1965-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1965 January Voice | Page 20

LAWN VALE FARMS, Gainesville,
Virginia, To Build Major Breeding
Program Around Newly Purchased
World's Champion MAJOR WILSON
In a recent announcement that
paralleled the news of the sale of
the 1964 World Champion, Mr. E.
Carl Hengen of Gainesville, Vir­
ginia, made known that he had
purchased the 1961 World’s Grand
Champion Walkin g Horse, B. MA­
JOR WILSON. In a telephone con­
versation right after the sale was
terminated, Mr. Hengen, who de­
clined to disclose the sale price of
the great horse, outlined a tremen­
dous program for breeding the
renowned stallion and exhibited a
keen interest in using the horse to
good advantage to further the Ten­
nessee Walking Horse breed in his
part of the nation.
Trainer Ernest Bugg, who hails
from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, has
always been a strong supporter of
B. MAJOR WILSON and after
watching the breeding program of
Mr. Claude Brown, who previous­
ly owned the horse and rode him
to two World Crowns, decided that
if a top stallion was to be obtained
20
for the Lawn Vale Farms, that this
must be the horse.
The purchase of B. MAJOR WIL­
SON was the aftermath of an un­
fortunate occurrence at the Lawn
Vale Farms. In May of 1963, Mr.
Hengen purchased STAR MAJOR
WILSON, a son of MAJOR WIL-
son, from Claude Brown at the
Murray Farm Sale. He was a four
year old chestnut stallion and pos­
sessed one of the most outstand­
ing natural Walking Horse gaits
ever seen. Striving for the perfec­
tion of which the horse was capa­
ble, Ernest Bugg decided to work
with the horse slowly and aim him
at the 1965 Celebration. In No­
vember of 1964, STAR MAJOR
WILSON died of Colitis X. This
event led back to the Claude Brown
Stables and a search for another
one just like him. As a result,
Lawn Vale Farms came home with
a three year old full brother to
STAR MAJOR WILSON, a two
year old full sister, his two year
old half brother, three yearling fil­
lies, one yearling horse colt, one
weanling filly, two weanling horse
colts and an outstanding MERRY
BOY mare bred to MAJOR WIL­
SON.
After such a vote of confidence
in MAJOR WILSON, the next step
was, of course, to purchase the
big horse himself, and make a clean
sweep of it.
B. MAJOR WILSON was foaled
on February 12, 1952, at Morehead,
Kentucky. He was bred by Claude
Brown, who rode him consistently
as an amateur horse throughout
his career. On winning the Grand
Championship in 1961, MAJOR
WILSON became the first stallion
over six years old to take the honor.
Claude Brown was the second
Amateur to win the title. MAJOR
WILSON was also a major threat
to Championship honors in 1957,
1958 and 1959 with Marvin Wilson
riding him twice and the late Win­
ston Wiser riding him once.
As the feature attraction at the
Lawn Vale Farms, MAJOR WIL­
SON will be backed up by SUN’S
SHADOW, Reserve Champion
Stallion in 1958, BEE’S BIG SHOT,
tenth place in Big Stake in 1963
and GORDON’S MERRY BOY.
youngest son of old MERRY BOY.
They also have such horses as,
STAR’S DUSTY SUN, an outstand­
ing Walking Pony, SUN’S SPRING
QUEEN, Reserve Champion Mare
in 1962 and WHITE SENSATION,
famous flag horse of the Celebra­
tion. The stables have forty-seven
stalls and all are filled. Trainer
Ernest Bugg has his work cut out
for him for 1965 and from all out­
ward appearances, he will hit the
showring with a strong string of
top horses.
Mr. E. Carl Hengen, who is a con­
tractor, builder, manufacturer,
bank director and Past President
of the Corinthian Yacht Club is a
promoter and an avid believer in
the future of the Tennessee Walk­
ing Horse. He and Mrs. Hengen
live in Arlington, Virginia, and he
has an office in Springfield and his
farm in Gainesville. When does he
have time for his horses? He makes
time and enjoys every minute of
it!
VOICE of The Tennessee Walking Horse