lin in training , a beautiful dark chestnut who should be a good mare this year . Mr . BERNARD CORMAN of Nickolsville , Kentucky has his junior mare Fair Warning , a sorrel by Setting Sun , with the Gordons . This mare is a head shaker with motion to spare . She should be top competition in the mare classes this year . Mr . Corman has a two-year-old true bay stallion by Midnight Sun out of a Go Boy mare in training with the Gordons . A real natural going colt , he is fine built with a beautiful set of ears , a well-proportioned head and body , and neat trim legs . He has a lot of motion and should do well this year . Mr . Corman also has an aged sorrel mare that earned her keep fast year which Mr . Gordon or Junior will be showing this year .
Dr . COLLINS of Richmond , Kentucky has his aged mare Society Lane with the Gordons . A mare with speed to spare , she will be seen in many of the amateur classes this year . Mr . HARTMAN ROBERTS of Nickolsville , Kentucky
APRIL , 1965 has his four-year-old stud , Mack ’ s Merry Boy , with Gordon ’ s , and will be making the show circuits with him . Mr . GENE KELLY of Independence , Kentucky has put his amateur horse The Replica in training with the Gordon Stables . This horse has finished out and changed during this winter ’ s work and will be a different horse when he hits the show ring this season . Mr . Kelly is looking forward to a good season in the amateur and stake classes with him . Mrs . RITA CRANE of Xenia , Ohio will be bringing back her mare Big Man ’ s Bessie , as good as she ever was . The mare was bred last year but did not foal . After a winter ’ s work by Junior Gordon she should be a great mare this season with Mrs . Crane showing her in the mare and ladies ’ classes . Sun ’ s Red Rhythm , Mrs . Crane ’ s amateur stallion , will also be her mount in ' 65 for the amateur and stud and gelding classes .
My father , Mr . FOREST MARGRAVE , has put his colt B . Major Boomerang in training with the Calico Farms of Cincinnati , Ohio under the capable trainer WILLARD TENPENNY . A beautiful colored sorrel with a flax mane and tail and two white stockings , he is showing much promise . He ’ s by B . Major Wilson out of Go Boy ’ s Sassy Sue who is by Merry Go Boy . Having had only a few weeks ’ work on him , he ’ s breaking out of his knees and looks like he ’ s going to have a great front end with a back end to match .
The Beacon Hill Farm of Union , Kentucky , owned by Mr . and Mrs . RALPH LOVETT , has recently completed building a new barn . The beautiful barn is 60 ’ x 160 ’ and has a spacious riding area on the inside . The stalls , tack room , and office are built in the center , leaving a wide ride around for working horses . The Lovetts ’ modern brick home on U . S . 42 and their new horse barn enclosed by a beautiful white fence , with brood mares grazing and colts rollicking by their sides , gives the passers-by something to stop and admire . Miss JULIE LOVETT will be showing the famous gelding Sun ’ s Destiny , who has made one of the best amateur geldings that can be found . Mr . Lovett will stride Go Boy ’ s Little Luke , his sorrel stallion who is the sire of the Lovetts ’ younger generation of horses . Jul ’ s Love , a chestnut filly , and The Real McCoy , a roan stallion , are part of this younger generation . These two-year-olds are now being worked under the care of the Lovetts and are showing that they definitely have a future ahead of them in the show ring .
Located in the Blue Grass region of Kentucky is the Mallard Farm owned by Mr . ELROY MAL­ LARD of Georgetown , Kentucky . The Mallard Farm has bred many a winning horse , including Black Rhythm and the late Black Velvet owned by the Kibler Farm , Mount Orab , Ohio . Mr . Mallard , a lifelong horseman who comes from a family of horsemen , has ridden many a horse to victory . In 1941 he rode Mr . Blackout to win the
( Continued on page 40 ) 17