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" M R . B L U E RI B B O N " H E R S H E L T A L L E Y E X C E L S A S W A L KI N G H O R S E T R AI N E R I N A L A B A M A
T h e st at e of Al a b a m a h as a n a m a z i n g n u m b e r of W al ki n g H o rs es — g o o d W al ki n g H o rs es wit h t o p t r ai n e rs i n t h e s a d dl e . O n e of t h es e t r ai n e rs , H E R S H E L T A L L E Y , h as a st a bl e i n B ail e yt o n , a n d us u all y b ri n gs s o m e g r e at W al ki n g H o rs es t o t h e f o r ef r o nt e a c h s e as o n .
H e rs h el w as b o r n a n d r ais e d i n C ull m a n C o u nt y o n a f a r m wit h fi v e sist e rs . H e d e v el o p e d a s kill i n h a n d li n g h o rs es a n d h u nti n g d o gs at a v e r y e a rl y a g e . His fi rst c o nt a ct wit h W al ki n g H o rs es w as i n 1 9 4 6 , w h e n D r . J . M . C R A W F O R D of A r a b , Al a b a m a hi r e d hi m a n d s e nt hi m t o WI N S T O N WI S E R ’ s st a bl e f o r s e v e r al m o nt hs t o l e a r n m o r e a b o ut s h o w h o rs es . S o H e rs h el , al o n g wit h m a n y of o u r ot h e r t r ai n e rs , will t ell y o u t h at h e o w es m u c h t o t h e l at e Wi n st o n Wis e r f o r his st a rt i n t his b usi n ess . H e l at e r m o v e d t o R ai n b o w St a bl es i n G a ds de n , Al a b a m a < w he r e h e r e m ai ne d f o r si x y e a rs o p e r ati n g a p u bli c st a bl e , a n d t h e n t o t h e T us c al o os a Ri di n g Cl u b i n T us c al o os a , Al a b a m a , o p e r ati n g a p u bli c st a bl e f o r t h e n e xt ei g ht y e a rs . H e is n o w l o c at e d o n Hi g h w a y 6 9 b et w e e n A r a b a n d C ull m a n at B ail e yt o n , Al a b a m a w h e r e h e b uilt a n e w st a bl e i n 1 9 6 3 . H e o w ns 5 0 a c r es w h e r e t h e st a bl e is l o c at e d , a n d als o o w ns a f a r m o n w hi c h bis h o m e is sit u at e d .
H e rs h el is m a r ri e d t o t h e f o r m e r D O R O T H Y S MI T H , w h o w as a n u rs e at t h e A r a b I nfi r m a r y at t h e ti m e of t h ei r m a r ri a g e i n 1 9 4 7 . D ot st a rt e d s h o wi n g W al ki n g H o rs es aft e r t h e y w e r e m a r ri e d a n d m a d e s o m e t o p p e rf o r m a n c es , es p e ci all y i n pl a ci n g r es e r v e i n t h e L a di es Cl ass at t h e C el e b r ati o n o n G r a ci e Wils o n . S he s h o w e d f o r s e v e r al y e a rs , b ut as t h ei r c hil d r e n b e c a m e i nt e r est e d i n ri di n g , D ot n o w h as h e r h a n ds f ull o n t h e g r o u n d . F o u rt e e n- y e a r- ol d P RI S CI L L A s e e ms t o h a v e t h e f a m il y a bilit y of s h o w m a ns hi p , f o r s h e ’ s w o n m a n y o utst a n di n g ri b b o ns si n c e s h e w as ei g ht y e a rs ol d . L ast y e a r h e r t o p m o u nt w as A g ai n G o S u e . T e n- y e a r- ol d V A N h as b e g u n s h o w i n g a p o n y r e c e ntl y a n d is b e c o mi n g a n ot h e r g o o d ri d e r . P ris cill a w e nt t o h e r fi rst s h o w w h e n s h e w as o n e w e e k ol d a n d n eit h e r c hil d h as e v e r miss e d a C el e b r ati o n . I n f a ct , V a n st at es t h at h e k n o ws t h at at o n e ti m e o r a n ot h e r h e h as " w al k e d o n e v e r y r o c k o n t h e C el e b r ati o n g r o u n ds . ”
H e rs h el h as s o m eti m es b e e n c all e d " M r . Bl u e Ri b b o n ” b y his f ri e n ds a n d h e us u all y li v es u p t o t his n a m e . F o r i nst a n c e , i n t h e 1 9 6 3 s h o w s e a s o n h e w o n 6 9 bl u es . H ej u d g es m a n y h o rs e s h o ws a n d is w ell r es p e ct e d as a ri d e r a n d a j u d g e . L ast y e a r h e j u d g e d t h e C el e b r ati o n a n d miss e d s h o wi n g his st o c k , b ut t o o k his t w o- y e a r- ol d st u d a n d w o n t h r e e bi g s h o ws i n a r o w — M o nt g o m e r y , B at o n R o u g e a n d M o bil e . T his y e a r H e rs h el wi D b e ri di n g t his t o p J u ni o r St alli o n i n t h e C el e br ati o n ri n g al o n g wit h ot h e r v e r y g o o d h o rs es .
H e rs h el a n d his f a mil y att e n d t h e L yst r a B a ptist C h u r c h w h e r e t h e y a r e all a cti v e m e m b e rs . T h e y s e e m t o h a v e a f o n d aff e cti o n f o r t h e st at e of Al a b a m a , b ut t h e y als o h a v e a v e r y g r e at aff e cti o n f o r t h e T e n n es s e e W al ki n g H o rs e .
D ot a n d H e rs h el T all e y a r e v e r y c o n g e ni al p e o pl e a n d it is i n d e e d a pl e as u r e t o l et t h e r e a d e rs k n o w w h at t h ei r i nt e r est is a n d h o w t h e y b e c a m e i nt e r est e d i n W al ki n g H o r s es . H e rs h el d e e pl y f e els t h at i n t h e y e a rs t o c o m e t his i n d ust r y will b e c o m e m o r e of a b usi n ess , i nst e a d of j ust a h o b b y , f o r m a n y of t h e i n c r e asi n g n u m b e r of p e o pl e t h at a r e g etti n g i nt e r est e d e a c h y e a r . T his s e e ms t o b e t h e o pi ni o n of m a n y of t h e t r ai n e rs t o d a y , a n d t h e y d o s e e t h e t r e n ds i n t h e b usi n ess . T h e T all e ys e xt e n d a c o r di al i n vit ati o n t o a n y visit o rs t o t h e st at e of Al a b a m a t o c o m e b y t h ei r st a bl e a n d w at c h s o m e h o rs es w o r k a n y ti m e .
1 8 V OI C E of t h e T e n n ess e e W al ki n g H o rs e