( C o nti n u e d fr o m p a g e 4 1 ) i n t r ai ni n g at p r es e nt : R ai d e r ’ s Fi rst , a t w o- y e a r- ol d fill y . H e pl a ns t o b r e e d R ai d e r ' s Fi rst b a c k t o S h a d o w i n t h e f ut u r e . All W al ki n g H o rs e st o c k o n t h e M T S c a m p us h as b e e n d o n at e d b y v a ri o us W al ki n g H o rs e
e nt h usi asts .
O n e d a y w as d e v ot e d t o i nst r u cti o n c o n c e r ni n g t h e T e n n ess e e W al ki n g H o rs e . S o m e of t h e W al ki n g H o rs e e x hi bit o rs w h o c a m e a n d h el p e d i nst r u ct t h e st u d e nts w e r e : R A L P H LI VI N G S T O N , S h el b y vill e ; B O B B U R RI S , F r a n kli n , T e n n ess e e ; H O R A C E Y O U N G , L e wisb u r g , T e n n ess e e ; R A Y B E E C H . B elf ast , T e n n ess e e ; a n d B U D D Y B L A C K of L e wis b u r g . T h es e m e n br o u g ht t h ei r h o rs es a n d w e r e v e r y h el pf ul t o t h e st u d e nts at t h e s c h o ol .
All t h os e c o n n e ct e d wit h t h e H o rs e S ci e n c e S c h o ol di d a fi n e j o b a n d t h ei r eff o rts a r e d es e r vi n g of c o n g r at ul ati o ns . I n m y s h o rt t w o- d a y st a y at Mi d dl e T e n n ess e e St at e C oll e g e I g ot a fi rst- h a n d l o o k at t h e s c h o ol a n d w h at it is a c c o m plis hi n g . T h e A g ris e r vi c es F o u n d ati o n is c e rt ai nl y f ulfilli n g its p u r p os e t o a hi g h d e g r e e wit h t his p r o g r a m a n d wit h t h e a bl e assist a n c e of m a n y fi n e h o rs e m e n all o v e r t h e c o u nt r y it c a n b e c o m e a p o w e rf ul f o r c e i n f o r w a r di n g h o rs e a cti vit y i n t h e U nit e d St at es .
W . F . S U L LI V A N ( C o nti n u e d fr o m p a g e 1 0 )
S ull y ’ s fi rst s h o w h o rs e w as a m a r e n a m e d S w e et T al k . T his is t h e m a r e t h at st a rt e d hi m o n t h e r o a d t o l o c al p o p ul a rit y- a n d p r o v e d his a bilit y as a n a m at e u r t r ai n e r . S w e et T al k w as a s o r r el r o a n wit h b al d f a c e a n d t h r e e w hit e st o c ki n gs . H e st a rt e d h e r a n d s h o w e d h e r f o r s e v e n o r ei g ht y e a rs wit h g r e at s u c c ess , a n d at o n e ti m e h e t u r n e d d o w n $ 4 , 5 0 0 f o r h e r .
S ull y h as n e v e r s h o w n a h o rs e at t h e C el e b r ati o n . H e h as n e v e r r u n a n a d i n a m a g a zi n e ( wit h all d u e r es p e ct t o t h e V OI C E ). H e h as e x hi bit e d T e n n ess e e W al ki n g H o rs es i n al m ost e v e r y- ot h e r h o rs e s h o w i n his p a rt of t h e c o u nt r y- a n d a d mits t h at it h as b e e n t h o r o u g hl y e nj o y a bl e , t h o u g h n ot p r ofit a bl e .
C u r r e ntl y e m pl o y e d wit h t h e C h att a n o o g a A e r o S e r v i c e , M r . S ulli v a n is a n est a blis h e d fli g ht i nst r uct o r a n d aii- pl a n e m e c h a ni c . H e h as b e e n w o r ki n g i n t his fi el d f o r t hi rt y y e a rs a n d still fli es . At o n e ti m e h e w as a n a cti v e fli g ht i nst r u ct o r b ut n o w his fl yi n g is li mit e d t o t est fli g hts a n d b r e a ki n g i n n e w a n d r e b uilt e n gi n es .
H e a n d his wif e C a r m e n , w h o s h a r es his e nt h usi as m f o r h o rs es , h a v e li v e d at t h ei r p r es e nt l o c ati o n si n c e 1 9 3 8 . T h e cit y- of C h att a n o o g a h as g r o w n u p a r o u n d t h e m b ut , e v e n t h o u g h t h e y a r e w ell i nsi d e t h e cit y li mits , n o b o d y e v e r c o m pl ai ns a b o ut M r . S ulli v a n ’ s h o rs es .
