( Continued from page 19)
farm offers the wise breeder the " keys to the future of the breed. Since the death of MIDNIGHT SUN, i November of 1965, Harlinsdale Farm has been rebuilding a program with depth in this blood line. Owners Wirt and Alec Harlin and Manager Harlin Hayes have practiced the best caution in securing breeding stock, both young stallions and mares, to secure the future of the MIDNIGHT SUN line. It is our understanding that the Harlin brothers and Mr. Hayes have a reserve of hand-picked brood stock that numbers almost twenty-five head. All of these fine horses have depth of MIDNIGHT SUN blood and with them
they plan to uphold the line.
The facilities at Harlinsdale Farms are extensive, due to the volume of breeding that they do. At the present the popularity of several of their stallions is tremendous and while they welcome all mares they try sincerely to work with each owner to assist them in their breeding plans. With such stallions as SUN’ S DELIGHT, MIDNIGHT MACK K, SPIRIT OF MID NIGHT, SUN’ S MIDNIGHT DUKE and MIDNIGHT BEAU, it is no wonder that this farm is one of the most popular breeding establishments in the nation.
The annual Harlinsdale Farm Sale, which is held each year during the Celebration week, promises to be one of the best yet. The popularity of colts sired by their MIDNIGHT SUN stallions is evident and already people are making plans to enter their best yearling stock in the Harlinsdale Sale. Between now and then, however, there will be an outstanding selection of young stock available for sale at the farm. Anyone interested in obtaining some truly outstanding colts with MIDNIGHT SUN blood should make a trip to Franklin. Mr. Harlin Hayes will be glad to see you!
DIANA AND JIM BABB
Just a stone’ s throw south of Chattanooga in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, Diana and Jim Babb are trying to figure out a way to do everything that is in their plans. They have been completely overwhelmed by the response for their services and after only four months in this location have a waiting list of training horses. At present they have twenty-three ho ' rses in training and one on board. The boarding horse is named REBEL and is the star of an afternoon " Kiddy Show " featuring Bob Brandy, guitar-playing cowboy and Popeye cartoon re-run artist.
In February Diana and Jim started a Saturday morning " Horsemanship " course and limited their pupils to twelve. The course will last for four months, ending in May. They have a planned program of teaching the youngsters the fundamentals of horsemanship, grooming, tack care, showring procedure and basic training techniques. Thus far, the program has been well received. They are also giving private lessons on Saturday afternoons for adults.
At the training level, Battleground Stables features some pretty good stock. Due to limited stall space they have not been able to take but four two-yearolds. They are working MISS CHEVELLE, a fine filly for Roy Davis, and a new arrival named STAR OF ST. MIDNIGHT. He is owned by Verd Walker of Concord, California. " Sheriff’ Ledford has a fine black filly by SUN’ S DELIGHT that is a big-lick colt. She should do well this year. " Sheriff5 also owns DEBBY’ S DELIGHT, a three-year-old mare.
Two good junior horses are attracting a lot of attention. One, a mare named PERFECTION’ S MOD El is owned by Verd Walker and is coming on well. The other is the much-heralded SHOTGUN, a black stud by BIG SHOT that has made a name for himself without ever being in the showring. He made the trip to Florida, but due to the death of Jim’ s mother he was not shown. They did ask Jim to exhibit him before the show in Gainesville, and all observers state that he is one to reckon with.
In open classes this brings us to " the most talkedabout loser in the Walking Horse world "... big SHOT’ S T BIRD. Middle Tennessee is buzzing about the remarkable job that Jim has done with this horse. They are getting along exceptionally well. jim is now convinced that he is a great horse. They plan to make their way slowly this summer and see what happens. Some people believe this horse is a strong contender for 1968 Celebration honors, but owners Mr. and Mrs. Billy Robinson are putting no pressure on Jim. T BIRD is a five-year-old, by the way!
Always interested in Amateurs and Juveniles, Diana and Jim are well on their way to developing some good riders. Dr. T. W. Whitfield will be showing TROUBLE IN THE HILLS, a top horse that has never been seen in this part of the country. His thirteen-year-old son Truman will be showing his pony, TRAVELER, in pleasure classes. Billy Morgan will probably show his mare, PRINCESS SUNDANCE, and his fine stud, PRIDE OF DECATUR, under the Babb banner this year. Billy now has a good roan two-year-old, NOWHERE MAN, in training. Douglas Hutchinson of Trenton, Georgia has a good gelding named UNCLE CHARLIE that should win his share this year, also. Pam Clippinger will probably be showing RED MAN, JR., the 1967 Columbia Jubilee winner owned by her grandfather, D. T. Clippinger, Sr., in pony classes, and Cathy Robinson will again be showing CHINESE BANDIT in juvenile classes.
A headliner at Battleground Stables this year is MY SECRET SUN, a dapple-gray beauty that is truly a top age gelding. He will be shown by Diana Babb as well as some of their juveniles.
OWNERS HAVE RIGHT TO BE PROUD OF 1967 WORLD CHAMPION TWO-YEAR-OLD
We received a note from Dr. Jim Ellis, part owner of DOUBLE DELIGHT, the 1967 World Champion Two-Year-Old, regarding our error in naming the owners of this fine horse in our March issue. We had a beautiful double-page spread on SUN’ S DELIGHT for this issue and Mr. Fray Escue even came down to help us work it out. Somehow, your Editor entered the owners as being Ellis, Gribble and Wright( who jointly own MIDNIGHT SUN GLO O, now standing at Stallion Stables in Shelbyville), instead of Mr. Bob Lowe and Mr. Morrison Lowe of Cookeville, Tennessee and Dr. James Ellis of Greenville, North Carolina.
We do the best we can to keep all the owners’ and horses’ names straight, but sometimes even we mess up. We appreciate Dr. Ellis’ bringing this to our attention because they have " a right to be proud of the 1967 World Champion Two-Year-Old.’’ We understand,
waY’ that he is doing extremely well and trainer Elmore Brock says he is very pleased with his perlormance thus far as a three-year-old.
22 Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse