1965-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1965 August Voice | Page 9

“H E I S T H E G R E A T E S T
W A L KI N G
H O RSE
I H A V E RI D D E N SI N C E
T AL K OF
T HE
T O W N! ”
N O W . . . aft e r al m o st a y e a r of w o r ki n g wit h G o
B o y ’s R o y al H ei r, S T E V E HI L L h a s m a d e a fi r m
st at e m e nt r e g a r di n g hi s C h a m pi o n s hi p C o nt e n d e r
f o r 1 9 6 5. H e i s, a c c o r di n g t o St e v e, ",t h e g r e at e st
W al ki n g H o r s e I h a v e ri d d e n si n c e T al k of t h e T o w n
T al k of t h e T o w n r etir e d t h e J. L. H a y n es C h all e n g e
Tr o p h y b y virt u e of his t hr e e c o ns e c uti v e wi ns of t h e
Gr a n d C h a m pi o ns hi p i n 1 9 5 1, 1 9 5 2 a n d 1 9 5 3. St e v e Hill
w as ri di n g f or o w n ers C h e m ell a n d Ril e y.
A u g ust, 1 9 6 5
. . . a n d is p r o b a bl y b ett e r t o d a y t h a n t h e
bi g b a y w as t h e n.” T his, i n t h e mi n ds of
m a n y W al ki n g H o rs e e nt h usi asts, is p e r ­
h a ps t h e m ost o utst a n di n g a c cl ai m t h at
c o ul d p ossi bl y b e gi v e n t o a m o d e m T e n ­
n e s s e e W al ki n g H o rs e. T al k of t h e T o w n,
t h e W o rl d ’s G r a n d C h a m pi o n W al ki n g
H o rs e of 1 9 5 1, 1 9 5 2 a n d 1 9 5 3, lit e r all y
d o mi n at e d t h e s h o w ri n g f o r t h e s e y e a rs.
H e w as al m ost i n a cl ass b y hi ms elf, a n d
St e v e Hill c a n t a k e t h e c r e dit f o r t h e n ot a bl e
a c c o m plis h m e nts of t his g r e at h o rs e. H e
s h o w e d T al k of t h e T o w n t o his m ost o ut ­
st a n di n g vi ct o ri es!
I n c o m p a ri n g t h e t w o h o rs es, m ost r e c o g ­
ni z e d a ut h o riti es will fi n d n o f a ult wit h
T al k of t h e T o w n, b ut t h e y a r e e a g e r t o
p oi nt o ut t h at G o B o y ’s R o y al H ei r is b y
f a r t h e fi n e r of t h e t w o. T al k of t h e T o w n
h a d a c o c k y p e rs o n alit y a n d t r e m e n d o us
s p e e d a n d a cti o n i n t h e r u n ni n g w al k,
his m ost o utst a n di n g g ait. G o B o y ’s R o y al
H ei r h as t h e s a m e c o c k y ai r a b o ut hi m.
H e is a s h o w h o rs e i n e v e r y s e n s e of t h e
w o r d a n d h e h a s t h r e e p e rf e ct g aits, i n­
cl u di n g a r u n ni n g w al k t h at s u r p ass es a n y ­
t hi n g n o w s h o wi n g. T h e o n e t hi n g t h at
St e v e h as b e e n c o n c e nt r ati n g o n t his y e a r
is " c o n diti o ni n g. ” H e s a y s t h at T al k of t h e
T o w n w as t h e t o u g h est h o rs e h e e v e r r o d e
u ntil t his bl a c k st u d c a m e al o n g, a n d t h at
R o y al H ei r is i n b ett e r s h a p e t h a n a n y
h o rs e h e e v e r p ut a s a d dl e o n. T o l e n d
d e pt h t o his s u p e r b c o n diti o ni n g, G o B o y ’s
R o y al H ei r d o es e v e r yt hi n g wit h n at u r al
e a s e a n d r h yt h m. H e n e e ds n o a rtifi ci al
d e vi c es t o " m a k e hi m g o, ” a n d w e a rs a
li g ht p ai r of r e g ul ati o n b o ots.
T h e m ost o utst a n di n g a c c o m plis h m e nt
of a " p r e- C el e b r ati o n ” n at u r e f o r R o y al
H ei r is t h e r e c e nt wi n ni n g of f o u r Bl u e Ri b ­
b o ns i n o n e w e e k. H e w o n b ot h t h e St alli o n
& G el di n g Cl ass a n d t h e St a k e at P a d u c a h,
K e nt u c k y, a n d r et u r n e d t o T e n n ess e e t o
wi n t h e St a k es at B elf ast a n d W a rt r a c e o n
t w o s u c c essi v e ni g hts. T h os e w h o s a w hi m
at t h es e s h o ws s a y t h at "if e v e r a h o rs e
w as r e a d y f o r t h e C el e b r ati o n — it’s G o
B o y ’s R o y al H ei r. ” St e v e i s r e p o rt e d t o
h a v e s h o w n hi m " wi d e o p e n ” i n a l o n g
cl ass a n d h e b a r el y " b r o k e a s w e at.”
B ot h ol his o w n e rs, M rs. D W AI N M.
C L A R K a n d M r. W. M. D U N C A N, h a v e
o w n e d t o p h o rs es b ef o r e, b ut it is b eli e v e d
t h at t h e y w ill fi n d G o B o y ’s R o y al H ei r
is t h ei r b e st y et. W h e n St a k e Ni g ht r olls
a r o u n d a n d t h e r os es a r e pl a c e d a r o u n d
t h e N u m b e r O n e H o rs e, c h a n c es a r e g o o d
t h at t h e y will h a v e t o m a k e a t ri p t o t h e
c e nt e r of t h at bi g ri n g. St e v e Hill b eli e v es
t h e y will!
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