Walking‘ Free and Easy’ by Mrs. Jimmie Gray EDITOR’ S NOTE: We welcome Mrs. Jimmie Gray as a new contributing editor to the VOICE and look forward to her articles with interest.
I am delighted to become a contributing editor to the VOICE; a great magazine for a great breed!
I was born in Winchester. Tennessee about ten miles from“ Gray’ s Hollow.” where my husband Jimmie and I now live. Jimmie has been associated with Walking Horses all his life and since our marriage so have I. To quote my father-in-law,“ It’ s a great life if you don’ t weaken.”
Jimmie and I worked with the late J. H. Crain of Wilson, Arkansas for twenty years.
During the years we ran a training stable Jimmie showed such all-time greats as WILSON ALLEN’ S GAY GIRL, MERRY BELLE. BETTY LANE, MERRY BOY’ S PATSY, WHIZ. MAID OF COTTON, MERRY MAID GAY, and MERRY MIDNIGHT.
About twelve years ago we and Mr. Crain started a breeding program. In our band of brood mares we have had MERRY ROSEY. dam of TALK OF THE TOWN, WILSON ALLEN’ S GAY GIRL, dam of MIDNIGHT BREEZE G.. STROLLING MERRY BIRD, dam of SUN’ S CELEBRATION and STORMY MIDNIGHT, ADMIRAL’ S LITTLE SUE, dam of COPPER KING, LITTLE MAUDE GRAY, MELINDA WILSON, and RHAPSODY IN BLUR. The young mares we have carry these blood lines and we are still raising great colts by SUN’ S MIDNIGHT DUKE. SPIRIT OF MIDNIGHT, SUN’ S DELIGHT. SUN’ S BIG SHOT, and STAR GRAY WILSON.
Congratulations to Mr. Walker Limbaugh, our fellow Franklin Countian. on being selected one of the colt judges for the 1967 Celebration.
The annual Fayetteville Lions Club Horse Show was held Saturday July 15, with a twilight and night show. Everything, including the weather, was perfect and the show was a good one. Wink Groover served as judge and had full classes with many of our top stables represented. Wink did a fine job all around.
Mrs. Lyle Cashion, Bud Dunn, Preach Fleming, Joe Martin, Henry Taylor, Donie Thomas, George Witt, Doug Wolaver, and Horace Young all took Blue Ribbons not to mention numerous winners in several pony classes.
Special mention should be given to several horses and exhibitors that made impressive showings at Fayetteville, Harrison and ridden by Edd Hill. This horse is one to among them, a black two-year-old filly owned by P. O. watch. She tied fifth in stiff competition.
Another promising stallion is a three-year-old sorrel owned by A. A. Maubus and shown by J. T. Leech. This horse tied second with a good performance.
Taking fourth place in the three-year-old Stallion Class was a colt owned by Ernest Smith and ridden by Charles Walker. I saw this one while they were breaking him and liked him best of several good ones. I wasn’ t at all surprised to see him make a strong debut in the show ' ring.
Tatey Holland’ s four-year-old made a fine showing and tied second. Tatey raises some good colts and alwavl has something showing in top form.
Taking fifth place in the two-year-old Stallion Class was a top colt from the J. T. Leech Stable and ridden by
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Glenn Syler. Glenn has done a masterful job with this colt.
Taking third place in the Ladie’ s Amateur Class was Ann Cashion House. Ann can ride with the best of them and she and this mare, owned by her father, Rufus Cashion, are a talented pair.
A pony ridden by Gary Branch and owned by Lloyd Smith tied fifth in one of the pony classes. Gary is one of our most promising horsemen and really has something to work with in this pony.
The George Higgenbotham Family have been horse lovers for quite a while but are fairly new to the Walking Horse business. They own two brood mares, one by MID NIGHT SUN and the other an old YANDELL’ S MER RY BOY mare. They have just purchased a stallion by MIDNIGHT SUN and plan to breed their mares to him. From the young brood mare they have two fillies, one a two-year-old ready to be broke and the other a suckling. Their pride and joy is a black yearling stud colt by MID NIGHT SUN and out of their YANDELL’ S MERRY BOY mare. This colt is a bright prospect. These horses reflect the Higgenbotham’ s decision to aim for quality rather than quantity.
Will Patterson and his family of nearby Lynchburg have about the keenest interest in horses around. Out of a family of four, they all always have one or two good brood mares with fine colts by their sides.
Daughter Alline owns a beautiful black mare that is the envy of a lot of people; including me! This horse is lady and child broke, tough enough for trail rides, and fine enough gait-wise to put on the tail set and, with a little work, ride in the show ring. She also has a fine filly colt by her father’ s stallion, GUNSMOKE II.
Last, but by no means least, the work of raising and showing good colts from the Billy Driver Stables is being carried on by Billy’ s parents, Bill and Kathryn Driver. Billy’ s tragic death was not only their loss but the horse world’ s as well, for here was a truly devoted and ambitious young horseman. The good colt Billy showed last year has been bred to EBONY MASTERPIECE, so we will await the foal. Their mare SOCIETY’ S KAY has never had anything but top colts and she has outdone herself this time with a filly colt by MIDNIGHT MACK. This young mare is being readied for the Weanling Filly Class at the Celebration and we understand that she will be shown by her past master, Bud Byron.
Billy Mitchell Named Manager of Bluegrass Walking Horse Auction
Col. Billy Mitchell of Bowling Green, Kentucky, has been named manager of the Bluegrass Walking Horse Auction being held on September 16. The sale will feature Show Horses, Pleasure horses, and brood mares. It will be held at the Henry County Fairgrounds, New Castle, Kentucky.
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Col. Mitchell has been associated with Walking Horses tor sixteen years and has been“ auctioneering” for foureen. He is enthusiastic about his appointment and urges
anyone interested in entering horses in the sale to conact him at P. O. Box 154, Bowling Green, Kentucky, or fi ° coC9f at 502 / 843-4563( if no answer dial 502 / 843-
_• / Entries for the Sale close August 19, so Billy ad- Horse^Auct * ^ re^cs *° assure a good Bluegrass Walking
VOICE of the Tennessee Walking Horst