EDITOR ' S NOTE: This article is reprinted from the January 1946 edition of a publication entitled " The Tennessee Walking Horse," founded by the late Jimmy Joe Murray. The article on MERRY LEGS F-4 was written by the same Jimmy Joe Murray. With the theme of our January Stallion Directory for 1969 being IT ' S NOT HOW MANY MARES YOU BREED. IT ' S HOW MANY COLTS YOU GET. we feel that this article on one of the all-time great mares is appropriate.
For the reader ' s information, MERRY LEGS F-4 was foaled in April, 1911, and died in 1932.
THE SUPERIOR FOUNC
An enchanting atmosphere of reverence lingers around great horses of every breed. Horse fanciers throughout the world, in a way of speaking, frequently are wont to pay homage to certain sires or dams of their favorite breed, and it is with genuine love, affection, and respect that renowned foundation stock of every breed attains posthumous pedestal-like adoration in mythical halls of fame.
So it is with perhaps the greatest Foundation Mare of the Tennessee Walking Horse breed. The rolling hills of Bedford County in Middle Tennessee contributed to our breed a bay mare with four stockings whose records of performance as a show horse and as a brood matron are unsurpassed in the annals of Tennessee Walking Horse history and legend. Verily, MERRY LEGS F-4, the all-time famous mare of our breed, decidedly deserves all the bountiful praise that I an be accorded her as a superior Foundation Mare. Foaled in April, 1911, our of NELL DEMENT F-3 i A. LLAN F-l as her sire, the great MERRY LEGS ls the culmination of long years’ experiments in animal husbandry planned by the late Albert M. Dement or the definite purpose of producing true gaited Tennessee Walking Horses. According to Mr. Dement’ s estimation, MERRY LEGS was the realization of a completed project which was designed for the posterity of the breed. Toward this end, recognized breeders of today concur with the statement made by Mr. Dement that " MERRY LEGS will be recognized some day as the greatest brood mare of the Tennessee Walking Horse breed, not only from the standpoint of her own foals, but through the progeny of her sons and daughters.”
MERRY LEGS was a straight-going mare with n amble whatsoever. She had lots of head motion, good long neck, perfect ears, and large eyes. Her cai
The blood of MERRY LEGS F-4 Is today contributing more to the Tennessee Walking Horse breed than any other individual brood matron. The dam of seven sons and six daughters, MERRY LEGS F-4 is now the most highly appreciated mare, dead or alive, of our breed. The influence of this great brood and show mare will live long and in honorable mention wherever the
Tennessee Walking Horse breed may travel. Those who knew MERRY LEGS F-4 during her heyday recall unmatched
action in the show ring that enhanced her prowess as a versatile performer. Then, the fact that her offspring have given the breed masterpieces of perfection adds to her glory as a brood matron of unlimited quality.
We desire to express our appreciation to several veteran Middle Tennessee horsemen and horse fanciers who so kindly supplied us with certain information during the compilation of this article. We are especially grateful to Bob
Murchison and W. H. Davis, both of Wartrace, Tennessee.
ter was perfect, and her tlatfoot walk and running walk were truly as great as any ever displayed by Tennessee Walking Horses. Anybody could ride her, because she had perfect manners, and was gentle as could be.
When MERRY LEGS was a weanling colt, in 1911, she was shown in Middle Tennessee by W. H. Davis of Wartrace, Tennessee, and was never defeated. Towns included on the circuit where MERRY LEGS was first shown were Murfreesboro, Tullahoma, Shelbyville, Winchester, and Fayetteville. She was probably shown as a yearling on the same circuit, Mr. Davis recalled, although this fact cannot be ascertained.
" Joe Crawford of Shelbyville, now of Macon, Georgia, and I were partners in 1913, and we showed horses together in Middle Tennessee,” Mr. Davis related. " We were making plans to attend the shows that spring and summer, and stopped by Mr. Dement’ s farm on our way to Winchester, where the first show of the circuit was scheduled. We borrowed MERRY LEGS from Mr. Dement and tied her with some other horses we were leading. She was a two-year-old at that time and had never been broken. When we arrived in Winchester, which is about 40
22 Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse