This issue of the VOICE of the Tennessee Walking Horse national magazine marks the beginning of the seventh year of publication— 72 issues have been
printed in the last six years and this is the 73rd consecutive month that the VOICE has been mailed to our subscribers.
A lot has happened in the past six years, not only to the VOICE but to the Walking Horse breed itself. They have been very fruitful years for the breed and, in turn, for the VOICE.
The VOICE began as a dream of Mr. Ben A. Green in Shelbyville, Tennessee, and in February of 1962 he took the first step toward the realization of that goal. Ben sent out a letter to a list of people who he thought '' would be interested in a magazine dealing with the Tennessee Walking Horse.” In this letter he told these horse enthusiasts that he would publish an issue in March if he got enough $ 4 subscriptions to finance it. The response was very gratifying and in March, 1962 the first issue of the VOICE was printed. Ben and his wife, Mary Frances, spent many long hours working on this family project during that crucial first year. Their efforts were well received by
24- their subscribers and customers as they increased both their subscriptions and their advertising.
It seems that people have a tendency to shy away from anything new and difficult, preferring to wait until someone else proves that it is worthwhile or will work. Not so with Ben and Mary Frances Green Utilizing his past newspaper experience and enthusiasm for the breed, he succeeded in improving the VOICE in all facets of operation. The next major step in the growth of the magazine came in August of 1963. Bruce and Gloria Spencer of Chattanooga, Tennessee purchased the publication from Mr. Green, who was experiencing some health difficulties and was unable to keep the magazine going as he would like. The Spencers attended the Celebration and put out their first issue in September of 1963 with complete coverage of the big show. The first few issues of the VOICE were put out in the front room of the Spencer house, but as the magazine grew, office space in the back of a typesetting company was used to ready the magazine for the printer. The magazine continued its upward trend and a part-time secretary was hired as operations were moved to a downtown upstairs office. A summer helper was hired for the hectic show season in 1965 as the VOICE experienced continued growth. Today the VOICE Publishing Company has a new office building; its own typesetting equipment; a camera department; an art director, Mr. John Goss; a full-time office manager and secretary— with Bruce and Gloria still working around the clock. In 1966, Mr. Fred Friend, a minor stockholder, was bought out and a new stock owner, no longer a summer employee, Mr. David L. Howard became the Managing Editor of the VOICE.
In 1967, the VOICE Publishing Company broadened its base by purchasing another publication, the TENNESSEE FOOD FIELD, a grocery publication
with state-wide circulation. There is quite a difference between the VOICE in 1962 and the VOICE in 1968. The number of subscribers has increased by five times and now totals over 6,000 in forty-seven of the fifty states and several foreign countries. The average size of the magazine was 24 pages in 1962, and the average for
1967 was 65 pages, with the largest single copy being the January 1968 issue, with 116 pages. In six short years the VOICE has surpassed all other show horse publications in subscribers, even though these publications have been in operation many years more.
Like the VOICE, the Tennessee Walking Horse breed is very young. The first Walking Horse was registered only 33 years ago, and as a trade publication the VOICE is very young alongside the standard trade journals, one of which dates back as far as 1865. With this in mind, it is easy to see that both the breed and the VOICE have experienced tremendous growth side by side.
We hear a lot of discussion indicating that the breed is " going backwards”; sales are off, there is an increasing lack of interest, and so forth. Let’ s set the record straight with some facts. Sales of good horses are greater than ever. Prices paid for good stock continue to rise but the demand for the poorer stock is declining. For example, look at the recent sale o WA MOO-LANG for $ 27,500.00. Also the sales ot
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Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse