MR . F . T . T ., T-BIRD .& FLYING CLOUD Big Winners .............
The Florida Horse Show Circuit starts the show season in the southern part of the country . This year the
Winter Haven Charity7 Horse Show began February 29 and ran through March 3 . The weather was unusually cold for Florida , but this did not seem to hamper the exhibitors . Under the capable management of Show Manager Tom Turnbull and the Winter Haven Jaycees , the season got off to a good start . These shows are heavy on hunters , jumpers , gaited horses , Arabians and Morgans , but the Walking Horse classes are well represented in all the shows . Wink Groover of Etowah , Tennessee did the honors as Walking Horse Judge .
From Winter Haven the vans headed for the Tampa Charity Horse Show on March 6 through 10 . Dick Randolph and the Tampa Horse Show Association and the Children ' s Home Auxiliary made this a warm and gracious show for all exhibitors . The Florida Circuit always treats their guests in a grand style ; with brunches , exhibitors ’ parties , barbecues , and a lot of Southern hospitality . The Honorable Jimmy Holloway of West , Mississippi judged the Walking Horse classes .
Next came the Gainesville Charity Horse Show on March 14-17 . This show was sponsored by Epsilon Sigma Alpha and Alachua County Sheriffs Mounted Posse . Being this time of the month , the weather was much better and , for the first time in five years , the sun was shining on the Gainesville show grounds . Paul Smith of Alachua , Florida was the Walking Horse Judge .
Since this is a long circuit to make , you see about the same faces and horses at all three shows . Fashion 220 Cosmetics and the capable V . G . Gochneaur and son Greg won quite a few honors at these shows . They took home 12 blues , 1 second , 1 third and 3 fourths . One of the highlights of the Tampa show was the debut of JUDGE ’ S CHOICE ( the former WA MOO- LANG ) ridden by Wink Groover . This filly has been so highly publicized since she was foaled that critics were all around the ring , including Mr . George Lenox and several of the original stockholders . No one seemed to be able to fault her ; she is a great two-yearold . " Red ” Gochneaur took the honors in the Amateur Class and the Amateur Stake on MR . F . T . T . in all three shows . His son Greg won the Juvenile Class and Juvenile Stake on ME AND MY SHADOW at Tampa and Gainesville . The other blue for this top stable went to LITTLE SPREE with Wallace Brandon up in the Junior Walking Horse Class in Tampa .
GO BOY ’ S FLYING CLOUD with Ronnie Spears up for J . P . Eldridge of Oviedo , Florida won the Stallion and Gelding Classes and the Stakes at Winter Haven and Tampa , and BIG SHOT ’ S T-BIRD , with Jim Babb up for Billy Jo Robinson of Chattanooga ,
GO BOY ’ S FLYING CLOUD , with Ronnie Spears up for J . p . Eldridge of Oviedo , Florida , was awarded the blues for the Stallion and Gelding Classes and the Championship Stakes at the Winter Haven and Tampa Horse Shows ,
Tennessee won the Stallion and Gelding Class and the Stake at the Gainesville Horse Show .
Harold Kennedy of Manor House Farms , Pulaski , Tennessee , won his share of ribbons on the circuit . To the blue , he rode HOLIDAY ’ S LADY , a threeyear-old , at Winter Haven , and MANOR ’ S MIDNITE LADY , a two-year-old , at Gainesville .
Preach Fleming and son Joe won 5 blues showing for R . D . Keene of Orlando . Joe won the Juvenile Class at Winter Haven on SUN ’ S BLACK SQUIRREL and Preach won the Junior Class there and at Gainesville with the same horse . He won the three-year-old class at Tampa with MERRY MARK and the mare class at Gainesville with MARK ’ S LITTLE STAR . The mare class in Winter Haven was won by Marvin Wilson up for Randolph Farms on SPECIAL ’ S FAIR LADY , and JUNE ’ S BLUE VELVET owned and ridden by R . S . Musselwhite , Maitland , Florida , won the Tampa mare class .
Each of the ladies ’ classes was won by a separate entry . Linda Robinson DeShazo , riding for Circle R Stables , won the Tampa class ; SUN STAR PILOT and Mrs . Max Aulick for R . D . Keene won it in Winter Haven ; and Diana Babb for Babb & Ledford on MY SECRET SUN won the Gainesville Ladies ’ Class .
The two-year-old class at Winter Haven was won by Bob Cooley and RIDGELEA ’ S DELIGHT for Mr . and Mrs . J . D . Lee , Madisonville , Tennessee .
There was only one pony class on this circuit and GO LUCKY ’ S SUN , with Ronald Young up for Chitwood Stables , Resaca , Georgia , took home the blue . For complete results of all three shows see below .
As we have stressed before concerning the Florida Circuit — it is a good one to make if the winter gets too long and cold in your part of the country . The management of each show is to be congratulated for the hospitality shown to the exhibitors .
34 Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse