LITTLE TEXAS is a catchy name and, considering the excellent show record of this horse, it is difficult to understand why he is not better known among the rank-and-file Walking Horse fans. There is little doubt that, by the end of this season, he will be much better known and there is a strong possibility that he will be wearing the mantle of the World Champion Three- Year-Old.
Bob Cooley Stables in Madisonville, Tennessee is where LITTLE TEXAS calls home. He is under the capable guidance of this rising young professional trainer who has demonstrated his ability to come up with top horses the past several years.
LITTLE TEXAS has all the ingredients you look for in a top horse. His breeding leaves nothing to be desired, as he is by the famed SUN’ S DELIGHT and out of a GO BOY mare. He bears a striking resemblance to his sire with a beautiful chestnut color, and he already stands 15-2 hands.
He has compiled an amazing show record for such a young horse. In 1968, as a two-year-old, he was shown eleven times and won ten blues with one reserve. This season he has been shown five times with four blues, including two victories in j unior competition. His victories this season include the Three-Year-Old Class at Lebanon, Tennessee; the Junior Class at Carter, Tenn.; the Junior Class at Tellico Plains, Tenn.; and the Three-Year-Old Championship at Knoxville.
Bob plans to show LITTLE TEXAS four or five more times, getting him ready for his bid for the
championship at the Celebration. Bob states that " TEX” is one of the best he has ever " thrown a leg over” and compares him favorably with his sire,
SUN’ S DELIGHT, a horse that Bob knew quite well. " He’ s built like, looks like, and goes like his daddy,”
Bob says with great pride. " He’ s the kind of horse that will continue to get better with age and there is no telling just what he’ ll eventually be capable of doing,” Bob added. The above remarks emphasize that Bob has a great deal of confidence in this horse. A brief history will demonstrate the reason.
Bob bought LITTLE TEXAS when he was only four months old. He drove out to see the horse during the middle of the night and had to use the lights on his
truck to see the colt strolling across the field. " I liked his lick as a colt and bought him right away,” Bob
recalled. Later, he brought the colt to Madisonville and began working on him when he was sixteen months old. Shortly thereafter, Bob sold him to W. R. Campbell of Dallas, Texas. In 1968 Bob began showing him and with great success in his two-year-old season; however, the colt was not shown at the Celebration at the end of the year. There is a very definite reason why a young horse with this kind of record was not shown at the Celebration: this same year, Bob had the great RIDGELEA’ S DELIGHT who, when at his best, was being heralded as one of the top horses for Two-Year-Old Championship honors. While RIDGELEA got off to a fast start and was
widely promoted for the Championship, TEXAS came on more gradually and Bob was holding him back for
the future; hence the decision not to show him in the Two-Year-Old Class at the Celebration.
As a three-year-old, TEXAS has done everything Bob has asked of him. He made a tremendous show at Lebanon, Tennessee to tag the first defeat of the
season on one of the widely-acclaimed three-year-olds showing this year. Also, he went out of his class to win junior honors at Carter and Tellico Plains. The proud owner of this contender is J. V. Renfro of Knoxville. Mr. Renfro bought TEXAS around the first of the year and has never regretted the purchase. He has already turned down several substantial offers for the horse.
Bob is also pleased with the owner of this fine horse
and states that he is cooperative in every respect. Renfro has been in the horse business many years but approaches horses from a strictly amateur standpoint. He rides and shows MERRY SUN’ S SUNBURST, a fine black stallion that Bob sometimes shows as his stake horse.
TEXAS has several illustrious roommates at the Bob Cooley Stables, including the previously mentioned
RIDGELEA’ S DELIGHT. RIDGELEA is owned by J. D. Lee of Madisonville, and is better than ever this year. RIDGELEA and TEXAS have been together since they were colts as Bob bought them within days of each other.
LITTLE
Bob Cooley up
Also, when he sold them to their first owners, both sales occurred with a couple of days. They have stalls side by side in the barn and have grown accustomed to each other, to say the least. One would be hard pressed to find two better stablemates anywhere in the country.
Bob is working 21 horses at his barn, and took time out to mention some of them. He is working LOVE OF GLORY for Mr. and Mrs. Leland Bacon. This aged mare is a top contender and tied sixth in the Aged Mare Class at the 1968 Celebration.
DELIGHT’ S RHYTHM is a two-year-old to watch for this year. He is owned by Hicks Realty Company of Washington, D. C., and has won three blues in four shows already this season. IMAGE OF SUN DUST is a five-year-old gelding that little seven-year-old Craig Bacon rides. Craig is from Rockwood, and what he lacks in age and size he more than compensates for in ability. Bob showed IMAGE successfully for Frank Metcalf before he was purchased by the Bacons.
DELIGHT’ S DELIGHT L. is coming on strong this year in juvenile competition with Sharon Lee riding. This four-year-old sorrel gelding can do it all, and has in the past. Last year Bob showed him 24 times with 20 blues, three reserves and one sixth at the Celebration... an enviable record and proof of the horse’ s great ability.( Continued on page 76)
4 Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse