MISSOURI WALKING HORSE NEWS by EFFALES POSENKE
Kerr Stables is located in Ava, Missouri, down deep in the Ozark Hills. Trainer John Self and assistant Bill Paschal are working some fine young colts for this season’ s two-year-old classes. They also have several horses who did well last show season preparing for this year’ s show’ s.
BLUE CHIPS, a blue roan stud by MIDNIGHT SUN, is one of the top horses showing out of this barn. He is owned by Fred Baker who also owns j BARON’ S COPY CAT, a four-year-old, who won eight out of eleven shows last year. Dwane Scott of Blytheville, Arkansas has a beautiful four-year-old mare by WILSON’ S BLACK BARON named BARON’ S DIANE.
YOGI’ S CARBON COPY is a good-looking two-yearold by YOGI BEAR. A two-year-old filly by WILSON’ S BLACK BARON is looking good for the coming season. The fine mare, BARON’ S CAROLINE, will again be giving plenty of competition in mare classes this year.
Kerr Stables wTill be showing YOGI BEAR in open classes this year. This fine stud has been full of energy of late, and John is going to let him get rid of some of it in the show ' ring.
George Blades, manager and trainer of B & M Stables in Republic, Missouri, reports that he has a barn full of good horses for the 1968 season. He has a beautiful two-year-old filly by ROGER’ S MERRY BOY owned by Mr. and Mrs. Orville Ross of Mt. Vernon, Missouri. IMPALA’ S SUN is a two-year-old out of THE IMPALA owned by Mr. and Mrs. M. A. Odell of Hutchinson, Ks.
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Potts of Republic have a sorrel stud by NIGHT TRAIN in training at B & M. They also have a promising black filly. SECRET’ S MOONLIGHT ER is a three-year-old grey stud by MIDNIGHT SEC RET. This fine colt did well in two-year-old classes in 1967. Other horses being worked at B & M include EBONY’ S BLACK SHADOW, owned by Mr. and Mrs. G. G. Hallaway of Neosho, Mo. He wall be shown in junior classes this season. Mr. and Mrs. Bill Pickering of Rogersville are the proud owners of KEETER’ S PINUP. This horse has tied consistently well throughout Missouri. SUN DUST RHYTHM is also owned by the Pickerings and he appears ready to have a ribbonfilled show season.
L & M AWARD SERVICE NEW FEATURE OF JIMMY RICHARDSON ENTERPRISES
Jimmy Richardson Enterprises continues to expand with the addition of the L & M Awrard Service. This service will manufacture and sell trophies, ribbons and related materials for horse shows, dog shows or any type of exhibition. All work is done in the plant in Shelbyville and all items needed by a show committee are offered. Jimmy Richardson Enterprises now offers livestock insurance, personal appearances by Jimmy Richardson, albums of organ music suitable for background music at horse shows and the new show supplies line.
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they too are getting a better grade of mare. As we said in our January issue, " Breed the best you’ ve got to the best you can find”... and it looks as if it is paying off!
We get a lot of comment from our readers pointing out that we never have much to say about Pleasure Horses. Well, this area of the Walking Horse business is getting more and more important every day— the reason being that most of us have finally gotten it through our thick heads that all horses are not destined to be World Champions. Despite the fact that we sometimes cross a great producing mare with a World Champion stallion, we many times get a cull for a colt. The wise horseman today accepts this colt for what he is worth and, if he does not have the basic ingredients of a " show horse,” he passes him on as a pleasure horse and goes on to something better. What ingredients are we looking for?( 1) Conformation— If a colt is not pretty by our standards and does not have the build demanded of a show horse, the chances are nil that he will ever make the grade.( 2) Natural Ability— If a colt does not have the natural ability to produce a Walking gait, you are just wasting your money to put him in training.( 3) Pedigree— While we do not agree that this is the most vital factor, it is important, especially if the horse is a stallion. If a colt has the ability and the conformation, regardless of his breeding, he should definitely be given a chance at showring stardom.
It has been pointed out to us that what the Walking Horse business needs, more than anything else, is more geldings. Naturally, everyone dreams about his horse winning the big stake and becoming a financially independent breeding horse. Remember, however, that in thirty years of World Championship competition, only fifteen winners have been stallions and of that small group only a handful have become dominant producers. What does all this have to do with our discussion about Pleasure Horses? It brings us to the point that if one out of a hundred makes a show horse... what happens to the rest? They become Pleasure Horses and find their way into the stables, and we might add the hearts, of horse owners from coast to coast, who love this horse for his easy gait, manners and stout heart. There is a tremendous market for Tennessee Walking Horses for pleasure use. Saddle clubs are springing up everywhere and the Walking Horse ranks supreme for their purposes. The 4-H Club horse program is the fastest-growing segment of this activity. Universities and colleges are adding Horse Clinics to their curriculums and the Walking Horse has become
dominant for their use. And then there is the general horse lover who has them just for fun... he, too, should have a Tennessee Walking Horse. If your next colt does not have the elements of a World Champion
• •. sell him!
38 Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse