1968-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1968 September/October Voice RS | Page 37

COVER STORY
(Continued from page 32)
Donald
Paschal...
HIS RECORD SPEAKS FOR ITSELF
Naturally, our feature story about a Celebration
winner is usually about the horse. In some respects
the trainer is secondary, but in the case of the trainer
of our 1968 World’s Grand Champion there is as much
of a story about him as there is about his horse. Don­
ald Paschal is well known and respected by almost
everyone in the horse business. He has been training
horses in Middle Tennessee since he graduated from
high school. That’s right! Donald Paschal, now forty-
eight years old, started training Tennessee Walking
Horses when he was fifteen years old. Since that time
he has garnered the respect of the horse world as a
gentleman and a fine horseman.
Born in Cannon County on December 21, 1920,
young Donald Paschal knew very little as a livelihood
except the horse business. His father, Mr. Chalmus
Paschal, was a horse dealer and trader as well as a
farmer, and was known throughout the middle basin
of Tennessee for his activities in the horse business.
After finishing school, Donald worked horses in the
Cannon County area for four or five years, then he
and his brother Sam moved to Murfreesboro and open­
ed a small stable. In discussing the early days, he
recalled, "I worked horses for $15.00 a month, in­
cluding feed. We seemed to get all the stock that no­
body else would fool with or couldn’t handle.”
Several events were to take place in the next few
years that were to have a definite bearing on the
future of Donald Paschal. After a typical country
courtship, Donald married the former Mildred Alexan­
der on April 15, 1948. She is a twin sister of Milton
Alexander, a prominent Walking Horse enthusiast
from Woodbury, and was already thoroughly interested
in Walking Horses before she married Donald. Since
that time, Mildred has been a great help and decided
influence on Donald and his showring activities.
Two years later, Donald and his brothers, Sam and
Forrest, were shaken by the death of their father.
That same year, 1950, Donald decided to return to
Woodbury and open a training operation of his own.
Already established as a professional trainer, Don­
ald had no problem in obtaining business and he soon
purchased a nice farm on the Murfreesboro highway
just west of Woodbury and east of Readyville. Just a
few years ago he completed a new training stable.
With over six hundred acres, he has as much property
as is needed to carry on a professional training and
breeding operation.
It was in the 1950’s that Donald Paschal learned
what the real pressures of the horse business could
do to a man. He had been going strong for two years
September/October, 1968
on a top contender and he almost "threw in the to­
wel.” After a brief battle with his nerves, loss of
weight and over-work, he decided to take it easy for
a while. Since that time he has had an entirely differ­
ent outlook on the horse business and it has obviously
paid off. Today he is the winner!
There is another person connected with the Donald
Paschal Stable operation who deserves some comment
at this time. His name is Carlton Pitts. Carlton, who
proudly states that he was "born right here,” has
been with Donald for quite a few years, and in recent
years has carved out a niche for himself as an accom­
plished trainer in his own right. He is perhaps the
most popular 'assistant trainer’ in the business and,
to our knowledge, has turned down more good jobs
than most men get in a lifetime. He just likes it where
he is. Carlton is a conscientious and dedicated worker,
and this year his labors paid off as he rode into the
center of the Celebration ring to receive the Three-
Year-Old Championship award on GO BOY’S BLACK
ROOSTER.
Our congratulations to these two fine men who have
helped make the Walking Horse business what it is
today. We wish you both much success in the future!
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