the winners ’ list to ten as opposed to five in years
past . Great excitement filled the stands as the crowd waited expectantly to hear who the fourth World
Grand Champion would be . There was little applause for GREATER GLORY , the Reserve Champion , that year . He was ridden by Billy Grubbs for Haynes
Haven Stables , Spring Hill , Tennessee .
1943 — Now in its fifth year , the Celebration was taking on some real importance in the horse world . People were convinced that it was here to stay and that their World Champions were significant . As the big stake arrived a lot of people were surprised to see STROLLING JIM again in contention . Floyd Carothers was riding him for Oakwood Acres , owned by the Rambo Estate in Fayetteville , Tennessee . The horse , then a seven-year-old gelding , made his usual fine show but it was not good enough in the minds of the judges . He was reserve again !
1944 — The Celebration was now established as a key factor in the horse world . With forty classes in the show , it was becoming somewhat of a spectacle . As the fateful night arrived , a large crowd was on hand to witness the championship stake . There were eight horses entered in the big stake and it was a good one . The World Grand Champion that year was . . . well , you already know about that , but it was BLACK ANGEL , ridden by S . W . Beech , Jr ., that was Reserve Grand Champion . S . W . was riding for
Blissful Farms , Marianna , Arkansas .
1945 — The horse business in Middle Tennessee was beginning to pick up a little in 1945 and people all over the deep south were becoming interested in the
breed . The big show in Shelbyville continued to grow as the breed expanded . Called a " community miracle ,”
the Celebration packed ' em in for this show in the waning days of World War II . There were horses entered in the big stake that year whose owners came from many states , including : Arkansas , Arizona , Florida , Pennsylvania , Tennessee , Alabama , and . . . Louisiana , the home of COTTON-PICKIN ’ MAC , owned by Earl Carter of Shreveport Whatever happened to our 1945 Reserve World Champion ?
1946 — The advent of the " big-time ” Tennessee Walking Horse was drawing nigh as the 1946 world championship contest approached . Throughout the summer there was talk about the return of the fabulous black stallion that had won the big stake the year before with Fred Walker in the saddle . There was also a lot of talk about a fancy black challenger being groomed for the world title by a man named Winston Wiser . As the final decision approached , the large crowd gathered in Shelbyville was " wrung out ” with excitement . The blue was tied and it was a popular victory , but the 1946 Reserve World Champion , MERRY GO BOY , was to become one of the all-time greats .
1947 _ The fortunes of the show horse world are strange indeed . The 1945 and ' 46 World Champion came back again in 1947 and tied third , while the Reserve Champion of 1946 came back and won his first of two World Grand Championships . By this time the Tennessee Walking Horse was achieving a measure of success as a show horse . The " big-time ” Walking Horse was coming into his own and the Celebration continued to grow and prosper . As the dust of the Celebration ring settled and the horses were lined up for the last time , the crowd waited in suspense for the Champion to be named . Few people remember the Reserve World Champion that year ... it was MERRY WILSON , a fine mare owned by C . & S . Coal and Clay Co ., Zelienople , Pennsylvania .
1948 — Little happened within the period of one short year and at the 1948 Celebration the story of the year before was repeated . The same horse won the title and again MERRY WILSON was tied reserve . She went on to become a top broodmare whose name appears quite frequently on the pedigrees of our current stock . The big news of 1948 was not horses , but progress , and the Celebration held its first show at their new showgrounds in Shelbyville .
1949 — Stallions had reigned as " kings ” for the past four years and as the 1949 Celebration approached there was much speculation that it would again be won by the masculine gender . The unexpected happened , however , and it was a mare that won the ; ■ spot that year . The Reserve Championship title to a stallion , OLD GLORY ’ S BIG MAN . Ride : Carl Edwards for Florida Queen Cigar Compa .
Quincy , Florida , he was tied the runner-up in a i class of top horses .
1950 — The tables were turned this year , as the r < ord now indicates that it was MIDNIGHT MEP who failed in her bid to capture two world titles i ;
row . The Reserve Champion of the year before now wore the roses and MIDNIGHT MERRY , ridden by
Steve Hill ( one of our Celebration judges this year ), was crowned Reserve World Champion . She was owned by Mr . Hill and Billy Duncan of Inverness , Mississippi , and went on to become a fine broodmare .
1951 — The purse of the Celebration was getting bigger and 1951 saw a big jump in the prize money . A total of $ 3,500 was set aside for the Championship Stake and it was MIDNIGHT MACK K , owned by Raymond Rebsamen of Little Rock , Arkansas and ridden by Jack Slayden , that got the second largest cut of the purse that year . MACK K , as he was to become known , was to make three major efforts to achieve stardom , only to fail three times . He came back in 1952 and tied third .
1952 — After a full year ’ s layoff , the Grand Champion of 1950 was brought back into the thick of the fray at the Celebration . OLD GLORY ’ S BIG MAN , a beautiful horse in his own right , reportedly did not achieve stardom as a breeding sire at his Florida home and consequently his owners decided to bring him back as a show horse . His efforts failed , however , as he was tied the Reserve Champion of the World in 1952 .
1953 — It was a repeat performance for another top challenger in 1953 , as MIDNIGHT MACK K made another bid for the roses , only to fail again . In 1953 MACK K was owned by Mr . and Mrs . J . P . Jennings of Asheville , North Carolina , who had high hopes of
carrying the world title to an eastern state . The big chestnut stallion made a gallant effort and was popular in every respect , but when the cards were marked he was found wanting . He was once again a Reserve
Champion of the World .
1954 - The heyday of MIDNIGHT SUN and MERRY GO BOY was behind the Celebration by the middle 1950 ’ s . It would rest with their offspring to decide the champions of the future , and decide they did . Since that time , the names of both these great champions