1965-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1965 January Voice | Page 56

Bits & Spurs
Three months prior to the birth
of the foal, A1 was taken gravely
ill. His wife, Rosa, sat by his bed­
side, frantically trying to nurse
him back to health. Rosa’s attempts
were of no avail, but on his death­
bed A1 told her, “Never sell the
colt. The colt will bring you luck.”
When the colt, a small black stal­
lion with a star, was foaled, Rosa
did not see much in the way of
greatness about him. He was cute
though, and lovable. Rosa named
him BLACK GOLD, after the oil
which had just been discovered on
her property. Now it seemed as if
indeed the colt were a good luck
charm, for the oil brought Rosa
out of poverty and into wealth.
By Sharon Terry
Box 1178
Siaie College, Miss.
THE LEGEND OF BLACK GOLD
The true story of Black Gold,
“the little black horse,” has been
told and retold by horsemen all
over the wor ld. Of all the race
horses, none have been as gallant
as Black Gold. His stout heart and
swift feet made him a legend in his
own time.
The tale all began with a little
mare called USEEIT, who belonged
to A1 Hoots. Now A1 was from the
Oklahoma territory, and he knew
horses and their ways as well as
any man. A1 and Useeit were in­
separable, working and living to­
gether on the plains of Oklahoma.
One fateful day A1 entered his
beloved mare in a claiming race,
thinking that he would not lose
her. When a buyer bid, A1 refused
to sell USSEIT, and he and his
mare were banned from the race
tracks forever. To this day, how­
ever, the Osage Indians, who
claimed USEEIT as their own, say
that there was quite a bit of dis­
honesty in that race.
Undaunted, A1 began making
other plans for USEEIT. He took
her to Kentucky to be bred to
BLACK TONEY, a famous Thor­
oughbred stallion. A1 spent many
hours dreaming about the future
of this unborn colt.
56
With her wealth, Rosa could
have hired any trainer she wanted
for BLACK GOLD, but she hired
Harry Webb, an old friend of Al’s
Harry Webb, an old friend of Al’s.
gan strengthening him on the
plains.
BLACK GOLD’S first race was
at the age of two. That particular
year, 1923, he won nearly all of
his races. The next year, 1924,
BLACK GOLD won one of the
greatest races of all time — the
coveted Kentucky Derby.
After the Derby victory, BLACK
GOLD was retired, and taken back
to his native Oklahoma. As the
years passed, by some unknown
means, Rosa’s fortune vanished as
quickly as it had come, and she
was left with only BLACK GOLD
Thinking that he had brought her
luck once, Rosa summoned Harry
Webb and put BLACK GOLD in
training once more.
In 1928, BLACK GOLD, now in
middle age for the track, was ship­
ped to New Orleans to revive his
racing career. Rosa was filled with
anxiety as the horse paraded onto
the track. BLACK GOLD broke
fast, and ran smoothly with the
leading horses. The mile track was
unusually heavy. As the horses
came into the last lap, BLACK
GOLD began to make his bid —
the same move which had won so
many blues in the past. Without
warning, the little black horse
stumbled and fell, bringing fright­
ened screams from the crowd
which had cheered so heartily for
him. Gallantly he recovered him­
self, and pushed himself to the ut­
most, his stride swaying and fal­
tering. With agony blazing in his
eyes, with his courageous heart
urging him to finish, and with his
stride breaking, BLACK GOLD
surged across the finish line, stag­
gered, and fell. At that moment he
gained immortality, for BLACK
GOLD had done something which
no horse has done before or since
— he had run the last furlong on a
broken leg, broken and splintered,
with the bone protruding. Harry
Webb knelt by the stallion’s side
for a few moments, then rose and
lifted his gun. As BLACK GOLD
looked up with trusting eyes, a
single shot rang out. BLACK
GOLD is buried in the infield of
the New Orleans race track, be­
neath a life-size statue.
Carroll Wall has opened a pub­
lic training stable at the old Cisco
barn, in Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee.
Carroll showed a black two year
old SHADOW colt out of a MID­
NIGHT SUN mare and tied high
all through Middle Tennessee last
year. This is truly a top colt and
he is for sale. I am sorry that I
do not have any more information
on him, but I will try to find out
In the early fall, Carroll started
a chestnut MACK K filly who is
ready to show now.
Daddy has been making quite a
few trips to Searcy, Ark. lately and
has had some nice visits with Dr.
Rodgers. The best colt they’ve ever
had is by RODGER’S PERFEC­
TION and out of MIDNIGHT SA­
TIN, a famous show mare. This
colt is a black stallion with a dia­
mond, and should be a good pros­
pect.
Powell Hines has rented the
Haynes Haven barn and has open­
ed his own training stable there.
Powell’s facilities are the best, and
he has accomodations for additional
horses.
Pretty soon exams will be start­
ing. I sure have enjoyed the holi­
days, and I hope everyone else has
too.
VOICE of The Tennessee Walking Horse