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Few horses have etched their names in the annals of history to become living legends in the short span of twenty-five years. Whenever we think of famous horses, our attention turns to such well-known favorites as DAN PATCH, MAN O’ WAR, TRIGGER, WING COMMANDER and BLACK BEAUTY. Some of these are famous for their performances, while others are part of the heritage of American folk lore and the world of entertainment. There remains a pinnacle of recognition, however, that is reserved for the few in the equine world w’ ho achieve stardom in all areas of excellence. Such a horse is our subject.
MERRY GO BOY is considered to be the " nation’ s leading Walking Horse Sire”. He has made a notable contribution to the horse business for a quarter of a century and herewith we present his story and the story of the many people involved in his illustrious career as a show ' horse and a breeding horse. Silver is the honor and Silver it has been.... for MERRY GO BOY has won every honor in the Walking Horse World.
Wartrace, Tennessee- May 4, 1943. The United States was two years directly involved in the Second World War. The world was split in a conflict that carried American soldiers to Europe and the Far East to fight for freedom and " our way of life.” Amid all this conflict and confusion there was little to take our minds off the major issues of the day. On this day however, something took place in a little hamlet of Middle Tennessee that did indeed take a few minds
off world conditions. It was a beautiful, balmy spring day and there was a bit of a haze in the air... probably coming from the charcoal pits over at the Motlow Distillery in Lynchburg. A mare had just had a colt and he was described as " something special” by all w ' ho saw him.
Just one week later a group of Walking Horse enthusiasts gathered at a farm of Mr. Archi Wiser in Wartrace to look at this colt. He was by old MERRY BOY and out of a fine mare named WISER’ S DIMPLES. He was black as the ace of spades and the morning sun glistened on his fine coat as he moved about the pasture in complete independence. The only time he was concerned with his dam was at dinner time. Among those present were Archi Wiser, who owned him and
16 his dam, and his brother Winston Wiser. It was Winston who made the first notable comment about this colt; and he turned to his wife Katherine and said, " I’ ll bet I can win the Celebration with him!”
One week later Winston Wiser bought this colt for the grand sum of $ 350.00, which was a tidy amount to pay for a three-week-old black stud colt in those days. He took the mare and the colt to his farm and turned them out. Katherine Wiser took a special interest in this colt and it was she who later called the Celebration office in Shelbyville, Tennessee, to find out when the entries closed for the Weanlings Class. To her dismay, they had already closed. She promptly called Mr. Gilly Orr and prevailed upon him to use his influence to get a colt entered. This he did and shortly thereafter one black stud colt named MERRY GO
BOY entered the ring for the first time. His first contest was victorious as he won his first
World Championship in the Weanling Stud Class at the Celebration. Winston Wiser showed him in the Celebration as a Weanling and when they came back for the Championship his charge decided he was not interested. His manners in the showring were less than favorable and he was tied reserve to a pretty little filly named FRANCES LANGFORD, owned by T. H. Gather of Lewisburg. This was the only defeat that Winston Wiser and MERRY GO BOY were ever to experience in their class.
As a yearling, MERRY GO BOY continued to attract the attention of many astute Walking Horse enthusiasts. Mr. Elroy Mallard, a well-known horseman from Georgetown, Kentucky, was so impressed that he purchased a half-interest in him. GO BOY, as he had become known by that time, was a big drawing card for the popular Wiser Stables in Shelbyville, Tennessee. In halter classes, he was undefeated as a Yearling. In the Celebration of 1944 MERRY GO BOY was shown by Mr. Odie Adcox, a friend of the Wisers, and he won both the Stud Class and the Championship with him.
The next step in the careet of MERRY GO BOY was most interesting. In talking to Mrs. Wiser recently we learned that " GO BOY was not too hard to break. He had a mind of his own but he and Winston had been together for so long that they respected one another. Winston only knew one way to break a horse
Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse