1965-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1965 August Voice | Page 10

W. F. S U L LI V A N “Do It Y o u r s elf ” A M A T E U R E X HI BI T O R “ If y o u w a nt s o m et hi n g d o n e ri g ht - D O I T Y O U R S E L F! ” S u r el y w e h a v e all h e a r d t his ol d a d a g e, b ut f e w of us r e ali z e j ust h o w m a n y p e o ­ pl e i n t h e . W al ki n g H o rs e b usi n ess fi r ml y b eli e v e i n it. W. F. S U L LI V A N of C h att a n o o g a, T e n n e s s e e is ast e r- li n g e x a m pl e of t h e p r e mis e t h at, i n t h e W al ki n g H o rs e b usi n ess, a n a m a ­ t e u r C A N d o it hi ms elf a n d d o it w ell. B ett e r k n o w n as S U L L Y, M r. S ulli ­ v a n is als o a g o o d e x a m pl e t o p r o v e t h at o n e d o es n ot n e c ess a ril y h a v e t o h a v e a milli o n d oll a rs t o s u c c e e d i ntlii s a r e a of h o rs e a cti vit y. S ull y a n d his wif e C A R M E N h a v e h a d h o rs es f o r m a n y y e a r s a n d t h ei r i nt e r est i n t h e T e n n ess e e W al ki n g H o rs e f o r s h o w ri n g p u r p os es g o es b a c k s e v e r al y e a rs. H a vi n g b e e n r ais e d o n t h e f a r m, S ull y h a d a w o r k ­ i n g k n o wl e d g e of h o rs es as a y o u n g ­ st e r. His fi rst a cti v e i nt e r e st i n h o r ­ s e s f o r pl e as u r e d e v el o p e d i n 1 9 3 6 w h e n h e p u r c h as e d a W est e r n pl e as ­ u r e m a r e. H e r e c alls t h at his f at h e r- i n-l a w als o h a d s o m e st o c k i n t h e w a y of t wi n- m ul es. O n e h o rs e us u all y l e a ds t o a n ot h e r a n d h e s o o n p u r ­ c h as e d a W al ki n g M a r e t h at w as b y a St a n d a r d b r e d st u d. Wit h t his, h e b e c a m e i nt e r est e d i n W al ki n g H o r­ s e s, a n d t h r o u g h t h e W a nt A ds, w hil e l o o ki n g f o r a h o rs e t r ail e r, h e b e c a m e a c q u ai nt e d wit h a l o c al W al ki n g H o rs e e nt h usi a st w h o e v e n ­ t u all y s ol d hi m a r e gi st e r e d st u d c olt. B y 1 9 4 9, S ull y w as a cti v el y i nt e r est e d i n s h o w h o rs es a n d t o o k his st u d c olt, G ol d D ust, t o C H A R ­ LI E B O B O w h e n h e w as t r ai ni n g i n Cl e v el a n d, T e n n e s s e e. H e r e c alls t h at G ol d D ust l e a r n e d t o p e rf o r m s e v e n g aits. W hil e w o r ki n g wit h t his h o rs e, S ull y pi c k e d u p m a n y of t h e d et ails of t r ai ni n g. H e n e v e r di d s h o w G ol d D ust, b ut t ri e d t o o n e ti m e. H e w as j ust t o o m u c h h o rs e f o r t h e s h o w ri n g! 10 V OI C E of t h e T e n n ess e e W al ki n g H o rs e