1967-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1967 May Voice RS | Page 32

turning point. LADY was a splotchcd-up gray mare and
Bob wasn’t doing very well with her in the show ring.
They decided it was her color that was getting her tied
down so Bob decided to dye her black. “It was a real
mess,” according to Mr. Harber, “and we had to get a
professional beautician to finish the job. It cost us $120.00
to get it done.” Results? This story made the local papers
and eventually the Associated Press and the United Press
International picked it up. It was quite a story. After
being dyed, SECRET’S LADY tied five blues in mare
classes and two stake class blues.
This was in 1962 and after Bob sold his service station
he went into the horse business as a trainer. They set up
the Harber &: Cherry Stables and purchased SUN DUST
SUGARFOOT, the first horse that he showed at the
Celebration. They tied 10th in the Aged Gelding Class
with him. Bob was very pleased to learn that one Judge
had tied him first in the class.
After this. Harber & Cherry were off and running! In
1964 Bob hit the showring with a top two year old stallion
named HILL’S MERRY GO BOY and won several top
Middle Tennessee shows with him. They tied 10th at the
Celebration in a great class and were well pleased. In
1965, a new Harber & Cherry show stable was built. It
has twenty-six stalls and all the facilities necessary for
training show horses. The stables lie on a 33-acre spread
of beautiful rolling country with some fine brood mares
as a backdrop. At present they have 21 horses in training.
Bob Cherry is “smarter than the average bear!” We
had heard from several sources that this was the year for
Bob Cherry and that he had “the” two year old. On
investigating we found that he docs indeed have a great
two year old. In fact, he has several, but one in particular
is outstanding. He is a bay stallion by STATELY GO
BOY. His name? TIGER BAY! That’s right! Mr. Cherry
borrowed a well-known name from our story “In Quest
of a Blue.” and got the jump on a lot of people. His horse
is registered as TIGER BAY. Owned jointly by Mr. Dee
Kilpatric and Bob Cherry. TIGER BAY should shake a
lot of people up this year.
On discussing the horse business and the “reasons why”
he is a horse trainer. Bob Cherry states that “it’s a good
life. A lot of hard work but very rewarding. It kind of
gets into your blood and you wouldn’t trade for any­
thing.” Bob feels that the Walking Horse business is about
to reach a peak as far as show horses are concerned. Good
horses are available and prices are stable. Pie feels that
what we need to do is find a market for all our pleasure
stock. That is 'those horses that are not good enough for
showing.’ Bob is also very specific regarding show horses.
He says. “I believe in showing a horse at his best at three
distinct gaits. Speed is not as important as some people
might think. At least I wouldn’t sacrifice the true gait for
speed.”
At the present Bob is working 21 horses. With Mr.
Harber helping with almost every phase of activity except
breaking colts, and his wife keeping the books and acting
as secretary and Mrs. Harber keeping their spirits up, the
Harber & Cherry Stables should make a mark on the
Walking Horse business.
Among the horses in the barn is HILL’S MERRY
GO BOY, a black five year old stallion that they are
standing at stud. They will stop his breeding the first
of May and put him back to work as a show horse. SUN’S
COMMANDER, a big bay that Clovis Harber showed
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last year will also be back. Bob will probably ride him
some this year as a stake horse. He also has GO BOY’S
SUPREME, a full brother to CHATTERBOX, that will
be shown this year.
Two year olds other than TIGER BAY are EBONY
H C.. a fine black stallion owned by L. M. Harper of
Springfield, Tennessee; PIDDLEY’S WONDER GIRL,
a black filly owned by Fred and Phillip Gibbs of White
Bluff: MIDNIGHT C*ELEBRITY, owned by Connie Col­
vin of Columbia; SUNDOWN’S LAST CHANCE, a
chestnut stallion owned by Osticn Sham of Waynesboro
and MIDNIGHT TYCOON, an outstanding black stud
colt owned by James Rowland of Murfreesboro.
EBONY’S BIG MOMENT, a fine black three year old
mare that Bob showed last year, will be back better than
ever and SHADOW’S EASTER BOY, by SHADOW out
of an EASTER GO BOY marc, will be showing in Junior
Classes. For Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Underhill, he will be
exhibiting SAVAGE SAM and SUN DUST SUPREME,
two other fine horses.
It looks as if a banner year is in store for Bob Cherry.
He certainly has the stock and the ambition to work hard.
We just hope he does as well on TIGER BAY as another
trainer we know. Only this time it’s for real!
(Continued from Page 30)
EVENING ENTERTAINER,
Ladies Class—(1)
owned and shown by Eileen Richardson; (2) SATIN’S
SHADOW, owned and ridden by Mary Ann Putnam,
Columbia, Mo.; (3) MIDNIGHT BELLE, owned and
ridden by Carlcnc Elges, Clinton, Mo.; (4) ROCK AWAY
LITTLE RED, owned by Herbert Mouse and ridden by
Carol Mouse; (5) GUNSMOKE’S FIRST LADY, owned
and ridden by Jane Richardson.
Open Class—(1) SHEP’S CARBON COPY, owned
by Edgar Weil and MIDNIGHT BLUE, owned by-
Maxine Johnson; (3) KEETER’S PINUP, owned by Don
Bolingcr and LADY EBONY, owned by Edgar Weil; (4)
SUN’S MERRY GO BOY, owned by Don Hunter; (5)
STORMY RAID, owned by Ernest Randall.
Stake Class—(1) SHEP’S CARBON COPY, owned
by Edgar Weil and ridden by Paul Hontz; (2) GUN-
SMOKE’S FIRST LADY, owned and ridden by Jane
Richardson: (3) TRACY’S MIDNIGHT, owned by Har­
old Mulch; (4) GO BOY’S LADY EBONY, owned by-
Edgar Weil; (5) MIDNIGHT BLUE, owned by Maxine
Johnson.
The winners in the above classes arc to be congrat­
ulated on their fine showings. These awards arc highly’
sought after and it takes a good horse and rider to be
able to win with this kind of determined competition.
McMullen Deafh
Mr. Everett “Zckc” McMullen, a member of the
Board of Directors of the Indiana Walking Horse Associ­
ation, recently passed awayr, the victim of a heart attack.
Mr. McMullen had many friends in Tennessee and
was well known for his interest and efforts in behalf of
the breed. Mr. McMullen will be missed by' his many
friends in the Walking Horse business.
VOICE of the Tennessee Walking Horse