1969 Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1969 March Voice RS | Page 4

For the past two or three years we have seen an
increasingly stronger class of two-year-olds enter the
showring. At the beginning of the year there is always
a strong group of contenders that comes to the front
as being tops in the class. As the season gets into
full swing, we usually see still another selection come
into the limelight and by Celebration-time we note
that there are some fine unknowns that manage to
make their way to stardom. What does the future hold
for a colt that is considered "great” at this time of
the year? The case of MASTER COPY should provide
us with a prime example.
It is generally understood that our top trainers are
becoming more and more "professional” in all areas
of their activity. One trainer that has, for the past
two years, made the "big time” with top two-year-
olds, is Russell Pate of Collierville, Tennessee. It is
with great enthusiasm that he approaches the chal­
lenge of MASTER COPY for 1969. The story regard­
ing MASTER COPY and his attraction to Russell
Pate goes back to January of 1965. Russell was, at
that time, head trainer and manager of GLL Farms
in Collierville. He was responsible for the professional
end of the training and breeding operation at this
then new stable operation. He was acting in the
capacity of advisor when Mr. George L. Lenox went
to Murfreesboro, Tennessee around the first of the
year to buy brood mares to breed to his newly ac­
quired World Grand Champion, CARBON COPY.
After considerable discussion and inquiry, Mr. Lenox
purchased 12 brood mares of old MERRY BOY breed­
ing from Mr. Sam Paschal for a price reported to be
840,000. Among this group was a roan mare named
MERRY BOY’S CHARM P. She was out of APRIL’S
CHARM by WILSON ALLEN’S BOSS MAN, making
a fine cross for almost any inbreeding program with
good foundation blood. Russell Pate handled the breed­
ing of this mare in the spring of 1966 and, on April
22, 1967, she dropped a beautiful black stud colt that
was named MASTER COPY. From that time on, Rus­
sell Pate had his eye on that colt.
He was raised by GLL Farms and throughout his
weanling and yearling years he continued to attract
the acclaim of astute Walking Horse enthusiasts as
being a "great prospect.” Russell Pate eventually
moved and set up his own training operation but he
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(Continued on page 40)
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Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse