1969 Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1969 December Voice

MOBILE, ALABAMA 1969 Now that it has been pretty well de termined where everyone was when the lights went out at the Celebra tion, someone had better start check ing to see where some Walking Horse fans were the first weekend in No vember. A great number of them were in Mobile for the sixth annual show but those that were missing have cause to be upset. The reason is simple— Mobile had agreatshow, better than their previous efforts . . . and that's saying a mouthful, when you consider the excellent reputation that this show has established in only six seasons. The show ran four days ending on Sunday, November 2, and was held indoors at the Mobile Municipal Col iseum, an imposing structure that by David L. Howard minimizes the importance of the local weatherman. It turned out that the weatherman smiled on Mobile dur ing the show but it was a great com fort to know that a repeat of the Celebration swimming exercise was not in the making. The most important single factor at a horse show is quite logically the number and calibre of horses, and it is in this area that Mobile made its biggest gains. The 57 classes at tracted over 500 horses. Exhibitors were competing for S6,600 in prize money in the Walking Horse division which attracted many of the ranking horses from this year’s Celebration. Many "name” trainers loaded up their first line of stock and came to Mobile, thus explaining the ready smile on the faces of show manager GRAND CHAMPION - Dou« Wolaver and I'.HON’i S REWARD won the championship of the show with a lop performance in a talented das This fine entry is owned by Lonnie Shew of Lenoir, N'. C. 30 Deep South Show Attracts Top Horses and Exhibitors Ruth Bowers and show secretary Jay Hackmeyer. This didn’t make the job of the three judges, Bud Dunn, Gene Adams, and Richard Pate, any easier but then, they were paid to work hard. The Mobile show was first-class from start to finish and it is easy to see why, considering the excellent personnel who handled it. The an nouncer was the popular O’Neil How ell and, inside the ring, Steward R. L. Moffett and Ringmaster Emmet Stone kept things running smoothly. Organist Jimmy Richardson de serves a blue ribbon for his musical contribution, and photographer Leon Sargent deserves a month’s rest for his work taking ribbon and action pictures in the ring. The show was sponsored by the Ki- wanis Club for the benefit of the Kiwanis Boys’ Club of Mobile. It featured five sessions with evening performances on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and afternoon classes on Saturday and Sunday. There were twelve classes for pro fessionals and Wink Groover proved his intense liking for the color blue as he took this color home in four classes. Doug Wolaver and Marvin Wilson each captured two first-place awards, with Don Bell, Hershel Tal ley, Jimmy Ellis and Jack Moorman gaining the judges’ nods in one event apiece. In the aged competition there were three separate winners. In the mare preliminary, the winner was the great ROCK-A-BYE LADY with Celebra tion champion Marvin Wilson in the saddle. The Aged Stallion & Gelding Class was wonby MR. FREEWHEEL with Jimmy Ellis up. In the champ ionship it was Doug Wolaver and EBONY’S REWARD to the winners' circle, following a great effort for owner Lonnie Shew of Lenoir, North Carolina. MR. FREE WHEEL and Jimmy had to settle for the reserve Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse

1969 Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1969 December Voice | Page 30