BREEDERS’ ASSOCIATION FUTURITY INITIATES CELEBRATION WEEK ACTIVITIES
The 1968 Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ Association National Futurity got Celebration week activities off to a good start on Thursday, August 29, the night preceding the opening of the Celebration. A record number of nominations were received for this
30th annual show with 451 entries made before the deadline.
A crowd of approximately 2,500 people turned out on a beautiful night to see the future greats of the breed perform in six classes with only 180 colts( 39 % of those nominated) actually showing.
The job of managing the 1968 show was handled by Dr. B. S. Henry, a member of the Board of Directors of the Association and owner of 1967 World’ s Grand Champion GO BOY’ S SUN DUST. The efficient secretary of the Association, Mrs. Sharon Brandon, served as show secretary and did her usual fine job. Judges selected for the 1968 show were Walker Limbaugh, Buddy Moore and Sam Yarbrough. These three men are all very experienced in the colt area, and their knowledge and ability is well recognized by horsemen. Ringmasters doing a fine job were James Hawkins, Joe Brandon and Tommy Hawkins. The announcer was Emmet Guy and Jimmy Richardson provided the music with his famous Hammond organ.
The first class of the show was the Weanling Filly Class and 28 top entries entered the ring with 20 surviving for the final judging. Winning the blue ribbon was HEIR’ S INDIAN LADY, led by Milton Alexander for owner C. L. Kline of Robbins, Tennessee. This colt was sired by eventual 1968 Grand Champion GO BOY’ S ROYAL HEIR out of A SHADOW QUEEN. Reserve honors went to GO BOY’ S MERRY WOOD and J. T. Wood, Jr. of Shelbyville.
The biggest class of the Futurity was next on tap with 43 yearling fillies answering the call. The first place honors went to Steve Beech and BETTY’ S MAS TERPIECE for owner J. F. Parnell of Newbern, Tennessee. Steve Beech is one of the Futurity’ s finest showmen and has been for years. He captured two
ribbons this year to lead all others. Second honors went to James Rowland and BEAU’ S FIRST SHAD OW. James is also one of the top men in the colt classes as he consistently ties high with top stock.
The third class of the night was the Two-Year-Old Filly Class. Wink Groover on LISSA’ S DAY BREAK won the honors in a class of 17 promising entries. Wink won a total of five ribbons in the Futurity and Celebration, capping off one of the best performances by a single rider in many years. Wink’ s colt is owned by Lissa Walls of Montgomery, Alabama and was sired by SUN’ S ACE OF SPADES out of PENNY CHANCE. The reserve honors went to HIGH SOCI ETY and Diane Martin of Fayetteville, Tennessee. This colt was sired by EBONY MASTERPIECE out of GO BOY’ S HIGH SOCIETY.
The Weanling Horse Colt Class saw 40 entries enter the ring with Benvis Beachboard and EBONY’ S PLAY- MAKER winning the honors for owner Paul Matthews of Shelbyville. This colt was sired by EBONY MAS TERPIECE out of CLIPPER’ S SHADOW. The class required two workouts with 32 entries in the second workout and only 17 horses in the final working. Tying reserve was GO BOY’ S ROYAL CROWN and Charlie Williamson of Murfreesboro.
Steve Beech captured his second blue of the night in the Yearling Horse Colt Class over 37 outstanding entries. Steve was leading SHADOW’ S MIDNITE GHOST sired by GO BOY’ S SHADOW, owned by Mr. and Mrs. H. C. Bailey of Jackson, Mississippi. The Baileys also own the sire and former World’ s Grand Champion. Second place honors were pinned on TOM CAT N. owned by Mr. and Mrs. Paul Nelms of Lewisburg, Tennessee.
The 1968 Futurity was brought to a thrilling close with 15 outstanding two-year-old horse colts entering the ring in quest of a blue. Doug Wolaver came away with the honors aboard GO BOY’ S LADY’ S MAN for Captain and Mrs. E. A. Self of Mobile, Alabama. This colt is by MERRY GO BOY out of MIDNIGHT’ S LADY ANN. D. L. Putman of Huntsville, Alabama and SUN DUST JAMBOREE were reserve. Four prominent sires had a single winner each in the Futurity with the only double blue-ribbon winner being EBONY MASTERPIECE. EBONY is owned by
Billy Hale of Gallatin, Tennessee and stands at the S. W. Beech Stables in Lewisburg. The four sires with
one blue ribbon winner each were MERRY GO BOY, GO BOY’ S ROYAL HEIR, SUN’ S ACE OF SPADES
and GO BOY’ S SHADOW. All horses which appeared in the Futurity weie inspected prior to entering the ring by Official Veterinarian Dr. C. R. Irby of Scooba, Mississippi. Several horses were not allowed to compete for various reasons and the inability of those not allowed to compete to have fair recourse to the veterinarian’ s decision was a cause of some friction.
DIXIE JUBILEE * HORSE SHOW *
L. S. U.- BATON ROUGE, LA,
November 6-10,1968 ☆ JUDGES
Saddle Horses, Roadsters, Parade, Shetland Pony C. E.“ Pep” Peppiatt, Lexington, Ky.
HORSEMANSHIP Mrs. Elton Cates, San Antonio, Texas TENNESSEE WALKING HORSES
Wallace Brandon, Franklin, Tennessee John T. Carter, Kingsport, Tennessee Jack Handford, Houston, Texas
Added: Walking Horse Colt Classes for Weanlings and Yearlings split by sex.
Director: Herbert Schilling, LaFayette, La. Director: Dr. Bernard Mistretta, Baton Rouge, La.
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
C. W. KENNEDY, Manager
P. 0. Drawer H, University Station BATON ROUGE, LA. 70803
PHONE 504 / 342-1404
56 Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse