" Lonny,” said Carol, " My granddaddy has an old two-horse trailer out back of his garage. You could use it to haul your two-year-old and the Junior, horse. I believe Daddy would pull it.” This appeared to be an answer to getting two more horses to the show and Lonny was grateful for the solution. He had put a lot of work on the little bay horse and had attracted quite a lot of unexpected attention. In fact, a top man in the business had come over from Middle Tennessee just to see him work. Somebody was doing a good job
of talking him up. The morning of the show. Lonny was all shook up. It was obvious to everyone that the pressure of the first time out for the Lonny Barnes Walking Horse Stables was rough going. He wanted everything to be perfect. Lonny was giving orders left and right
by Charles Barry Sanderson
Lonny talked to Beaumont, Texas, for almost thirtyfive minutes, acutely aware of the mounting charges of such a call and also aware that the man calling was obviously a man of means. When he hung up he said, half to himself and half to his wife, " How about that... 1 looked for a job for over six months and couldn’ t find one. Just let me hock my soul to build a stable of my own and every ninety-day wonder in the horse business wants to hire me.”
As the last reminders of winter passed and spring came on strong, Lonny Barnes was hard at work with his horses and the multitude of problems of running a training bam. By early May he had nineteen horses in training, and two that were boarding. He thought he was doing pretty good until he called in an accountant to go over his books. Charging $ 100.00 per month for training, he was just barely breaking even, but he didn’ t think that his new customers would pay more at the time. Another problem was transportation. He could only haul four horses to a show, using his old trailer and the one belonging to Red Larrimore, and some of his Amateur riders were getting hot to show their horses.
Deciding that he would just have to make the best of it, he called in his Amateur and Juvenile riders for a Saturday-morning session. Of the three, little Carol Jones, though only eleven years old, was the most experienced. She had shown in Pleasure Classes one year and last year had exhibited in Juvenile e- vents. Red Larrimore’ s wife, Lucy, was going to try the Ladies Amateur events this year on the black mare and Dr. Bob Stepanovich wanted to show his nine-year-old gelding in open Amateur Classes, even though he couldn’ t ride his horse but twice a week due to his heavy schedule at the hospital. " Well, folks,” Lonny said, as he took his customary whittling stick out of his pocket and began to trim off pigtail shavings, " Our first show is next week-end. I wish we could have gotten ready sooner, but we just didn’ t have time. I have checked the schedule of classes and it looks as if they will have a class for all of you. I plan to take Mr. Larrimore’ s Junior horse and would like to take that little bay two-yearold stud if we have room.” to everyone. " Little Joe! Make yourself a check list of everything we need in the tack box. We don’ t want to forget anything. And be sure to put in both of those bits we have been using on Tiger Bay. You never can tell what a two-year-old stud will do the first time he hits the show ring. We may have to change bits before we go in.”
Little Joe was having the time of his life. He had worked around horses and stables all his life but had never been to a horse show. All the tack had been cleaned the night before. Carol Jones and her grandfather had stayed until 10:30 washing and cleaning every bit of leather that was going to the show.
Lonny’ s wife, Helen, had gotten a babysitter for the boys and was doing everything she could to help. She picked up Lonny’ s riding habit at the cleaners and had stopped by the men’ s shop in town and bought him a new hat with a red feather. She wanted to surprise him just before he went into the show ring. Making sure that she had Lonny’ s white shirt, boot straps for his jodphurs, and a nice tie, she neatly loaded everything in their 1961 Mercury station wagon. " Lonny, is there anything else you want me to do?” she asked. Lonny, who was having quite a problem getting one of the horses into the trailer and had worked up a real sweat, snapped back at her. " Just shut up and quit bothering me,” he said, realizing after he had said it that he was taking out his anger on the wrong person. Helen smiled, and went and satin the car.
As the caravan from Barnes Stables pulled onto the show grounds, they were escorted to a spot around back of the big vans. It wasn’ t too good but they did have an open place to work their horses. All three trailers were lined up side by side and Lonny immediately started to work organizing their efforts. " Little Joe, you get the bay two-year-old and Carol’ s Juvenile horse off the trailers. Helen, take this check and go enter our horses.” Helen was glad to have something to do and double-checked all the horses names and class before she left for the entry tent.
Lonny knew that this was one of the first, big onenight shows of the year and that some big-time trainers were there. He looked around at the big vans and
52 VOICE of the Ter. ne diking Horse