( Continued from Page 37)
too good to pass up” and had finally consented to sell their stallion.
PERFECTION is out of MERRY WALKER, a mare with excellent depth in her breeding, and is by MID NIGHT MACK K. a proven sire of top Tennessee Walking Horses. An ironic sidelight to this story is the fact that Mr. Gribble is also part owner of MIDNIGHT MACK K. who was purchased from Vic Thompson only two years ago. It appears that the Gribble-Thompson team do well in business together.
Foaled May 6. 1955 on the Porter Rodgers Farm in Searcv, Arkansas, RODGERS PERFECTION has had few people astride him besides Joe Webb, long- time trainer for Dr. Rodgers. He came on strong as a Celebration contender as a four-year-old and was one of the most popular victors in modern years. Since winning the roses he has been standing at stud in Searcy for a stud fee of $ 500. which was the highest stud fee in the Walking Horse business for vears. He currently will stand for $ 200.
RODGERS PERFECTION has done exceptionally well as a breeding horse. He is the sire of the 1964 World Grand Champion PERFECTION’ S CARBON COPY and also THE ENTERTAINER, the 1966 World Champion Three-Year-Old. Both of these champions were trained bv Joe Webb and the ENTERTAINER appears to be taking steady aim at Junior honors for 1967. With quantity as well as qualitv now available it is almost assured ' that RODGERS PERFECTION will make still further marks on the record books.
Our congratulations to Dr. and Mrs. Porter Rodgers. Sr. and Dr. and Mrs. Porter Rodgers, Jr., on the sale of this fine stallion. He has made a substantial contribution to the Walking Horse business for which they are largely responsible.
The Vic Thompson Stallion barn is located across the highway from his training stable and affords some of the finest facilities in Middle Tennessee. With over a hundred acres of prime pasture land and a modern stud barn from which to work, the addition of RODGERS PERFEC TION should generate a lot of interest as the feature
attraction here.
An item of interest is the fact that the new stable mate of RODGERS PERFECTION, for breeding purposes, is none other than GO BOY’ S INVASION. This excellent chestnut stallion defeated PERFECTION in the Junior Class in 1958 with George Witt up. In the big stake the following year, the trend was changed as PERFECTION with Joe Webb up tied the blue and GO BOY’ S IN VASION was reserve.( That same year Vic Thompson tied third on MR. SENSATION.) Now ' they are together again, but. this time they are working as a team to better the breed. Vic has also owned boh the sire and the dam of RODGERS PERFECTION, rounding out his personal involvement with this stallion.
Another note of interest is the arrival of STATELY’ S INKY ANGEL at the Vic Thompson Stables. INKY is a fine black Junior Mare that is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Reames of Clovis, California. This top mare recently won the Junior Class at the California Walking Horse Celebration and was considered by many observers to. be“ Celebration” stock in this part of the country. Mrs. Pat Reames made the trip from California and INKY is now in training with Mack Motes doing the rid-
46 ing Could this be another“ top” horse for the Vic Thomp. son String? She is a good one!______________
“ WALK ON, MINNESOTA!”
By Miss Carlene Holt Woodlane Farm R. R. 5, Stillwater, Minn.
Recently I received a most interesting letter from a real Walking Horse enthusiast, Dr. Ray E. Lemley 0f Rapid Citv, South Dakota. Dr. Lemley is the proud owner of some 50 registered Walkers which he raises on his huge working cattle ranch. Last year he purchased a SUN DUST stallion and expects a fine crop of foals in 1967. It sounds as though he certainly has some well-bred Walker stock and quite a selection of ages and colors. I’ d like to quote directly one paragraph of his letter which is in particular very interesting.
“ I do not train my colts for show purposes, only for ranch work and find they will do anything that any other kind of horse will do, usually better, besides they are Walkers and cover the country without tiring on this rather large cattle ranch. They take to roping and cutting very well and are plenty speedy and quick to learn. They are always gentle and easy to handle and train...”
This goes to prove again that the Walking Horse can be a“ working” horse, too, besides being an excellent pleasure mount— and certainly an exciting show horse! Hope I can visit Dr. Lemley’ s ranch some time. He reports that he has some young stock for sale and a good selection available. Anyone in his area interested in Walkers would do well to contact Dr. Lemley.
Here and there:
It’ s that time of year again to announce the arrival of new foals. Mr. and Mrs. Brad Johnson of Sauk Rapids. Minnesota, phoned to report their good MERRY BOY bred mare presented them with a fine new stud colt. The Johnsons are planning a trip down south soon and are shopping around for a real sharp yearling filly.
The Donald Swisher family of Stillwater is very happy with the fine filly foal which arrived a couple of weeks ago. Their good bay roan marc MERRY MISS G. presented them with a very flashy black roan filly well marked with white.
Here at Woodlane Farm of Stillwater we are very proud indeed of our newest arrival. Our broodmare HONEY LADY had a very dainty chestnut filly marked with a star and one hind sock. We’ re especially pleased with her as she is the first Minnesota-born foal sired by our stallion purchased last year, MACK K’ S MAMBO.
Understand that Alice Kenyon of Eau Claire, Wisconsin is also the happy owner of a fine new filly. The ne w ariival is a coal-black filly out of her double MERK^ mare and sired by MIDNITE PLEASURE, JR., the good stud owned by Eyre Walking Horse Stables of Grundy Center, Iowa.
of the good red roan show gelding GO SHADOW BC purchased from the Rainwood Stables of Omaha. V ook forward to seeing Helen and her new horse in t a mg Horse classes at our area shows this season. vn „! eV ° kceP ending in news and informal LZl • P, 3nd, assistanee is the only way to keep t) e in ormatlve and interesting. Thank you.
VOICE of the Tennessee Walking Horse