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