Major Lipscomb, set his negroes free, and gave this mare to little Ben Lipscomb. This mare’ s name was Jolly, but in later years we find her referred to as‘' Old Jol Kenedy.” She was bred to McMeen’ s Traveler, and the result was a chastnut colt carried away in Wilder’ s Raid along with his sire.
After the War closed a Government Sale was held at Nashville and attended by most of the horsemen from this section. Mr. T. E. Lipcomb, iy > w 81 years old, and who had held about every office in the gift of the county, attended this sale along with old Harper Hill, former caretaker of McMeen’ s Traveler. When a chestnut stud was led into the ring, Hill became excited and said that was Ben’ s colt that was carried away as a two-year old in the“ Big Raid”. Mr. Lipscomb disagreed with him saying Ben’ s colt had a big scar on his neck caused from a snag he had struck running down by the side of a rail fence. Hill contended this was on the right side and hidden by the name. Meanwhile the horse was knocked down to Maj. Almon of Cornersville for $ 42.50.
Hill, not satisfied, went around to examine this horse’ s neck under the mane; there was the scar. So on their arrival home they told Major Lipscomb, who left next morning for Cornersville, and succeeded in landing the horse back home for S100. Prince Pulaski was known for some years as“ Little Traveler,” and his name was not changed until he passed into the hands of W. Marsh Johnson, Trustee of Hickman County. There are quite a number of men now living who will vouch for all the facts I have set forth in connection with this horse.
Prince Pulaski sired the second dam of Walter Direct’ s
sire, Direct Hal 2:04 1 4, and also sired Prince Pulaski Jr., sire of Walter Direct’ s dam. While Joe Bowers, another son of McMeen’ s Traveler, sired the second dam of Walter Direct. Joe Bowers was a chestnut horse, bred by Fred Watkins of Ashwood, Maury County. His dam was a mughbred mare by Imported Albion. Mr. David Wati:, now 80 years of age and one of our prominent citiu.- ', ' Mis me he rode this Albion mare over to Cross loges to be bred to McMeen’ s Traveler to get Joe Bow-
Joe Bowers was a great pacer in his day, and not long-go I listened with charmed interest to the details of his races with McKimmon’ s George, a gelding of much prestige, and up until that time undefeated. Mr. Dave Watkins said his father sent a negro to Ashwood with a message for him to ride Joe Bowers to Columbia that night. The next day he met McKimmin’ s George at the old fair grounds to race half-mile heats, best two in three. Mc Kimmon’ s George was hitched to a light cart, while Joe Bowers was raced under the saddle. Joe Bowers won both heats easily, and when an hour later his father in _ formed him Joe had been sold to Dr. Jas. T. Akin, he ran away from home and it was a week before they found
him. They said Dr. Akin made some deal with a Northern
man to race the horse, and that he carried him away f0r two seasons. He said he did not remember further details, except they said the horse was never beaten. He was a great sire of saddle horses, as well as many pacers to win in this section in the early days of harness racing. His son, Joe Bowers Jr., was a sire of many good pacers, and so far as I can remember they were about all chestnuts. One or two started here as trotters when 2:35 to 2:40 would win.
I have covered the older sires that figure most prominently in our latter-day pacers. There are others not mentioned that may or may not have deserved some comment. 1 have only included such as would force themselves upon any consideration of the bloodlines involved in this matter.
At the outset I said it was not my purpose to discuss the native horse further than the old age of Gibson’ s Tom Hal; but for fear it might be thought or construed that sentiment for this family might lend a biased attitude, I want to make brief reference to the introduction of trotting blood through Direct and later through other channels.
It has been said that the Hal horse was originally produced ' and developed as a saddle horse, one that could do it with ease to horse and rider. In order to do this he must of necessity slip over the ground with as little action as possible. It is notorious to this day that the best or easiest riding saddle horses tip their toes. They could all pace naturally, but speed and more speed required action.
Direct could dart like an arrow, but he too rather skinned the ground. However, it did not take weight to give him speed. That he was a trotter of no slight ability would preclude the probability of his carrying weight on the pace. And it is a little strange that when he met Bessie Hal, a daughter of Tom Hal, and got Direct Hal, that he greatly magnified the forward action. Direct Hal got the high going Walter Direct from still another Hal mare, while Walter Direct got from a 50 per cent Hal mare, Napoleon Direct, the highest going great pacer that has ever appeared. f;: * u. sseik cr is; « s « e
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