COVER STORY
Donald Paschal Aims at The Championship
If ever a horse entered the Celebration ring that could be called " everybody ’ s favorite ,” it would probably be GO BOY ’ S ROYAL HEIR . This eight-year-old black stallion has all the outstanding qualities that our breed demands and has them in abundance . He is bred as well as a Tennessee Walking Horse can be , with MERRY GO BOY as his sire and MERRY MAR- QUITA as his dam . On the bottom side of his pedigree we see that his dam was by SIR MAUGRAY out of STRAUS ’ MERRY MAID by MERRY BOY . So . . . as far as bloodlines go , this 1968 Celebration contender can rest easy . As an individual , GO BOY ’ S ROYAL HEIR is flawless in conformation ( see unretouched photo by Les Nelson ) and he has the natural ability to perform the gaits of the modern-day big-time show horse with a minimum of effort . Standing fifteen-three , he has the size to go the route when the go5
story of GO BOY ’ S ROYAL H been so uncomplicated , howeve luck ” horse in many resry '' career . ets tough . The > not always een a " hard
" Urious
As a young he not regarded as get his growth urn that time he had been
. xlerent trainers who kept trying iu &_____ conform to
modern training techniques . The big break in his career came when he was moved to the Green and Hugh Stables in Shelbyville , Tennessee , as a four-year-old . Mr . Hugh recognized that there was " something different ” about this horse and felt that perhaps an oldtime training program would suit him better . This program consisted of nothing but riding . Little effort was made to get him to hit the " big lick ,” and one day , almost by himself , he finally figured out what it
was that they had been trying to teach him for four years . As a four-year-old he was shown sparingly but effectively by Buddy Hugh with Toby Green acting in his capacity as " the best ground man in the business .” They were effective enough to persuade owner Hank Sheely of Dallas , Texas to part with him .
The next stop for ROYAL HEIR was Beech Grove , Hill . Steve con- ? that this was nd he was al-
'' T-chased
• rly t
Tennnssee , and the stable of vinced two of his long-time * " the next World ’ s Grand Ch most right . GO BOY ’ S
for an undisclosed ? Hills , California
sissippi . Steve : 1965 season ai third in the big su be a different story _ undefeated season , trainei i to
. ver an to the big ring again and this time he was the popular favorite by show time . All went well as the Aged Stallion class progressed . GO BOY ’ S ROYAL HEIR made a flawless
performance and , as they lined up before the big grandstand , Mr . Hill made one final pass toward the
end of the line . Unknown to him , however , another rider was shifting his position and they ran together in a clash of flying heels , hats and dust . The result was several broken ribs for Mr . Hill and a bruised horse . They were placed in the reserve spot that night and failed to make the Grand Championship Stake class three nights later .
Still regarded as one of the truly great natural horses of the breed , GO BOY ’ S ROYAL HEIR was being groomed for yet another try at the roses When his popularity prompted Dr . and Mrs . C . L . Sexton of Florence , South Carolina , to inquire about him as a
possible amateur mount for their granddaughter , Candace Williams of Fayetteville , North Carolina . With trainer Donald Paschal acting as their advisor , Dr . and Mrs . Sexton decided to purchase ROYAL HEIR and move him to Woodbury , Tennessee , to begin training as an amateur horse . For the first time in his seven-year career , ultimate success was to be his in the 1967 season . After an undefeated season , Candace Williams put her best effort forward and , after a brilliant performance , reached out for the roses and the World Amateur Championship at the 1967 National Celebration .
By the time that spring approached the Middle Tennessee landscape in early 1968 , the word was out that Donald Paschal would be riding GO BOY ’ S ROYAL
HEIR in yet another " ride for the roses .” Mr . and Mrs . Dennis Williams , working with Dr . and Mrs . Sexton , made the decision to place ROYAL HEIR in Donald ’ s hands and to purchase another horse for their daughter to ride in amateur competition . This they did , and GO BOY ’ S CHATTERBOX soon became a stablemate to his famous half-brother . The 1968
August , 1968 7