JIMMY HICKS
RETIRES
BLUE ' S MARY D. QLL
AT MONTGOMERY.
WORLD CHAMPION
15.2 UNDER MARE TO
VISIT COURT OF
EBONY MASTERPIECE
LAST TRIP- Dr. and Mrs. Harry 1. Blaylock of Birmingham, Alabama pose
with BLUE ' S MARY DOLL as she makes her last trip in ihc * show ring. She was retired at Montgomery after winning the 1969 World Championship for Mares 15.2 and Under.
In one of ihe most impressive retirement ceremonies in years, 1969 World Champion 15.2 and Under Walking Mare BLUE’ S MARY DOLL made her final performance at the Montgomery ' Southern Championship Horse Show. The Garrett Coliseum was filled almost to capacity on the final night and it was a fitting time and place for this superb horse to make her final show with trainer Jimmy Hicks in the saddle. The story behind the rise to fame of this fancy black mare is quite interesting. We first saw her at Montgomery in 1967. She was being worked by J. W. Hicks early one morning in the coliseum and was being somewrhat overshadowed by some of the " big-name” horses being worked at the same time. As J. W. pulled her in to let her blow, we walked over and talked to him. We were very much impressed with the mare and asked some questions about her. We learned that she was by BLUE MIDNIGHT BOY and out of MARY WARRIOR, and was a five-year-old. She belonged to Dr. and Mrs. Harry Blaylock of Birmingham. Alabama, and was definitely not for sale.
This mare represented a challenge to a number of people. It was obvious that she was a real top horse and that both the mare and Jimmy Hicks, the man showing her, were virtually unknown in the Walking Horse world. Together we embarked on a two-year record of showring participation and promotion that ultimately led to the " big time” and the 1969 World Championship. F’ rom an unknown in 1967( she tied seventh in the Mare Class at Montgomery) to the Celebration championship in 1969, BLLTE’ S MARY DOLL proved that " it can be done if you’ ve got the horse and a little help.” In a career that lasted for six years, this mare won over fifty blue ribbons.
A lot of credit must go to both the owners and the trainers of this fine mare. They have made every ' effort to do things the right way. They were smart in their show schedule, and promoted her in the right places and at the right time. They made every effort to participate in the affairs of the Walking Horse business and were gentlemen about it. They also took their lumps and didn’ t complain when things didn’ t go their way. It finally paid off with a most impressive victory at the Celebration.
In talking with Mrs. Blaylock about MARY DOLL, we learned that Jimmy was the youngest trainer to win a ribbon in a professional class at the Celebration. He tied on BLUE’ S MARY DOLL when she was a two-year-old in 1964. They are quite proud of the fact that their horse is " Alabama bred, born, trained... and retired” and hope that they can make even more contributions to the Walking Horse activity of their state in the future.
BLUE’ S MARY DOLL will be bred to EBONY MAS TERPIECE in the spring, and we will all look forward to the first colt out of this mare. It is horses such as these that have made our breed great.
UNKNOWN IN 1967— J. W. Hicks is pictured at Montgomery in 1967 as he finished a workout with BLUE ' S MARY DOLL. They tied seventh that year in the Southern Championship.
22 Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse