1966-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1966 July Voice RS | Page 9

This is an odd way to start a “Profiles” article . . .
however, this is a question that we, and indeed a lot of other
people have asked. Just “Who is Claude Brown”? Who is
this man that won the World’s Grand Championship on
an Amateur horse? Who is this man that has so many
oustanding horses? And just who does he think he is . . .
asking such prices for his stock? Well we decided to find
out who Claude Brown is.
We were privileged to eat dinner with Mr. Brown at
Bud’s Drive In in Shelbyville, during the week of the
Magnusson Gold Star Sale and we found out a lot we did
not know.
Mr. Brown is a somewhat hard man to get to know. At
times he is very quiet and at other times one can sit for
hours and listen to him expound his theories regarding
the horse business and other subjects. To some, Claude
Brown could well be the ‘Clown Prince of the Walking
Horse business”. In talking with him we suddenly found
ourselves in the midst of the dilemma. How to separate the
“facts” from “fiction”. To illustrate, we were trying hard
to get all the specific details on the “man himself”, and
asked him his age. Without looking up from his plate
of raw ground sirloin soaked in Worchestershire sauce, he
said that he was seventy-six years old. Raising an eyebrow
... we inquired again and were told that he would actually
be seventy-six his next birthday . . . February 30th. We
hastened to make note of this “fact”(?).
When discussing his business activity, Mr. Brown states
that he has been in just about everything . . . automobiles,
real estate, limestone, cemetary . . . you name it, he has
done it. His horse activity dates way back however and
he can well remember some of the greats. He tells how
Mr. E. A. Sisco sold him MIDNIGHT MAJOR and of­
fered SUN DUST at the same time for the same price.
He later bred him to a good mare named LADY FLY and
got MAJOR WILSON. About the greatest thing that can
be said about MAJOR WILSON is that he just “stayed
with it” until his time came to prove himself. During the
Celebration in 1961, Claude had won the Amateur class
and everyone insisted that he show his horse back in the
big stake. We understand that it was a reluctant Claude
Brown that rode his Amateur Horse thru the gate for the
“Big One”. After the dust had cleared and the popular
favorites had faded, or thrown a shoe—“or two” . . .
there was Claude Brown on MAJOR WILSON . . .still
on the rail and “getting better and better”. As one railbird
put it . . . “he just stayed on the rail and never bothered
nobody”. We still remember how Claude tossed his flat-top
straw hat when they called his name.
ude brown
•
We asked Claude Brown why he sold his great horse.
He remarked that at the time he (Claude Brown) was
awful sick and that he didn’t think he would recover. He
had Diabetes! Today he is in the pink of condition. He
is still a robust man who will not disclose his actual weight
although he will say he is pleased to have lost so much
weight in the last year.
July, 1966
Above — Claude Brown riding MAJOR WILSON, 1961
World Grand Champion.
Below — At the Magnisson Sale Mr. Brown poses with
TRIPLE LASSO, top aged gelding.
At horse shows and horse auctions, you do not have
to look far to find Claude Brown. He is a popular man
with the Walking Horse people. They like to sit in his red
Cadillac convertible and talk and listen to him tell about
his great horses. One man remarked about Mr. Brown,
that “you can go with him to look at one of his horses,
knowing that he just can’t be as great as he says. But
when his trainer, Bob McQuarry, (who Claude says is
one of the top two young trainers in the business) gets on
his horse, you almost have to agree with him.” Claude
Brown has some odd names for his horses too! We remem­
ber one named MAJOR’S SOB. And he has one now
named TRIPLE LASSO. You just can’t say this horses
name over a loud speaker without getting into trouble.
Claude Brown, his wife Pearl and “Bimbo” Brown all
live in Moorehead, Kentucky. “Bimbo” Brown, by the
way, is a Pomeranian. What has Claude Brown contributed
to the Walking Horse business? We say a lot! He has
contributed some truly great horses. He has contributed
to the development of a lot of young trainers who have
gone on to make the grade. He has contributed of his
knowledge, his ability and his personality to help make the
Walking Horse business better for everyone. Come to think
of it . . . “that’s who Claude Brown is! “A man who made
a contribution!
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