REMEMBER BACK WHEN ( Coni .) ( Continued from Page 9 )
well known in this section , descendants of his , are Bright Allen , owned by Mr . Brock ; Jim Allen owned by Burt Hunter ; Last Chance , owned by Mr . Dement ; Walker ’ s Allen , owned by Mr . Brantley ; Brown Allen and Mable Allen , owned by Frank Womack of Flat Creek ; Major Allen , owned by T . L . Thompson , Fayetteville ; Rose Bright Allen , owned by T . L . Thompson , Fayetteville ; Rose Bright Allen , owned by Dr . Fessey , Bud Allen , owned by Kirk Dysart of Selbyville , and Col . Ben Allen owned by Mr . Farrell . Brooks Strain Started Just After Civil War
Horse history can be interesting . The last named horse above , Ben Allen , a dark roan with large white spots and white markings , is a son of Roan Allen , a grandson of the original Allen . Ben Allen is out of a Brooks mare . The Brooks strain was started in Middle Tennessee just after the Civil War . General Brooks of the Union Army left a horse at Pulaski when he went back North . This horse , the General ’ s mount , was the originator of the Brooks strain . Col . Ben Allen is a stylish stallion , strikingly colored . It is interesting to learn that he is gentle and generally useful .
Ben Allen ’ s virtues as a mount are attested by Col . Joel Creek who rides him over the ’ Farrell farm . Mr . Farrell is Colonel Cheek ’ s sonin-law .
Colonel Cheek knows a good horse . Sitting there on the porch at Crieve Hall he told us about Selim , the horse he rode a long time ago along the Cumberland when he was calling on merchants in Middle Tennessee and Kentucky . “ I used to make as much as forty miles a day on Selim ,” Colonel Cheek said , “ That was a long time ago ; I ’ m eighty-three now , and was nineteen or twenty then . Twice I was washed down mountain streams in flood , and Selim came out with me . Once I lost my saddle bags , with my clothing in one end and my samples in the other — and would have lost my life if Selim had not saved me .”
JANUARY , 1965
J . R . Brantley of Beech Grove , Tennessee , seen mounted on ROAN ALLEN , the distinguished son of the great ALLEN F-l , leading foundation sire of the breed .
“ What do you think of this Walking Horse development ?” Colonel Cheek was asked .
“ Interesting ,” he said , “ I think there is a great future for the walking horse . It is a grand utility horse — valuable for all purposes , and the most valuable farm horse . I wish farmers of this section would become interested in breeding these horses so that they could be registered . Registration of them will certainly increase their sale value . It is good for work , riding , driving — and sale . I am a great believer in the idea that the farmer must make his money by feeding his own stock with produce raised by himself .” Kempau and Goodrich Own Fine Specimens
Out at the Dickinson farm where the meetings was held two weeks ago some fine specimens of the Allen strain were shown . Among them were Harvest Moon and Harvest Queen owned by Kempkau and Goodrich . Both are golden roans with white markings . Harvest Moon , with white face and white feet , was sweepstakes winner at Louisville and at Nashville last year . Mr . Dickinson has in his stables Golden Girl , of a color the writer has never seen in a horse ’ s coat . He said it is Isabella color , so named because of the golden tone of a strain of Spanish horses of long ago .
Mr . Dickinson , leading his walking horses to demonstrate the peculiarities of their walking gait , pointed out the pushing tendency with the hind feet , whch is something like the toeing-in walk of the trained athlete . These horses cover ground with it . “ Six miles an hour ,” said Mr . Dement .
“ What ’ s to account for the peculiar walking gait ?” Mr . Dement was asked . Mr . Dement is an authority on walking horses . He has raised them from the progeny of the original Allen .
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