YOUNG WISCONSIN WALKING HORSE LOVER SPURS INTEREST OF HER FAMILY
The following article was prepared by POLLY KRANICK as an addition to " Wisconsin Walks." We felt that her story was interesting and so we present it as our ' Profiles " article for July. We feel that, as long as we have dedicated people such as Polly working hard to help the breed, we will certainly witness much growth and increased popularity from coast to coast in the future.
The Editors
When we lived in Milwaukee I always loved horses, so naturally when we moved out to the lake in 1958 we looked into the situation of borrowing a horse. As I said, I always wanted a horse but my parents first wanted to see if I would actually take care of one— so the first winter we were out here we took care of two horses from a Y. M. C. A. summer camp which everyone in our family had sometime or other participated in or with. These horses were plain small quarter horses, one of which was an excellent jumper that demonstrated its ability at the most inconvenient hours over our somewhat inadequate fences. Quite a bit later the newborn colt and mother, which we couldn’ t return to the camp because of our affection for them, became ours. Several trades later and after a number of lessons at the Ross Drake Stables, we ended up with a very nice American Saddlebred pleasure horse, Oakwood Moonlight Sensation, and started to show her out of the Ross Drake Stables in Hartland. Again we wanted a more competitive and challenging horse, so we purchased Prophet’ s Springtime Girl, which I showed in the Saddlebred and Open Pleasure Classes in the Wisconsin Circuit in 1962 and 1963. In 1963 she placed as the Wisconsin Reserve Champion of the American Saddlebred English Pleasure Class— so we decided it was time to sell her. JANE DWYER of Racine purchased her and is now successfully showing her in the same class under the name of Erin Go Bragh.
Beau K Farms, owned by LEWIS G. KRANICK and family, is only 30 minutes of downtown Milwaukee via Interstate 94 to Wisconsin 16, west of Pewaukee, where you catch County Highway KE and weave past Lakeside Golf Course on the north side of Pewaukee Lake, a short distance beyond that you can seethe aluminumroofed pole barn. We have six 10 x 12 box stalls in the barn, which is 139 x 48 feet. The front of the bam is a shelter for a Black Angus herd. The back
HORSE MINDED— The KRANICK family poses with some of their favorite Tennessee Walking Horses.
of the barn is kept open for an indoor riding ring, which allows a nice straightaway for working Walking Horses year round, day and night. In back of the barn we also have a ring 120 x 200 feet which is a very nice size for Walking Horses. In addition, we have trails around the farm, down to the lake, and down to the county parks.
While showing in 1962 and 1963 we were fascinated by the exciting Walking Horse Classes which were showing in this circuit. Because we liked their beauty, style, class, and way of going, in the spring of 1963 we took a trip down to Tennessee, where we looked at Walkers and were very well treated by all of the trainers. We finally selected Sons Buddy Boy, which we showed under the name of Beau K’ s Midnight Sun, from Mr. H. L. WORRELL of Solitude Stock Farms, Goodlettsville, Tennessee. I had never ridden a Walking Horse before, so I had quite a lot to learn. Last year under the guidance of ROSS DRAKE, Beau K’ s Midnight Sun won the title of Wisconsin and Northern Illinois Amateur Walking Horse Champion and Northern Illinois Reserve Open Champion. Last year we also purchased a threeyear-old mare, King B’ s Dian, from the Lucane Stables owned by Dr. N. A. THOMPSON of Eldorado, Illinois. She is now under the guidance of LEONARD WILLIS, Dr. Thompson’ s very capable trainer. Last winter Midnight was also under his guidance until the last week in April, when we took him home to our barn where I am working him. This horse is a black gelding eight years old out of Judy’ s Choice 450882 and Skipper Son of Midnight 463561. His grandsire is Midnight Sun 410751. He stands 16 hands and is very well-mannered. He is for " immediate sale” because I will be going to college and I won’ t have the time to ride and care for a horse. Ifanyof you fine people who have read this article happen to be up our way, please do stop by— we will be glad to show you around. Besides having the two show horses we have some pleasure Walking Horses for riding around this area.
6 VOICE of the Tennessee Walking Horse