1969 Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1969 March Voice RS | Page 47

WALKIN’ IN ARKANSAS by Joan Beasley

When one thinks of Walking Horses in our corner of the state, the name ' Gunter’ keeps coming to mind. Dr. C. B. Gunter of Siloam Springs pioneered the showing of Walkers from our area, along with the owner of OLD GLORY and BLUE BOOGER, Gene Goff. The doctor had to quit the showring a few years ago and he had sold most of his horses when we visited him two years ago, just keeping two or three of his favorites. This man loves Walking Horses and loves to show them, so it was with some sadness that I learned during a recent telephone conversation that he has sold his last horse, MIDNIGHT MAGIC LADY, to Edward Bowen of Springdale, Arkansas. That old enthusiasm came back, however, when he very proudly told me how " his” black filly is doing in training. That conversation led to another call to Mr. Bowen, MIDNIGHT MAGIC LADY’ s new owner. He has two horses in training, both with George Blades at B & M Stables in Republic, Missouri. Ed is proud of SUN’ S LUCKY BABE, a twenty-month-old sorrel stud colt by IMPALA out of MIDNIGHT ROCKAWAY. He says BABE is a real big colt with a good strong front end, and George is bringing him along nicely. MIDNIGHT SUN is grandsire on BABE’ s topside and great-granddaddy on the distaff side, so if breeding counts— and * it does— this colt should go a long way.

However, Ed is even more enthused about MID­ NIGHT MAGIC LADY. She is a black three-year-old, the first foal by GO BOY’ S MAGIC MAN out of MID­ NIGHT BLUE BLAZE, and was as pretty as a picture when we saw her as a yearling. Ed avers she is the loosest, showiest filly he has seen in a long time. In fact, he raved about her so much that we are making a trip to B & M Stables as soon as possible to see for ourselves!

A lady who really gets the utmost in pleasure from her horses is Mrs. Frances Lindloff of Fayetteville. She has two lovely black mares, both with dispositions like angels. PLEASURE’ S DOLL R. B. by MIDNIGHT PLEASURE R. G. will foal in May to MIDNIGHT SUN AGAIN, the beautiful black stallion that Floyd Posenke retired from the ring at the Springfield, Missouri show last fall. Another interesting note is that DOLL, a five-year-old, was MIDNIGHT PLEASURE’ S lastfoal before he left Missouri to go south. If Mrs. Lindloff were to show any partiality, however, it would be to ber thirteen-year-old, MADAME MIDNIGHT, affectionately called AIMEE. Upon returning from an extended trip to the Northwest last summer, Mrs. Lindloff was distraught at finding AIMEE foundered. We were all quite worried because for such a long time she improved very little. Happily she is doing just fine now. If you are driving through Fayetteville and see a very attractive, smiling, grey-haired lady on a pretty black mare going on in that good old plantation style of Tennessee Walk, you’ ll know that it’ s Frances Lindloff and AIMEE.

With the Rex Robrahns of Siloam Springs, horses are a family affair. Three daughters— Gerrieann, Ellen, and Susan— mother Jean and father Rex all break, ride, and train their own horses. They have been raising Walking Horses for fifteen years and during this time have had some really fine colts. The Robrahns have crossed Walkers with Shetlands to get a small gaited horse that would make a nice pleasure mount for children. Mrs. Robrahn tells me that these horses all have had good dispositions, are very intelligent, and are easily trained. Ellen has shown SUN­ BEAM, a half-Shetland, half-Walker which she raised and trained, against registered stock in local Open Shows and has tied several times in large classes.

Their top broodmare is MAID O’ MAY by KING OF THE ALAMO out of PRINCESS ROSE ALLEN. She has produced many fine colts. One, SUN’ S PRINCE ALLEN R., was broken and trained as a pleasure horse by Rex for himself. PRINCE is a big seventeenhand sorrel gelding with a light mane and tail and can really travel. Ellen took him in the ring for his first time at the Fayetteville show last fall and tied third out of eighteen entries in the Pleasure Class.

The Robrahns have several young mares by MACK K’ S BIG CHANCE and STORMY RAID. RAID was the 1965 High Point Horse in the Southwest Missouri Walking Horse Association and was Grand Champion of the 1966 Walking Horse Jubilee in Springfield. They have two two-year-old stallions that they have very high hopes for this year. MIDNIGHT KING R. is a sorrel by KING OF MIDNIGHT by MIDNIGHT SUN out of MAID O’ MAY. PLEASURE OF THE HILLS is a chestnut by SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS out of PARADER’ S MAID, Mrs. Robrahn’ s pleasure mount. She is a black mare by PLEASURE’ S PARADER out of MAID O’ MAY. She was placed in training as a two-year-old and tied second in her only show, but was injured in a stall accident and brought home to get well, raise colts, and be ridden for pleasure. Mrs. Robrahn is thinking about entering her in a few small, near-by shows this coming season.

Clell Burnett of Bentonville is another Walking Horse enthusiast. A note to all Arkansas Razorback football fans: he’ s also the father of former Porkers Tommy and Bobby Burnett and our current star, Bill. Mr. Burnett has two stallions of which he is justly proud. Nine-year-old BRIGHT DECISION is a grey by AIR RAID out of ALICE FAYE. This is truly a multi-purpose horse, as Mr. Burnett uses him not only for stallion service but also as a pleasure horse, a parade horse and a buggy horse! We have many fine colts in this area by this great old stallion. FRAN’ S SEY­ MORE is really something special to Mr. Burnett. He is truly a natural: he will walk anywhere, anyhow, any time— with or without shoes, minus weights, pads, or any other artificial aid. SEYMORE is by BRIGHT DECISION out of STORMY ROSE by SIR MAU MAC. Mr. Burnett says you couldn’ t possibly have a more enjoyable pleasure ride than the one you get from this pretty sorrel stallion.

JIMMY HflCKETT STABLES

Thirteen-year-old sorrel mare—

• By MIDNIGHT OF 0AKW00D.

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