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B y J u d y B y e rs Kill e r , Al a b a m a
T h e a rti cl e i n t h e J ul y V OI C E a b o ut t h e pl e as u r e h o rs e w as i m p o r t a nt i n m y o pi ni o n as I h a v e l o n g h a d a n i nt e r est i n t h at p h as e of t h e W al ki n g H o rs e b usi n ess . T h e r e a d e rs t h at o w n s u c h pl e as u r e m o u nts a p p r e ci at e c r e dit a n d m e nti o n of t h ei r fi n e h o rs es . M a n y h a v e t h e fi n est b r e e di n g w hil e ot h e rs a r e o nl y h alf W al ki n g H o rs e b ut all gi v e h o u rs of pl e as u r e a n d e nj o y m e nt .
T h e G r e e n hill S a d dl e Cl u b is a g r o u p t h at s p e n ds m a n y h o u rs ri d i n g a n d t al ki n g h o rs es . T h e y ri d e e v e r y F ri d a y e v e ni n g , us u all y u ntil ni n e o r t e n o ’ cl o c k , a n d c a r r y fl as h li g hts t o li g ht t h ei r w a y h o m e . T h e y h a v e l e as e d fi v e a c r es of l a n d t h at t h e y h a v e f e n c e d , li g ht e d , a n d b uilt f a ciliti es f o r ri di n g , j u m pi n g , a n d s h o wi n g t h ei r h o rs es . T h e di rt r o a ds i n t h e a r e a als o m a k e e x c ell e nt t r ail ri d es .
T h e m e m b e rs h a v e h a d s e v e r al ri d es a n d c hi c k e n-st e w di n n e rs at t h e cl u b g r o u n ds . A n ot h e r g r o u p of pl e as u r e h o rs e e nt h usi asts m a d e t h ei r ri di n g h o m e at t h e F ai r g r o u n d St a bl es i n Fl o r e n c e . T h e y als o h a v e li g hts f o r ni g ht ri di n g a n d a l a r g e p ast ur e f o r b o a r d i n g h o rs es b esi d es m a n y st alls . N e w c o m e rs t o t h e pl e as u r e h o rs e f a mil y a r e JI M L A N C A S T E R a n d his b o ys . T h e y h a v e t w o m a r es n o w a n d I b e li e v e t h e y k e e p t h e m at t h e F ai r g r o u n d St a bl es . O n e g r e y m a r e is b y
G r e y Gl o r y t h o u g h s h e is n ot r e g t e r e d . T h e ot h e r is b y S u n ris e of G ol d o ut of a n ol d Wils o n ’ s A c e m a r e , a n d is a p r ett y p al o mi n o . M r . L a n c ast e r is h a vi n g h e r b r e d n o w t o E v e ni n g S u n , a n d t h e ot h e r m a r e w as ali e a d y
b r e d t o B r a ntl e y ’ s P ri n c e P at , a B r a ntl e y ’ s R o a n All e n J r . g r a n ds o n .
W hil e visiti n g Bi r mi n g h a m t his s u m m e r I dis c o v e r e d a g r o wi n g W al ki n g H o rs e h a v e n . O n e of t h e s u b u r bs w as h a vi n g a pl e as ur e h o rs e
s h o w w hil e I w as t h e r e , a n d t h e y als o h a v e t h r e e o r f o u r bi g W al ki n g cli n w c i n v a ri o us p a rts of t h e
cit y d u ri n g t h e s e as o n . T h e G r e at e r Bi r mi n g h a m S h o w , t h e V est a vi a a n d H o m e w o o d s h o ws a r e t h r e e t h at I a m s u r e a r e s c h e d ul e d , a n d I b eli e v e S h a d es V all e y h as o n e , t o o .
T h e s h o w h o rs es of m a n y y e a rs a g o w e r e d oi n g t h e g aits of t h e W al k i n g H o rs e m u c h as o u r pl e as u r e h o rs es d o t o d a y . W h e n a b r o o d m a r e s u c h as M e r r y L e gs F- 4 c o ul d l e a v e h e r c olt i n a st all a n d m a k e a s h o w , wi n , a n d r et u r n t o h e r b r o o d m a r e st at us , s h e w as n ot m u c h diff e r e nt f r o m o u r pl e as ur e m o u nts . I wis h I c o ul d h a v e s e e n t h es e g r e at a n c es t o rs of o u r W al ki n g H o rs es i n t h os e e a rl y s h o ws . Of c o u rs e , s e ei n g M e r r y L e gs a n d R o a n All e n w o ul d h a v e b e e n a t r e at , b ut t h e st alli o n t h at I w o ul d li ke t o h a v e f oll o w e d t o t h e s h o ws w as H u nt e r ’ s All e n F- 1 0 . H e w as fi rst s h o w n at t h e T e n n ess e e St at e F ai r i n 1 9 1 2 , a n d w o n t h e st alli o n cl ass t h at y e a r a n d a g ai n i n 1 9 1 3 . H e c a m e b a c k a g ai n t o wi n i n l ai o , w n e n n e w as el e v e n y e a rs ol d , b ut his g r e at est f e at w as wi n ni n g t h e y e a r h e w as 2 0 at t h e B e df o r d C o u nt y F ai r , S h el b y vill e , T e n n ess e e . T h at y e a r h e d ef e at e d his o w n f a m o us s o n . B r o w n All e n , a n d t h e g r e at B u d All e n . T h e r e c o r d of wi ns of t h e s o ns a n d d a u g ht e rs of H u nt e r ’ s All e n at t h e T e n n ess e e St at e F ai r St a k e Cl ass i n cl u d es 1 9 2 0 1 9 2 1 1 9 2 2 , 1 9 2 5 , 1 9 2 7 , 1 9 2 8 , 1 9 2 9 , 1 9 3 2 ’
a n d 1 9 3 3 . T his st alli o n m ust h a v e b e e n t o his g e n e r ati o n w h at Mi d ni g ht S u n is t o o u rs . Mi d ni g ht S u n is a g r e at- g r a n ds o n of ol d H u nt e r ’ s All e n t h r o u g h his d a m t o D e m e nt ’ s All e n b y H u nt e r ’ s All e n F- 1 0 . O n e of his ^ a u g ht e rs , L a d y T u r n e r , w as t h e n rsi m a r e e v e r t o d ef e at M e r r y L e e = i - 4 . L ast C h a n c e w as o n e of hi = g r e at est s o ns a n d H u nt e r ’ s All eii w as t h e o nl y ot h e r s o n of All e n F-l b esi d es R o a n All e n t o h a v e s o ns i n h e T e n n ess e e W al ki n g H o rs e R e gisdi L V t U e A 6 n ’ a S h e w as k n ° w n di e d J a n u a r y 1 5 , 1 9 3 2 !
