C E B E R N a n d M U RI E L L E E a r e p e o pl e wit h v a ri e d i nt e r ests a n d t al e nts . M r . L e e is a m a n uf a ct u r e r . His c o m p a n y p r o d u c es c o n c r et e pi p e a n d hi g h w a y p r ot e c ti v e r aili n g , a m o n g ot h e r t hi n gs . H e h as b e e n a di r e c t o r of b ot h t h e A m e ri c a n C o n c r et e Pi p e Ass o ci ati o n a n d t h e A m e ri c a n R o a d B uil d e rs Ass o ci ati o n . A cti v e i n ci vi c a n d c o m m u nit y aff ai rs , M r . L e e h as t a k e n a g r e at i nt e r est i n t h e G e n e v a G e n e r al H os pit al a n d a r e a c oll e g es , a n d r e c e ntl y r e c ei v e d H o n o r a r y D e g r e es f r o m H o b a rt a n d Willi a m S mit h C oll e g es f o r his o ut st a n di n g eff o rts o n b e h alf of t h es e i nstit uti o ns .
T h ei r i nt e r ests a r e wi d es p r e a d a n d i n t h e p ast , w hil e M rs . L e e - w as b uil di n g q uit e a r e p ut ati o n as a n a c c o m plis he d a m at e u r g olf e r , M r . L e e w as c o n c e n t r ati n g o n s ail b o ats . Y a c hti n g w as his fi rst h o b b y a n d h e s ail e d i n t h e St a r Cl ass as a m e m b e r of t h e 1 9 4 8 Ol y m pi c t e a m as fi rst alt e r n at e i n L o n d o n . H e s e r v e d a t e r m as vi c e p r esi d e nt of t h e I nt e r n ati o n al St a r Cl ass a n d h as d o n e c o nsi d e r a bl e offi ci ati n g , as w ell as c o n d u cti n g t h r e e W o rl d C h a m pi o ns hi ps a n d t h r e e A m e r i c a n C h a m pi o ns hi ps i n t h e St a r Cl ass .
" F r o m S ail b o ats t o S h el b y vill e ” a d e q u at el y d es c ri b es t h e c o u rs e t r a v el e d b y M r . a n d M rs . L e e i n t h ei r q u est f o r a cti vit y a n d e x cit e m e nt . A si d eli n e n ot e of i m p o rta n c e is t h e f a ct t h at t h e y b ot h b e c a m e i nt e r est e d i n W al ki n g H o rs es w hil e o n o n e of t h ei r a n n u al t ri ps t o A ri z o n a t o s e a r c h f o r t h e L ost D ut c h m a n G ol d Mi n e . M r . L e e h as s p e nt m a n y h o u rs i n t h e s a d dl e e x pl o ri n g t h e r e m ot e a r e as of A ri z o n a a n d h as w ritt e n a b o o k o n " T h e L ost D ut c h m a n ’ s G ol d Mi n e i n t h e S u p e rstiti o n M o u nt ai ns of A ri z o n a . ” W hil e i n A ri z o n a t h e y s a w a W al ki n g H o rs e a n d , o n t h ei r r et u r n t o N e w Y o r k , d e ci d e d t o i n v esti g at e t h e b r e e d . T h ei r t r a v els c a r ri e d t h e m t o Vi r gi ni a , W est Vi r gi ni a , K e nt u c k y a n d P e n ns yl v a ni a i n s e a r c h of W al ki n g H o r- s es .. T h e y f o u n d w h at t h e y w a nt e d a n d ulti m at el y d e ci d e d t o s et u p t h ei r o w n st a bl e . T h ei r p r o bl e ms p a r all el t h os e of m a n y ot h e rs w h o h a v e d e ci d e d t o g et i nt o t h e h o rs e b usi n ess f r o m s c r at c h . W h at t y p e of st a bl e s h o ul d t h e y b uil d ? W h e r e w o ul d t h e y g et a t r ai n e r ? W h o w o ul d a d vis e t h e m o n t h e t y p e of h o rs es t o b u y ? At t h e C el e b r ati o n i n 1 9 6 3 , t h e L e es b e g a n t o l o o k i n e a r n est f o r a t r ai n e r . T h e y c o nt a ct e d M r . C H A R LI E B O B O a b o ut a t r ai n e r a n d w e r e i nt r o d u c e d t o a y o u n g m a n n a m e d D A VI D W E L S H , w h o w as w o r ki n g at t h e B e a u m o nt St a bl es i n B r o a d w a y , Vi r gi ni a .
I n dis c ussi n g t h e fi rst m e eti n g of t h e L e es a n d t h e W els h f a mil y , M r . a n d M rs . L e e pl ai nl y st at e t h at a b o ut all t h e y h a d t o off e r w as " 1 1 0 a c r es of n ot hi n g a n d a l ot of visi o n . ” It is n o w a p p a r e nt t h at D a vi d W els h c o ul d s e e w h at t h e y h a d i n mi n d b e c a us e i n F e b r u a r y of 1 9 6 4 h e a n d his f a mil y m o v e d t o O a ks C o m e rs t o g o t o w o r k . T h e st a bl e w as a ct u all y st a rt e d i n D e c e m be r of 1 9 6 3 , aft e r it w as est a blis h e d t h at M r . W els h w o ul d b e t h e L e es ’ t r ai n e r .
