1968-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1968 March Voice RS | Page 5

TRIPLE THREAT - 1965 World’s Grand Champion
Tennessee Walking Horse
1955 — Bred by Mr. Robert S. Ellis, Jr., of Amity,
Louisiana. Sire - SUN’S QUARTERBACK by MID­
NIGHT SUN. Dam - TENSA’S GYPSY GIRL by WAR-
TRACE.
1956 — Foaled May 1. Stallion colt, bay with no
markings.
1958 — He was broke to ride by trainer Digby
Palmer. He was later injured and turned out to pas­
ture.
1961 — He was sold to Gus Tinsley of Baton Rouge,
Louisiana, who showed him as an amateur horse. He
was registered as TRIPLE THREAT and won his first
blue ribbon at Nacogdoches, Texas in this year.
1962 — He was sold to J. Glen Turner of Dallas,
Texas, and was trained by Harold Kennedy as an
amateur horse. Mr. Turner was injured prior to the
Celebration and consequently Harold Kennedy show­
ed TRIPLE THREAT at the Celebration. He tied 4th
in the Stallion Class and 5th in the Big Stake.
1963 — TRIPLE THREAT became the number-one
contender for Celebration honors. He was hauled over
18,000 miles and won over forty blue ribbons from
Florida to the Southwest Circuit, before the Celebra­
tion. This year he was tied second in the Big Stake to
become Reserve World’s Grand Champion with Harold
Kennedy in the saddle. In late September of 1963 Mr.
J. Glen Turner sold out completely to Mr. Pat Kim­
brough of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and TRIPLE THREAT
was moved again.
1964 — In the spring he became the property of
Abernathy, Clement and Sherrill of North Carolina
and was moved again. He was bred sparingly, as he
had been in Texas, and was worked by Sam Cecil,
trainer for Clement Stables. Later he was sent to
Lewisburg, Tennessee to be trained by Harold Ken­
nedy. Again he entered the Celebration as a popular
favorite and again he tied Reserve Champion of the
World.
1965 — He became the feature attraction of the
spring Murray Farm Sale. He was purchased at auc­
tion by Hank Sheely of Dallas, Texas for $43,000.00.
Shortly thereafter, Joe Wright of Nacogdoches, Texas
purchased half of him and he was moved to Beech
Grove, Tenn. to be trained by Steve Hill. Steve show­
ed him several times to win impressive victories and
Mr. Wright eventually bought all of him and put him
in training with Buddy Black of Lewisburg, Tenn. Mr.
Black showed him during the summer and, shortly
before the Celebration, he again became the subject
of multiple ownership. One-third interest in TRIPLE
THREAT was sold to both Mr. Bob Guinn of Savan­
nah, Tenn. and Mr. A1 Kroesche of Dallas, Texas.
Doug Wolaver of Cornersville, Tenn. worked the horse
for less than two months and won the big stake at
the Celebration to make TRIPLE THREAT, after
three tries, the Grand Champion Walking Horse of
the World.
1966 — He was moved to the Harold Wise Stables
in Lewisburg, Tennessee to stand at stud. He had a
successful early season, as he was a popular stallion
and already had several fine colts on the ground. One
colt in particular was creating a lot of comment re­
garding the breeding potential of TRIPLE THREAT.
He was a big bay stallion named TRIPLE THREAT
AGAIN that was owned by Mr. Gottlob Koenig of
Daytona Beach, Florida. This colt was to lead to yet
another transfer in the papers of TRIPLE THREAT.
March, 1968
In June of 1966 Mr. Koenig, together with his daugh­
ter Ellen Metzger, purchased TRIPLE THREAT for
the highest figure ever paid for a light horse in Amer­
ica — §130,000.00. In September of 1966, TRIPLE
THREAT was officially retired at the Celebration af­
ter putting on a performance that is considered a
"classic” by many observers. TRIPLE THREAT A-
GAIN, with Doug Wolaver in the saddle, went on to
win the Two-Year-Old Championship at the Montgom­
ery Southern Championship Show in November.
1967 — TRIPLE THREAT was again the featured
breeding stallion at the Harold Wise Stables and
again had a successful season at stud. His popularity
increased as he was proven to be a potent stallion
with an unusual ability to pass his own natural quali­
ties on to his get. He was bred to well over a hundred
mares during the year and his percentage of mares
in foal was considerably higher than average. His
colts, including TRIPLE THREAT AGAIN, began to
come on strong, and this colt topped a great stud
class at the Celexration to win a Three-Year-Old
Stallion Class with Doug Wolaver in the saddle.
1968 — TRIPLE THREAT is standing the new sea­
son at the Harold Wise Stables in Lewisburg, Tenn.
His popularity is growing steadily and alredy he has
a strong booking for the year. His stud fee is still
$250.00 and he is still owned by Gottlob Koenig and
Ellen Metzger of Port Orange (Daytona Beach), Fla.
The "Thrice-Told Tale of TRIPLE THREAT” ... the
1965 World’s Grand Champion Tennessee Walking
Horse. Destined to become one of the great producers
of future champions for the breed.
We would like to conclude our cover story on TRI­
PLE THREAT with the following letter from his proud
owner, Mr. Gottlob Koenig. He says:
"BREEDERS . . . Wake Up! Select the right stud
for your best mares. Breed your select mares to the
one and only TRIPLE THREAT, the 1965 World’s
Grand Champion Tennessee Walking Horse. He has
the size, looks, power and natural ability that you
must have. He has already proven himself in the
short time we have been standing him at stud. Look
at the famous TRIPLE THREAT AGAIN, now four
years old, 16-2 hands, the most powerful and best­
looking colt of all times. Also look at TRIPLE
THREAT’S DREAM. We purchased a black TRIPLE
THREAT colt last fall in North Carolina. He is al­
ready 15-2 hands and is starting off terrific. He is at
the Harold Wise Stables in Lewisburg, Tennessee.
"Here in Florida, we have four weanlings by TRI­
PLE THREAT. We have a bay colt purchased from
Bob Wright, Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, and a black
colt purchased from Buddy Musgrave, Lewisburg,
Tennessee tha t looks just like TRIPLE THREAT A-
GAIN did at his age. We also have a bay filly by
TRIPLE THREAT that we purchased from Mr. Sher­
man Beech, Belfast, Tennessee, that is just built to
walk.
"We have TRIPLE THREAT AGAIN’s full sister -
a sorrel filly, pretty as a picture and put together
perfect. All his colts are sensational: all beautiful,
the right colors, and powerful, and all carry their
heads and themselves like champions. We want you
to remember, however, that TRIPLE THREAT has
only been bred as a major stud for two seasons. His
first major crop of colts are only yearlings now. Next
year, when the vast number of TRIPLE THREAT
colts hit the showring, you will see Walking Horse
history in the making.
o