M U R F R E E S B O R O H O R S E S H O W B RI N G S O U T T H E B E S T I N MI D D L E T E N N E S S E E
C h a n c e , r at h e r t h a n c h oi c e , m a d e t h e Fift h A n n u al M u rf r e es b o r o E x c h a n g e Cl u b H o rs e S h o w a t w o- d a y aff ai r . S c h e d ul e d f o r t h e ni g ht of J ul y 2 n d , a d ri vi n g r ai n f o r c e d t h e c o nti n u ati o n of t h e s h o w o n S u n d a y , J ul y 4t h , aft e r ei g ht of t h e s c h e d ul e d fift e e n cl ass es h a d b e e n c o m pl et e d .
T h e 3 , 5 0 0 f a ns w h o att e n d e d t h e F ri d a y ni g ht s h o w w e r esl o wt ol e a v e e v e n aft e r t h e s h o w g r o u n ds b e c a m e fl o o d e d . T h e r ai n di d littl e t o d a m p e n t h e e nt h usi as m of t h e l o c al f a ns , as 1 , 5 0 0 t u r n e d o ut f o r t h e S u n d a y aft e r n o o n s essi o n . A d v e rs e c o n diti o ns s u c h as t h es e a r e t h e t r u e m e as u r e of s p o rts f a ns a n d w e c a n s e e t h e r e a r e s o m e r e al d e di c at e d , t h o u g h p e r h a ps w at e r-l o g g e d ,. W al k i n g H o rs e f a ns i n M u rf r e es b o r o .
J O H N H O O D a n d B A R R Y S M O- T H E R M A N , G e n e r al C h ai r m e n f o r t h e 1 9 6 5 s h o w , w e r e w ell pl e as e d wit h t his s h o w a n d t h e p r o g r ess t h at t his a n n u al e v e nt h as m a d e i n its s h o rt fi v e- y e a r e xist e n c e . T h e E x c h a n g e Cl u b is gi vi n g s e ri o us c o n si d e r ati o n t o g oi n g t o t w o ni g hts i n t h e f ut u r e a n d is o pti misti c of its c h a n c es i n t his r e g a r d .
T h e H o n o r a bl e H U L O N F E R R E L L of B a xt e r , T e n n ess e e di d a g o o d j o b i n j u d gi n g t h e s h o w . M u c h t o t h e c r o w d ’ s d eli g ht , h e h a d n u m e r o us w o r k o uts t o d et e r mi n e t h e wi n n e rs i n t h e hi g hl y c o m p etiti v e cl ass es . H e l o o k e d at t h e fi n e p oi nts g . n d e x a m i n e d e a c h h o rs e cl os el y b ef o r e m a k i n g a d e cisi o n .
T h e r e n o w n e d JI M M Y RI C H A R D S O N b r o u g ht his m u c h-t r a v el e d o r g a n t o t h e s h o w a n d pl a y e d i n his us u al fi n e st yl e . M ast e r of C e r e m o n i es B O B J E N NI N G S fr o m N as h vill e w as b ot h e nt e rt ai ni n g a n d i nf o r m a ti v e w hil e k e e pi n g t h e c r o w d i n a g o o d m o o d t o a p p r e ci at e t h e fi n e s h o w .
T h e T w o- Y e a r- Ol d W al ki n g St al li o ns a n d G el di n gs cl ass wit h 1 7 e nt ri es g ot t h e s h o w off t o a li v el y st a rt . T his cl ass w as f ull of p r o mis i n g y o u n g h o rs es a n d J u d g e F e r r ell
h a d t o s plit t h e cl ass i n o r d e r t o d et e r mi n e t h e wi n n e rs . T yi n g bl u e wit h a st r o n g s h o wi n g w as M a r y s R e d G ol d wit h D O N P A S C H A L u p f o r M r . a n d M rs . H U G H GI L L E N of
C h es a p e a k e , O hi o . R u n n e r u p h o n o rs
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3 0 V OI C E of t h e T e n n ess e e W al ki n g H o rs e