T h e h o rs e t h at h e is r e all y p r o u d of is L a g o o n S u n , b ett e r k n o w n as J o h n . T his h o rs e is o n e of t h os e t h at " y o u r e a d a b o ut — b ut n e v e r o w n . ” H e w as p u r c h as e d at a l o c al st o c k y a r d i n 1 9 6 1 f o r a m e a g e r s u m . W ellb r e d , h e w as c o nsi d e r e d a r u nt a n d n ot m u c h of a p r os p e ct . S ull y a n d a f ri e n d w e nt i n t o g et h e r o n J o h n a n d it s o o n b e c a m e a p p a r e ntt h at allt h e " r u nt ” n e e d e d w as s o m e g r o c e ri es ! J o h n w as n e v e r s h o w n as a t h r e e- y e a r- ol d , b ut w as i nt r o d u c e d t o t h e s h o w ri n g as a n a g e d h o rs e . S ull y- a n d J o h n a r e q uit e p o p ul a r i n t h e G r e at e r C h att a n o o g a a r e a a n d a n y ti m e t h e y e nt e r t h e s h o w ri n g t h e y m a k e a st r o n g bi d f o r t h e bl u e .
4 2
R e g a r di n g his a bilit y t o s h o e his o w n h o rs es , S ul k , s a ys t h at t his is s o m et hi n g h e l e a r n e d as a y o u n gst e r b ut t h at t h e t e c h ni q ues of s h o ei n g s h o w h o rs es h as b e e n pi c k e d u p t h e h a r d w a y — b y t ri al a n d e r r o r O n e t hi n g is c e rt ai n : his h o rs es a r e all i n g o o d s h a p e a n d t h ei r f e et a r e w ell c a r e d f o r f r o m t h e s h o ei n g a n gl e
N e e dl ess t o s a y , t h e r e a r e s e v e r al k e ys t o s u c c ess hi t his a p p r o a c h t o t h e W al ki n g H o rs e w o rl d , a n d p e r h a ps t h e m ost i m p o rt a nt is " p ati e n c e . ” I n dis c ussi n g his b a c k g r o u n d i n t h e W al ki n g H o rs e b usi n ess , M r . S ulli v a n , w h o c a r ri es his fift y- o d d y e a rs e xt r e m el y w ell , gi v es t h e i m p r essi o n t h at h e h as m a d e n o mist a k e a b o ut his i n t e nti o ns i ns of a r as his h o rs es a r e c o n c e r n e d . His s ol e p u r p os e , f o r o v e r fift e e n y e a rs , h as b e e n t o h a v e f un , t o e nj o y his h o rs es , a n d t o a p p r o a c h s h o wi n g t h e m as a h o b b y a n d s p o rt r at h e r t h a n a hi g hl y- e o m p etiti v e eff o rt i n w hi c h " wi n ni n g is t h e o nl y g o al . ”
T o t h os e w h o k n o w hi m a n d h a v e w at c h e d hi m w o r k h o rs es f o r m a n y y e a rs , S ull y ’ s p ati e n c e is his o utst a n di n g q u alit y w- h e n it c o m es t o h o rs es . As a t r ai n e r , h e t a k es his ti m e , n e v e r p us hi n g a h o rs e b ut r at h e r b ei n g c o nt e nt t o w ait f o r t h e n o bl e b e ast t o c at c h o n . Alt h o u g h p oss essi n g a r e al t al e nt f o r t r ai ni n g , w hi c h is m a d e o b vi o us b y his m a n y bl u e ri b b o ns , S ull y is st ri ctl y a n a m at e u r . Al o n g t h e w a y , h e h as pi c k e d u p t h e k n o w- h o w of t h e b usi n ess a n d c a n p e rs o n all y h a n dl e a n d m ai nt ai n his s h o w h o rs es hi ms elf .
H e h as n e v e r h a d m o r e t h a n t h r e e h o rs es at o n e ti m e . H e h as h el p e d f ri e n ds a n d s o m e p r of essi o n als wit h t h ei r h o rs es a n d h e h as t h e r es p e ct a n d a d mi r ati o n of all w h o k n o w hi m . O n e t hi n g is s u r e , h o w e v e r : w h e n S ull y hits t h e g at e , all e x hi bit o rs , a m at e u rs a n d p r o f essi o n als ali k e , k n o w t h at o n a gi v e n ni g ht h e is c a p a bl e of gi vi n g t h e m all a fit !
T h e r e a r e m a n y p e o pl e s u c h as S ull y i n t h e W al ki n g H o rs e b usi n ess w h o a p p r o a c h it wit h t h e s a m e d e di c ati o n a n d i nt e r est as d o t h e S ulli v a ns . T h es e p e o pl e c o m p ris e t h e b ul k of W al ki n g H o rs e e nt h usi asts . T h e y a r e c o nt e nt t o e nj o y t h ei r h o rs es , t a k e w h at t h e y g et i n t h e s h o w ri n g , a n d e a g e rl y w ait f o r s h o w ti m e t o r oll a r o u n d a g ai n s o t h e y c a n g et b a c k i n t h e s a d dl e o n t h ei r f a v o rit e h o rs e a n d ' d o it t h e ms el v es .’
F O R C O M P L E T E F A R RI E R S E R VI C E
S E E 1 . C . “ l o b ” H U G H E S
■ ■ . a c o m pl et e li n e of F arri er t o ol s , tr ai ni n g a n d ri di n g s u p pli e s . T o fill all y o ur n e e d s f or H or s e S h o e s a n d r el at e d e q ui p m e nt writ e : ( D e al er I n q uiri e s I n vit e d )
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