all parts of the country. Announcer, promoter, editor, author, manager, columnist, advertising man— these were his contribution to the Tennessee Walking Horse that all the world knew. Advisor, counsellor, trouble-shooter and peacemaker— these hidden characteristics of the man were known more by horsemen than by the outside world.
Of columnists, editors, advertising men, announcers, authors, horse show managers and lovers of the Tennessee Walking Horse there are many. Who among them can combine all of these characteristics as did Gillie Orr? None, since only he had that talent to handle successfully all of these jobs— plus the charm and personality ' of a man who loved people, who attracted people and who held their complete confidence.
To list his contributions to the Tennessee Walking Horse is needless, since all who knew him know also of what he has done for the breed.
From that beginning, Gillie Orr went on singing the praises of the Tennessee Walking Horse. In May, 1939, he started his well-known column,“ Speaking of Horses” in the Nashville Banner. That same spring he covered his first horse show for the paper at Franklin, Tennessee, and in September of that year, the Banner sent him to Shelbyville, Tennessee to cover a horse show.
Celebration Activities
It was called, somewhat presumptiously perhaps, the First Annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration. It was the first big horse show to feature Tennessee Walking Horses, and a most ambitious undertaking at that time. It was the joint effort of a group of civic-minded Shelbywille men and a like group of ardent Tennessee Walking Horse enthusiasts. At that time manv cities throughout Tennessee were starting annual celebrations or festivals, but few have survived the years, and many of those which did survive, have not been continuous. Gillie Orr was a major factor in the growth of the Celebration and in its continuous existence for eleven consecutive years.
The following vear Gilbert M. Orr first contributed to The
Blue Ribbon, and was made Director-General of the Celebration. From 1941 until his death, he continued as both Director-General and Editor of The Blue Ribbon, having taken on the latter job the year following. As editor, he has written much of the material, but also had the imagination
At one Celebration, in spite of his physical handicap. Gillie decided to present one of the trophies in person. Here, Winston Wiser has ridden up to the officials’ fence to receive the trophy
This is believed to be the lest formal picture taken of Gilbert M. Orr before his untimely death. Many friends had probably not seen him since he grew the mustache
and ingenuity to collect a wide assortment of interesting horse stories for the book.
Announcer Extraordinary
At the 1940 Celebration, Gillie first essayed to act as master of ceremonies at a big horse show. His early realization of his own shortcomings along these lines was the foundation of his brilliant success as the most sought-after horse show announcer in the South. Never satisfied with his own announcing, he asked constructive criticism of his friends, and studied the problems of accoustics, microphone technique, good timing and general horse show procedure. He knew that the public liked a fast-moving horse show, and developed a remarkable skill in filling in unavoidable dead spots with his ready wit and his ability ' to project his charm and enthusiasm over the mechanical, often squawling, speaking system.
Alway ' S in demand as an announcer, he seldom refused requests for his services except for previous commitments. He had announced horse shows at Madison Square Garden, New York City, and the Coliseum in Chicago, and at the same time, rarely failed to appear at a small community one-nighter if he weren ' t otherwise booked. Hardly ' a horse show patron in the South has failed to hear his smooth-flowing,“ Good evening ladies and gentlemen” as another night of classes opened, and his famous,“ Rack On!” reflected his own sincere delight at seeing a class of five-gaited beauties at the fast gait. Always a lover of the road horse, his“ Let’ em go!” had brought countless thousands to their feet as the trotters opened up and“ poured on the coal.”“ Let your horses CAN-ter, please," was his distinctive way of notifying riders to change to the easy, rolling gait. Beside being editor of The Blue Ribbon, and conducting
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