ALABAMA WALKING ON
by Gail B . Chambers Box 14 Morris , Alabama
The 1967 season was a long , hot , but enjoyable summer for most of us . It meant sweating , working horses , hauling for miles and miles , maybe getting a blue , maybe a pink - maybe nothing but a hot horse . Then , go home and start getting ready for
the next week ’ s show . 1 have heard many times , " Is it all worth it ?” Yes - we are just a bunch of
' horse-crazy ’ people who enjoy nothing more than just being around horses and horse people .
In Alabama , all the awards were not given out each Saturday night but points were built up throughout the season . As a finale to the season , the Alabama Horseman ’ s Association had a most enjoyable Awards Banquet at the Holiday Inn in Birmingham . The tables were beautifully decorated with horses , flowers and fruit , and silver trays and ribbons were piled
high , waiting to be presented . Five awards were given in each of twelve Walking Horse divisions . However , due to lack of space , 1 will list only the first-place winners in each class .
SASSY SATIN , owned by Joe Jobson of Northport and ridden by Dixie Weaver , won the two-year-old class . The three-year-old class prize was won by BIG SHOT ’ S PRINCESS , owned by Dr . J . D . Bush and shown by Peck Stone . SUN UP R and J . W . Renfroe of Troy won the four-year-old class . The aged mare class was won by CADILLAC ’ S JEWEL , Jimmy Ellis riding for Ellis Farms of Orrville . GO BOY ’ S SHUG BEASLEY , owned by Dr . O . H . Chitwood of Fort Payne and ridden by Tex Smith , won the aged stallion and gelding class , and the walking pleasure class trophy went to COPY CAT , owned and ridden by Linda and Ken Kirchler of Hueytown .
In the walking pony class , DOCTOR AT DAWN was tops , owned by Joe Jobson and shown by Ann Jobson . GINGERBREAD MAN , owned and ridden by Janet Hackney of Birmingham , won the ladies ’ amateur class . CLOWN ’ S SPUR and Lloyd Wood of Tuscaloosa won the amateur class . Juvenile walking horse trophy went to SUN ’ S GOLDEN PARADER , owned and shown by Ben Beckham of Birmingham . Beth Turney of Somerville captured the walking horse equitation trophy , and the walking championship went to BIG ROO STER , owned by Ellis Farms , ridden by Jimmy Ellis .
My parents , Lucile and Grady Barger of Morris , have recently purchased a beautiful three-year-old gelding named ALLEY CAT . He is a showy horse with three true gaits and a big lick and nod like we all like to see . ALLEY CAT will be in training with Wayne Luna here at Bridlewood Stables . I will be showing him in amateur classes and my daughter , Micki , will show some in juvenile classes .
Larry Doss of Morris plans to show his pretty sorrel mare , SETTING SUN ’ S GLO D ., in amateur cl asses next year . He will also be showing out of Bridlewood Stables .
Mr . and Mrs . Woodrow Spinks of Gardendale have recently traded their gelding for a nice brood mare . This sorrel mare has both MIDNIGHT SUN and MERRY GO BOY breeding and should product a nice foal next spring by a MIDNIGHT SUN stud .
Gene and I , as well as many , many more horse enthusiasts , enjoyed the Open House out at Lake Valley Farms near Leeds recently . This beautiful new barn is owned by Mr . Tom Jernigan of Birmingham and is the barn into which Sonny Southerland has moved . It consists of thirty-two stalls , hot walker , cross ties , tack room , and office and lounge , both of which are beautifully decorated . Sonny has previously served as President of the Alabama Horseman ’ s Association and this past season his stables won the coveted award given to the stable with the highest points in Alabama . This award was presented at the Awards Banquet previously mentioned . Best of luck to this new operation .
Walking ‘ Free and Easy ’ by Mrs . Jimmie Gray
There ’ s a lot of horse talk these days concerning young stock in the different stables . Don Bell is breaking and training several good prospects . One I ’ m most anxious to see is a coming two-year-old stallion by MIDNIGHT SUN . Fayetteville is very fortunate in having Don locate there and I wish him the very best success in his new stable .
The name ' Warmbrod ’ is a familiar one in the horse business . Johnny and Betty have several brood mares and colts . Perhaps the one they are most proud of right now is a filly out of their SUN ’ S ELDORADO mare and by SUN ’ S DELIGHT . This one Johnny broke himself , but he has her in training with Don Bell now and I hear she ’ s a good one .
Mr . Gordon Wilder of Lexington , Kentucky , knowledgeable thinker along bloodlines and owner of SUN ’ S MIDNIGHT DUKE , has a colt by DUKE being broke at Harlinsdale . This one is chestnut with flax mane and tail , fine as can be and showing lots of natural walking ability . I ’ m looking forward to seeing this one in the show ring next year .
Dr . and Mrs . Harry Nesbitt of Tullahoma bought themselves a new brood mare and colt last fall . The mare is by EASTER GO BOY and the filly colt , a top one , is by SPIRIT OF MIDNIGHT . Mrs . Nesbitt made another good show on her SUN ’ S JACK FROST in Montgomery for trainer Red Stacey .
Congratulations to Jim and Jeanine Gullett of Atlanta , Georgia and trainer Tommy Kerkeles on a very successful year in the show ring . Jim rode his SHAD OW ’ S MESHACK to third tie in the amateur stake
at Montgomery . These people have plans to open their own stable in Atlanta in the near future . Best
wishes and continued success to them .
I always have mixed emotions when we sell a horse and perhaps the one that brought this to the surface more than any of the others was our SHOT GUN . I hope that he will bring to his new owner and trainer , Sheriff Ledford and Jim Babb of Battleground Stable in Fort Oglethorpe , Georgia , as much pride and pleasure as he has us , and we wish them great success in the show ring .
56 Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse