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A Look Backward
Like the“ Mugwump Bird” which flies backward so he can see where he has been instead of where he is going, we too would like to take a look backward and see what has happened during the year 1965.
The new year opened with TRIPLE THREAT, the 1965 World Grand Champion, still making headlines as he started his first official season at stud at the Harold Wise Stables in Lewisburg, Tennessee. CARBON COPY, the 1964 Champion also made the news as it was announced that he would stand the season at Si, 000, at GLL Farms in Collierville, Tennessee. MIDNIGHT MACK K, sire of two World Champions, was purchased by Larry and Clinton Gribble and Morrison Lowe of McMinnville, and was moved to Hariinsdale Farm in Franklin, Tennessee to stand.
Death claimed two leaders of the Breeders Association in the early part of 1966. The passing of Mr. JOHN H. AMOS and Mr. W. W. GILL, Chairman of the Board and President, respectively, forced special elections within the Association in March.
MR. E. S. MALLARD of Georgetown, Kentucky, was elected as president of the Kentucky Walking Horse Association the early part of the year and announced a promotion program designed to stimulate breeding, training and sales of Kentuckv-bred Walking Horses.
The TENNESSEE STATE COLT SHOW ASSO CIATION was organized in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and a new Futurity was organized by the group. Dr. BOB WOMACK was elected as President of the new ' organization.
The“ TYDINGS BILL” was introduced in Congress with much fanfare by Humane Officials in Maryland and Virginia. The bill was designed to regulate the interstate transportation of horses and was aimed specifically at the Tennessee Walking Horse business. The Senator quoted from material furnished by opponents of the breed in his introduction of the bill. It never got out of committee but served as ample proof that some people are still dedicated to the elimination of our breed as a show horse.
The Spring MURRAY FARM SALE kicked off the activity of Middle Tennessee Walking Horse enthusiasts as SHADOW’ S GAY LADY, the 1965 World Champion Mare topped the sale at $ 17,200. She was purchased from R. D. Keene by Buddy Hugh for Miss Sara Hickerson of Shelbyville.
The PORTER RODGERS STABLES got into the news as they announced their first Annual Sale of horses from their stable. The sale was held in conjunction with the Annual Searcy, Arkansas, Horse Show and both were reported to have been very successful.
The TENNESSEE WALKING HORSE BREEDERS ASSOCIATION held it’ s annual meeting in May at which time major change in leadership was voted on by the membership. Newly elected officers were: Jerome Ryan, President; Dr. B. S. Henry, 1st V. P.; M. G. Williams, 2nd V. P.; Dr. DeWitt Owen, 3 Yr. Director and Hugh Gillen, 3 Yr. Director.
MACK K’ S HANDSHAKER, the 1960 World Grand Champion was purchased in June by Mr. William A. Fickling and Mr. Frank Talbot of Macon, Georgia. The popular stud was moved to Macon in July but was sche * duled to return to the Doug Wolaver Stable in Cornersville, Tennessee, in April of 1967 to meet his stud committments in Middle Tennessee. He will be there for four months each year.
TRIPLE THREAT again made the news as he was sold for the record high price of $ 130,000 to Mr. Gottlob Koenig and Mrs. Ellen Metzger of JPort Orange Stables in Daytona Beach, Florida. He continues to stand at the Harold Wise Stables. His much talked about colt— TRIPLE THREAT AGAIN, was moved to Doug Wolaver Stables to go into training.
The FLORIDA SUNSHINE CIRCUIT saw Fashion Two Twenty Stables come home with the High Point Award. Both Greg Gochneaur and V. G.“ Red” Gochneaur, won their share of honors on the early season circuit.
By May of 1965 the horse show business had reached full steam with shows being held weekly from coast to coast. Walking Horse activity remained oriented to Middle Tennessee as the annual PTA show and the Columbia Spring Jubilee headlined activity in the Volunteer State. Walking Horses w ' ere exhibited for the first time on Long Island, New York, in an early Spring Show’ in that part of the country and the 4th Annual California Walking Horse Celebration was held in Pomona in May.
June, July and August saw Walking Horses participate in horse shows from coast to coast, as the tempo built up for the Celebration.
As the summer began to fade, all eyes turned toward Shelbyville, Tennessee, and the T. W. H. National Celebration, to be held the last week of August and the first week of September. Entries and enthusiasm toped all previous records as over 1,500 horses were scheduled to show. As usual th ebig question was“ who would win the big stake.” Predictions fell apart as the show got underway and none of the pre-show favorites appeared to be a serious contender. When the smoke cleared the winner of the big one was a“ surprise entry”... Miss Betty Sain on SHAKER’ S SHOCKER, Reserve Champion 3 Year Old of 1965 and winner of the Junior Stallion Class this year. Reserve was GO BOY’ S CHATTERBOX, a surprising stallion from Dallas, Texas.
Another top stallion got into the news in August as PIDDLEY, formerly standing at Bailey-Montgomery Stables in Shelbyville, was bought and moved to Oakwood Acres in Fayetteville a £ the Celebration. The VOICE gave away over 10,000 tickets on a top filly sired by this stallion. The colt was given away at the Celebration and was won by Mr. and Mrs. Don Stewart of Birmingham.
BLACK MAGIC LM was moved into new quarters at Bailey-Montgomery Stables to stand with GO BOY’ S SHADOW. He will stand the 1967 season here.
In July of 1965, Mr. Joe Vann Clayton of A ttalla, Alabama, announced his purchase of SUN’ S BIG SHOT. This top stallion had been standing for many years at Hariinsdale farms and was previously owned by the owners of MIDNIGHT SUN. The stallion was moved to Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, to stand at the Billy Brantley Stables.
The Kentucky Walking Horse Celebration sparked Horse Show activity immediately after the Celebration and filled the gap between the National Championship and the Deep South Circuit, which began in October. Climaxing the end of Southern activity for the year was the annual Southern Championship at Montgomery in November.
Other parts of the country wound up their activity also as the West Coast ended up their season with the Cow Place Show in San Francisco, a week after the Northern California Walking Horse Association show the first of October. The fall Murray Farm Sale and the
22 VOICE of the Tennessee Walking Horse