1969 Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1969 December Voice | Page 4

^■dmittedly, the story of ACE’S SENSATION and his rise from a $250 yearling colt with an uncertain future to the status of a two-time World Champion sold for a six-figure sum has to be one of the great­ est success stories in the annals of the Walking Horse breed. It is a story of tremendous victories followed by national acclaim; a story of occasional disappoint­ ments and hard luck; a story of determination and confidence on the part of the horse, his trainer, and his owner. The story of ACE’S SENSATION and his trainer, Wink Groover, is filled with highlights — two World Championships in successive years; unbeaten seasons as a three- and a four-year-old against competition in his age division; a string of 16 straight blues that end­ ed only when ACE and Wink defied the odds to tie third in the Grand Championship Stake at the 1968 Celebration after having shown twice that week en- route to winning the Junior World Championship; an unmatched career record of 25 blue ribbons in 31 at­ tempts against the finest horses in the country; and two straight championships at the prestigious Mont­ gomery Southern Championship to bring both the 1968 and 1969 seasons to a triumphant close. ACE’S SENSA1 C ^^ertainly these are not all of the highlights — there have been many more! The disappointments have been few, and these "dis­ appointments’' would have been hailed as highlights by many other horses, but not ACE’S SENSATION — special things are expected of special horses! At the 1969 Celebration, ACE and Wink suffered one of their disappointments: tying reserve in the Aged Stallion Class and coming back three nights later to tie fourth in the Grand Championship (and, incidentally, picking up a first-place vote in each event). Imagine being adjudged the fourth best Walking Horse in the country and considering it a disappointment! Things got worse before they got better: ACE and Wink tied third in the Aged Stallion Preliminary Class at Nashville two weeks after the Celebration, and some people were openly questioning the future of ACE’S SENSATION. Their concern about his future proved to be a bit premature as Wink and ACE dem­ onstrated that determination mentioned earlier. They made a truly great show in the stake - a show that has been matched by few horses and surpassed by none. This was a big blue ribbon for ACE — a very big blue ribbon. • 'ated over ACE’s tremendous victory at Nash- vhle. his owner, Randall Rollins, took him to Sugarloaf P arm in Atlanta for a well-deserved rest. He was kept at Sugarloaf until just days before the Montgomery show, when he was returned to Wink’s barn for one day s work. Wink and Randall were obviously con­ cerned over what to expect of ACE following his two- month layoff and went to Montgomery not expecting anything, though hoping for the best. (Top) — ACE'S SENSATION and Wink Groover show the form that carried them to the 1968 Junior World Championship as they leave after receiving the awards. (Above) — This presentation ceremony followed the great show by ACE to win the Nashville show two weeks after the Celebration this year. ACE made a tremendous effort to gain this very important win. FIRST OF TWO - ACE’S SENSATION receives the blue ribbon for his vic­ tory in (he Aged Stallion Class at Montgomery and his first of two first-place awards at the Southern Championship. Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse L