( Continued from Page 29 ) night Sun for identification of this great horse from 1944 on . He saw Midnight Sun work several times after his arrival at Harlinsdale and remarked that the noon day
sum is the strongest and brightest planet known to man and this is the strongest and blackest horse known to man so his name should be Midnight Sun and immediately the Harlins changed his name from Joe Lewis Wilson to Midnight Sun . Midnight Sun came into being just in time to help the
Tennessee Walking Horse breed . Following his two World ’ s Grand Championships he was retired to the stud . He gave this breed a strong shot in the arm that picked it up from the very late forties to the very early fifties at which interval many mares of the best blood lines were sold for a few cents a pound . Midnight Sun helped rejuvenate this slump and brought back interest that from
that time on has had no parallel in the saddle horse industry . Winston Wiser , one of the mighty men of this periefd
from Midnight Sue and Black Angel on , trained and developed Merry Boy horses . Fie never gave up on Merry Boy blood and he more than all the rest proved Merry Boy breeding . “ By Midnight Sun and out of a Merry Boy mare ” has been the nick of blood that produced more good horses than any other cross of blood lines .
Midnight Sun and Merry Go Boy were rivals in the show ring as they have been in the stud . The writer saw them show the first time they competed against each other at the Shelbyville P . T . A . show in the spring of 1946 . Merry Go Boy was three and it was a one night show . Even so , stake classes were common . Wiser was undecided until almost time for the stake to start . What a thrill it would be to see these two hit the ring together ! Just before the gate was opened for the stake class , Wiser was seen putting on the tail brace . He was as game as his little black stallion . That was a show to remember . Fred Walker up on his World ’ s Grand Champion Midnight Sun , and Winston Wiser , the greatest trainer of them all and the biggest promoter of Merry Boy horses since the first days of Merry Boy , hit the ring with the noddingest horse that has ever been . Both were superb , both were faultless in gait execution and they had it out that warm night in Shelbyville . Mr . Brown from Columbia judged them . This was the first time any ring of Tennessee Walking Horses had held two horses of as large a stature as these . One like a little fairy wound up like a mechanical toy , the other like a river in flood stage , rolling , sweeping and moving along with that measured methodical beat that none could stop . Midnight Sun was judged the victor as was he the following fall at the Celebration , their second meeting . These two shows were the first of the battle of the giants . They were not seared and scarred by blister , weighted with iron or lead . They were bred to walk and were schooled and trained to further perfection by long hours in the saddle by their trainers . They differed as does the soft wind of a summer ’ s night and the ominous beat of a thousand drums . They were as different as two Walking Horses could be of the same era but they both were great and they both were tops in that era twenty years ago .
Many years ago Midnight Sun and Merry Go Boy were exhibited under the tent at the Murray Sale when Jimmy Joe Murray , the originator of this sale , was still very active . Midnight Sun had a large flowing tail that dragged the ground . Wiser following , in his eagerness , walked Merry Go Boy up too close to the great Midnight Sun and Go Boy stepped on Sun ’ s tail . This kind of incident was the ingredient for trouble , but Fred Walker dismounted and examined the tail and re-mounted , brushing the occasion off as not important enough to fight over . Fred Walker fit the big horse like a glove . Sun knew Fred and Fred knew Sun and they worked together as a perfect
team . Red Laws was Midnight Sun ’ s caretaker and almost constant companion from the time of his arrival at Harlinsdale . Red ’ s death a month after the passing of the big black stallion to many , marked the ultimate in relationship between man and the equine animal . Dr . DeWitt Owen , Jr ., of Franklin , has been his competent veterinarian . Harlin Hayes as manager of Harlinsdale helped to train Midnight Sun and has managed him all his years at stud and a more capable man could not be found . Alex and Wirt Harlin and later Mrs . G . M . Livingston as owners were as loyal to this champion of champions as any person can be to any animal . It has been a glorious distinction for them all to have been so closely associated with this horse of the century , the one and only MID NIGHT SUN .
( Continued from Page 38 )
Moorman showing for Jerome Ryan . This two year old stud has caused a lot of conversation since being introduced at this fall ’ s Mobile show . Third was awarded to EBONY ROSE with Charlie Bobo showing for Mr . William S . Tomlinson . Charlie had previously won the two year old filly class with this top mare .
David Ryan and his great SPUR ’ S COMMANDER were declared the Amateur Stake winners . David has just started showing this good horse , and it was certainly a grand way to end this year ’ s show season . Reserve in this class was DARK MAGIC , owned and shown by Mr . Frank Parnell . Third award went to D ’ Leese Williamson showing her many-times champion , BOMB ’ S BALLY HOO . D ’ Leese and BALLY HOO had previously won the amateur stud class .
Sherrill Marks and her many-times champion , GO
S JET , were successful in winning the juvenile division and thus retiring the challenge trophy . It was the third year in a row for Sherrill and her great little horse . Reserve in this good class was Merry Melinda and Brenda Bramlett . Third award went to Bobby Ratton showing his newly acquired , MERRY MOTION MA KER .
Our congratulations to the entire Mississippi State Championship Show staff for an excellent show . Those oi you who missed it really missed a G-R-E-A-T show .
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