The organizational meeting of a professional Walking Horse Trainers’ Association was held at the Holiday Inn in Shelbyville. Tennessee on January 12 and 13. The meeting was called by Mr. Vie Thompson, who had worked for several months in an effort to outline the need for such an organization * The result was the gathering of over a hundred of the nation ' s most prominent Walking Horse trainers who came from as far away as Ohio and North Carolina. The initial meeting was called to order by Mr. Thompson, after which Mr. W. O. Crawford of Montgomery-, Alabama took over to explain the need for such an organization.
The idea was well received and, after a report on a recent meeting of the American Horse Show Association which Mr. Thompson and Mr. Buddy Hugh, also of Shelbyville, attended, it was the general consensus that the trainers would definitely benefit from such an organization.
Mr. James Burns, prominent attorney from Shelbyville and a Walking Horse owner, was appointed as legal counsel and parliamentarian for the meeting. Working through the night with committees appointed to outline various phases of activity, Mr. Burns developed the charter
BOAR!) OF DIRECTORS— Front row, left to right. lack Short, Secretary-Treasurer, Shelbyville, Tenn.: Richard Mary, Baton Rouge, I. a.. Vic Thompson, Shelbyville, Tenn.; C. A Bobo Shelbyville. Tenn.. Bud Dunn. Florence. Ala.; Wink Groover, Etowah, Tenn. Back row. left to right S W Beech Belfast, Tenn; Jimmy Holloway West, Miss.; Wallace Brandon, Franklin. Tenn. Jim Babb, fort Oglethorpe. Ga.; John T. Carter, Kingsport. Tenn.; Breach Fleming, Orlando, Fla; and David Welsh. Mocksville. X c Not present for the picture was Boyd Hudgins, Gainesville. Ga.
OI I K LhS Left to right. C. A. Bobo, First Vice President; Vic Thompson, President. lack Moor man. second \ ice president.
20 Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse