WALK ON , MINNESOTA ! by Miss Carlene Holt Stillwater , Minnesota
There have been quite a few changes in our area since my last article — new trainers , new horses ,
new owners , etcetera .
Hedgerest Farm — Hastings , Minnesota
Trainer , FRANK DALKE has moved here to Hedgerest Farm . This beautiful farm , owned by Mrs . E . C . HOFFMAN , occupies a lovely site overlooking the
Mississippi River in Hastings . They have some excellent facilities , including two stables of box stalls ,
a newly-completed outdoor working ring , and a large indoor riding arena . Hedgerest has been well-known for its fine Saddlebred Horses . Not only is one stable filled with finished and started show horses , but there ’ s some sharp-looking , well-bred young stock in
the pasture .
Frank is working several Walkers . Miss DEBRA LARSON of St . Paul , Minnesota has her bold black four-year-old gelding Midnight C Big John here in training . I understand that John is really stepping along right now , and I ’ ll just bet that he still gets his reward of several carrots from Debbie after each good ride . There ’ s also a chestnut Walker gelding here owned by Mr . LARRY BROWN of Grand Forks , North Dakota .
Hedgerest owns the good Walker gelding Go Boy ’ s Destiny , purchased last fall at the Celebration sale . He ’ s a sleek black horse with a white star — and he can walk ! Miss SHARON LEE HOFFMAN showed him to win first place at the Winter Fair in Canada recently . This was the first time she has ever shown a Walking Horse and they certainly did well together . Hedgerest also has a four-year-old red roan Walker mare recently purchased from Canada .
Blue Gate Farm , Inc . — Stillwater , Minnesota
LOREN ( LONNIE ) TEMPLETON from Des Moines , Iowa , is the new full-time trainer here . He came up in March and arrived just in time to get a real taste of Minnesota weather . Just after he got here we had that terrible storm that dropped 12 ” of new snow on the Twin City area . All that white stuff is melted now and Lonnie is busy working the Blue Gate horses outside whenever the weather permits — or inside the stable in the indoor riding area . All their horses are looking fat and sassy and seem ready for the coming show season .
They are standing two Walker stallions for the 1966 season : Glory ’ s Fireball B - a 16-hand , liver chestnut , Reserve Champion , Open Walker Class for Tri- State 1965 ; and Rodger ’ s Fire Ball - a beautiful black four-year-old stud , sired by Rodger ’ s Mem \ fin Rnu
We recently saw Lonnie working their three-yej old bay roan filly Midnight Merry Allis . She ’ s m as pretty and fine a filly as you ’ ll ever see - a :
70 is going along just shaking her head and smooth butter ! Dr . DOROTHY MUIRHEAD of Blue Gat^
to show this filly and we ’ re looking forward to ing them together in the ring this coming Se ^ Allis is certainly a flashy filly , of a different ^ that will stand out in any crowd . ^
WAYNE and SUZANNE NELSON , Managers offti Gate , have recently moved into their new home her6 This is a beautiful split-entry home , and they ’ ve Us
the farm colors of blue and gold throughout the \ terior decoration . Even the double garage door is ^
Valley High Farm — Lake Elmo , Minnesota
This farm owned by Dr . and Mrs . DEAN YARiak boasts several Saddlebreds and also some well-bred Walking Horses . For several years they have had the Walker stallion Parader ’ s Pride and some good broodmares . . . including the liver chestnut mare Dona ’ s Sensation sired by Old Wilson ’ s Ace . They have a coming two-year-old chestnut stud colt from this mare sired by World ’ s Grand Champion B . Major Wilson . He ’ s a real typey colt and developing into a likely prospect .
The Yarians are quite excited and thrilled with the newest foal from Dona ’ s Sensation . This leggy little sorrel filly , with matching hind socks and a star , is sired by Midnite Pleasure , Jr ., a double Midnight Sun bred stud owned by the Eyre Walking Stable of Grundy Center , Iowa . Though only a few days old , that little filly is right out there nodding her head and using those legs the right way . Can ’ t blame the Yarians for being proud of her .
Woodlane Farm — Stillwater , Minnesota
There has been some activity around our place recently , too . Our pleasure Walker mare Southern Belle has gone to a new home in Waverly , Minnesota . Our sorrel show gelding , Powerhouse , also has a happy new owner . Miss GAIL MOHN of Minneapolis , Minnesota , has purchased him and he is being stabled at Blue Gate Farm . This is Gail ’ s first Walking Horse and we know she ’ ll enjoy the thrilling rides she ’ ll be getting on him . Gail and Powerhouse will be in the show ring this coming season in our Tri-State area .
We ’ re certainly proud of our newest Walker foal at Woodlane Farm . Our Midnight Secret mare , Secret s Painted Lady , presented us with a wonderful little filly . She ’ s gray in color right now , but we believe she 11 shed out black later on . She has three full stockings , blaze , mixed tail — and can she walk ! We re just as pleased as can be with this little gal , sired by Blue Gate Farm ’ s black stallion Rodger ’ s Fire Ball-
Recently we brought home anew show horse , Sunlight Sultan , from Missouri . He ’ s a 16-hand , five-year-oH black gelding with three stockings and blaze . Hes boarded at Blue Gate for a little while until our weather gets more dependable . Although we ’ ve had him only a short time , we ’ re sure thrilled with him . Miss MARY VUCHETICH , her sister and father
rove from Brainerd , Minnesota , one very rainy recently . Mary owns a bright red sorrel pleasure walker mare named Somebody ’ s Siren and her father nas a roan mare , Graham ’ s Roan Daisy . They r ? port that there aren ’ t many Walking Horses up ir
VOICE of the Tennessee Walking Hors *