1966-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1966 July Voice RS | Page 4

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that STORY horse
Almost everyone interested in sports has heard of
“Arnic’s Army” . . . the mass of dedicated followers that
hang on the every move of Arnold Palmer as he makes his
way from tee to tee on the professional golf circuit. Win or
lose . . . “Arnie’s Army” is always there, coaching him on
. . . giving him whatever support that they deem necessary
to put their “hero” on top. Despite the fact that he lost
both the August National Masters and the PGA tourna­
ment in a playoff, Arnold Palmer is again a top money win­
ner in the nation and his “army” still backs him up with
fanticism.
What has all this got to do with Tennessee Walking
Horses? It has a great deal to do with it when the name
of MACK K’S BIG STORY comes up. There is a com­
parison here that deserves telling. BIG STORY ... or
better still, just plain “Story”, as his owners Mr. and Mrs.
Lacy West of Kingsport, Tennessee, call him. has had a
following of dedicated supporters for years. There is some
thing exciting and different about this horse!
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BIG STORY is the result of planned breeding. He is
by MIDNIGHT MACK K, out of ACE’S HONEY DEW,
an old WILSON ACE mare. From the time he was a colt,
it was apparent that he was something special. His train­
ing as a colt was geared to the fact that this horse was
destined to be a “champion”. The first step toward
achieving this goal, and indeed, the first step toward col­
lecting the first brigade of his followers (or “army” as
it were) . . . was his outstanding victory as a three year
old at the Montgomery Southern Championship. This
performance is considered by many astute Wlalking
Horse experts to be one of the few near-perfect shows
ever made by a Walking Horse. After this, his followers
began to grow in numbers, and much talk centered
around the big chestnut sorrel stallion with an eight foot
l ong natural tail. Returning to his home stables, Tap R°ot
Farm in Kingsport, Tennessee, BIG STORY was care­
fully prepared for the supreme test which he would meet
as a four year old. Throughout the summer, from his
VOICE of the Tennessee Walking Horse