I n t h ei r s e a r c h f o r h o rs es , D a vi d g ui d e d t h e L e es i n a m ost a p p r o p ri at e m a n n e r . H e c a uti o n e d t h e m t o p u r c h as e n ot hi n g b ut g o o d st o c k a n d st a rt e d t h ei r st a bl e wit h G o B o y ’ s R e b el O , a n a g e d st alli o n w hi c h t h e y b o u g ht f r o m E L M O R E B R O C K i n S p a rt a , T e n n ess e e . Of c o u rs e t h e y h a d s e v e r al h o rs es b ef o r e t his , b ut R e b el w as t h e fi rst h o rs e t h at D a vi d b o u g ht f o r t h e m . T his b e gi n ni n g h as l e d t h e m t o t h e d e v el o p m e nt of o n e of t h e fi n est st a bl e f a ciliti es i n t h e W al ki n g H o rs e b usi n ess .
At p r es e nt , L E E S W O O D S T A B L E S is a t h ri vi n g h o rs e o p e r ati o n t h at e n c o m p ass es t w el v e s h o w h o rs es si xt e e n b r o o d m a r es , ei g ht y e a rli n g c olts a n d f o u r w e a nli n g c olts . T h e b a r n h as t w e nt y-f o u r 1 5 ’ x 1 5 ’ b o x st alls , a n d a n e w b r o o d m a r e b a r n h as t w e nt y st alls . All t h e m o d e r n f a ciliti es f o r t r ai ni n g a n d c a ri n g f o r fi n e h o rs es a r e a v ail a bl e . Wit h s u c h a b usi n ess t o m a n a g e , M rs . M u ri el L e e h as v e r y littl e ti m e t o s p e n d o n t h e g olf c o u rs e t h es e d a ys . H o w e v e r , t h e ti m e s h e s p e n ds i n t h e s a d dl e m o r e t h a n m a k es u p f o r it .
L e es w o o d St a bl es will b e w ell r e p r es e nt e d at t h e C el e b r ati o n t his y e a r . D a vi d W els h , wit h t h e h el p of Assist a nt T r ai n e r DI C K M E Y E R S a n d g r o u n d m e n J A M E S W H E E L E R a n d DI C K W A L L , will h a v e his h a n ds f ull . M a ki n g t h e t h o us a n d- mil e j o u r ne y t o S h el b y vill e will b e G o B o y ’ s R e b el O , t h e a g e d st alli o n t h at m a d e t h e fi n al w o r k o ut l ast y e a r a n d is m u c h i m p r o v e d ; P e rf e cti o n ’ s H ustl e r , a n o utst a n di n g J u ni o r St alli o n t h at ti e d s e c o n d at t h e C ol u m bi a J u bil e e a n d is m u c h dis c uss e d as a p ossi bl e " s u r p ris e ” f o r t h e J u ni o r St a ke t his y e a r ; S o r o rit y Sist e r , a n a g e d m a r e ; G o B o y ’ s W hi p L as h , a n a g e d g el di n g ; S u n ’ s St o r m W a r ni n g , a n a g e d g el di n g ; D a r k A n g el , a n a m at e ur m a r e t o b e s h o w n b y b ot h M u ri el a n d C e b e r n L e e ; P e rf e cti o n ’ s A p a c h e , a J u ni o r g el di n g ; El d o r a d o ’ s B o m b e r , a t w o- y e a r- ol d g el di n g ; a n d S u n ’ s S e pt e m b e r S o n g , a t w o- y e a r- ol d m a r e .
D a vi d W els h a n d his wif e E T H E L li v e wit h t h ei r f o u r c hil d r e n ( M A R K , 6 ; CI N D Y , 3 ; VI C KI E , 2 ; a n d LI S A , 1 ) i n a n ol d c o u nt r y h o m e t h at w as r e b uilt o n t h e st a bl e p r o p e rt y . T h e y all pl a n t o m a k e t h e t ri p f o r t h e C el e b r ati o n as b ot h D a vi d a n d Et h el a r e f r o m Mi d dl e T e n n ess e e . T h e y l o v e t o r et u r n t o t h e c r a dl e of t h e b r e e d , b ut t h e y b ot h c all O a ks C o r n e rs ' h o m e ,’ a n d l o v e li vi n g t h e r e .
I n t al ki n g t o M r . a n d M rs . L e e a b o ut t h e f ut u r e , w e l e a r n e d t h at t h e y " g ot i nt o t h e b usi n ess b e c a us e t h e W al ki n g H o rs e is a b o ut t h e o nl y b r e e d t h at t h os e of us p ast f o rt y c a n ri d e a n d e nj o y . ” Wit h t his i n mi n d , t h e y pl a n t o sti c k wit h it f o r a l o n g ti m e a n d e a r n estl y t r y t o " cl os e t h e g a p b et w e e n S h el b y vill e a n d O a ks C o m e rs . ”
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