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An outstanding young colt , EBONY ’ S SENATOR attracted the attention of trainer Bud Seaton and
Walking Horse enthusiast Billy Hale of Gallatin , Tennessee , who purchased him from the Beech Stables as a yearling in 1965 . When Mr . Seaton moved to Dallas ,
Texas in October of 1965 he carried the young colt with him and later sold half-interest to Frank Mason . SENATOR was not shown as a two-year-old and was shown only sparingly as a three-year-old . He entered the Celebration with little fanfare and tied fourth in the Three-Year-Old Stallion Class in the fall of 1967 . Later that year he was sold to Vic Thompson along
with the other horses of the Blue Bonnett Stables , which were owned by Frank Mason . He was purchased by Lloyd Wood in the fall of 1967 and remained his property until recently . The showring career of EBONY ’ S SENATOR really got underway in the spring of 1968 at Fayetteville , Tennessee . After being worked for just a few short months by Marvin Wilson , the fancy black junior horse captured the fancy of Walking Horse lovers as he marched to victory in a great class at this earlyseason show . Throughout the season he was undefeated , and he entered the Celebration as a popular favorite for the Junior Championship . EBONY ’ S SEN ATOR was shown seven times that year and gathered a following of supporters that were to stick with him through the remainder of 1968 and 1969 . He was reserve in the Junior Stallion Class in 1968 .
A lot of people made an effort to purchase the potential champion but it was not until August 12 , just twenty-five days before the 1969 Celebration , that a sale was finalized . O . D . " Peck ” Carlton of Albany , Georgia , a long-time friend and business associate of Vic Thompson ’ s , paid an undisclosed high five-figure price for EBONY ’ S SENATOR and joined the ranks of supporters that believed he could win the big one .
Throughout the 1969 season EBONY ’ S SENATOR was shown fourteen times . His record indicates that trainer Marvin Wilson showed his contender more times in front of more different judges than any major champion in modern times . He was trained carefully and deliberately , and was primed throughout the hot summer months to get him in shape to compete at the Celebration . He was ready !
VVVHAPP1NESS ‘ is WORLD * CHAMPIONSHIPS
Charlotte Neill , the VOICE Staff Photographer during the Celebration , shot some good pictures of several champions and their owners , riders and trainers . On the facing page , left column , top to bottom : Wallace Brandon shows real pleasure at his outstanding victory in the Age Stallion Class as the Davis Brothers and members of the family gather to celebrate with SENSATIONAL SHAD OW . . . Donald Paschal proudly poses with HANDSHAKER ' S DE LIGHT as the Dennis Williams family and Dr . and Mrs . C . L . Sexton share the moment of victory in the Junior Championship ... A big blue for Mack Motes is celebrated by the Buford Chitwood family and the H . C . Bailey family as they take a good look at SHADOW ' S ROYAL FLUSH , the 1969 World Champion Three- Year-Old . . . Harber & Cherry Stables had a " tiger In their tank " as they celebrated their great victory in the tough 15.2 & Under Stallion Championship . TIGER BAY doesn ’ t seem too impressed by all the attention . Adele Harber is obviously pleased with her
trophy .
Right column , top to bottom : Charlie Waters and Bill Bobo were mighty pleased to get DELIGHT ' S RED SHADOW out for a picture . With C . A . Bobo riding , the fancy chestnut stallion took home the Two-Year-Old Championship . . . For the third time , MOONGLOW , JR . is called upon to pose with the C . W . Daugette family as the winner of the World Amateur Championship . Dripping wet but very happy , Burt Daugette was glad to leave the ring on Saturday night . . . " Finally !” Kim Lovette shows all the enjoyment of winning the World Juvenile Championship with her great HILL ' S PERFECTION . The Rex Lovette family and C . A . Bobo obviously share her pleasure . . . The Walking Pony Championship meant as much to the Hawkersmith family as the big stake as Steve rode SCAT MAN ' S KITTY KAT to a great victory .
Among the many impressive wins by EBONY ’ S SEN ATOR in 1969 were : The National Championship at the Trainers ’ Show in Nashville ; the Walking Horse Championship at Lynnville , Tennessee ; the Stallion & Gelding Class at Moulton , Alabama ; the Stallion & Gelding Class at Petersburg , Tennessee ; the Stake Class at Winchester , Tennessee ; and the Stallion & Gelding Class at Wartrace , Tennessee . As the Celebration drew nigh , the name of EBONY ’ S SENATOR began to get closer and closer to the top as a potential champion for 1969 . The record now shows that both he and his trainer were ready for the test .
MARVIN WILSON
Few professional trainers have ever achieved the status of Marvin Wilson . He has trained and ridden
as many top winners as any man in the business , and almost everyone agrees that " he made them all himself .” EBONY ’ S SENATOR is not the first great horse that Marvin has brought to the top and he will not be the last . A hard worker who loves his business , Marvin is a credit to the breed and has contributed much to the knowledge that has made the " big-time ” Tennessee Walking Horse the most sought-after show horse in the nation .
Everyone who has been in the horse business any length of time knows Marvin Wilson . Now thirty-nine years young , he has had a hectic life as a trainer . He started at the age of twelve , working at the Claude Brown Stables in Morehead , Kentucky , his home town . As a youngster he developed quickly into a good horseman . His father , Harlin Wilson , was a mule trader and Marvin was raised around livestock . He applied everything he learned to every horse he rode and tried to learn something new every day . When talking to Marvin about his education , we were told that he went to a country school in Sandy Hook , Kentucky , and he added with a glint in his eye , " I joined the army so I could quit school . I thought I could fight better than I could write .”
As a young man , he worked on and off for Claude Brown for quite a few years and produced many of the well-known winners from that stable , including B . MAJOR WILSON , the 1961 World Grand Champion . Marvin managed to grab a share of the spotlight by tying third on MAJOR WILSON in the big stake in 1958 . He had attravted a lot of attention also by defeating DARK GLORY at the Shelbyville PTA Showearlier in the year with MAJOR WILSON . For four years , Marvin Wilson plied his trade successfully at the Kibler Farms in Mt . Orab , Ohio . While there he produced some top winners including BLACK SOUTHERNAIRE , BLACK RHYTHM and BLACK VELVET , the only horse ever to beat the great COT TON QUEEN ’ S GO BOY at Columbia . He left Mt . Orab and moved to Waynesville , Ohio , where he operated his own stable for a couple of years .
Early in 1965 Marvin moved to Middle Tennessee to work at the Old Milky Way Farms in Pulaski . He attracted a lot of customers who know of his ability and
shortly had about all the business he could handle . A year after that , Marvin moved to Pennsylvania , and
still a year later he took over the Escue Stables in Hebron , Kentucky . He still liked Middle Tennessee and felt that it would be here that he could do best as a professional trainer . After careful consideration Marvin decided that he would like to join forces w-ith
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