1967-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1967 November Voice RS | Page 32

(Mr. Fred Lesh, Little 3 Ranch, Doe Run, Missouri
was kind enough to share a most memorable pleasure
trail ride with the VOICE readers. Thank you, Mr.
Lesh. I hope your article encourages other readers to
send us their Pleasure Walking Horse experiences.)
On several occasions during the summer, my trail­
riding Tennessee Walking Horse friends had discussed
the possibility of having a trail ride for pleasure Walk­
ing Horses only. This idea became bigger and more
enthusiastic every time some of us Walking Horse
owners got together.
One summer evening during a rest period from
training two Walking Horse fillies, my young helper
and neighbor Beverly Santens asked, "When are we
going to have this Walking Horse Round-Up?" "That
hasn’t been decided yet, but 'Walking Horse Round-
Up’ would be a good name for this trail ride," I
replied.
After hashing the idea around on several occasions
the decision was made to hold the first annual Ozark
Tennessee Walking Horse Round-Up here at the "Lit­
tle 3 Ranch.” Being an ardent Walking Horse owner
myself, I was not hard to convince that this was the
proper place. The one-day affair was set for Sunday,
October 15.
My wife, Mary, suggested that we have an old-
fashioned barbecue and basket dinner at the "Little
3 Hide-away Park.” Betty Santens, a local "school-
marm” and a true lover of Walking Horses, volunteer­
ed to do the barbecuing, and I admit that the results
of her efforts are a gourmet’s delight.
Five years ago there were scarcely any registered
Tennessee Walking Horses in St. Francois County.
One could find Saddlebred and Quarter horses in
abundance, with a sprinkling of Appaloosas and Mor­
gans. With the advent of trail riding a few Walkers
began to trickle in, and it was not long until they
began to establish themselves as a favorite. Owners
of the rougher-riding breeds were soon asking the
lucky Walking Horse owners, "What kind of a horse
is that you’re riding, mister?" with the added state­
ment, "He sure looks smooth!" Of course this con­
versation usually led to the owner’s asking his new
friend to ride his mount. As a result the number of
Tennessee Walkers have grown rapidly among trail
riders.
Here in St. Francois and adjoining counties, we have
some of the roughest, as well as the most beautiful,
Ozark Mountains to be found. Our Tennessee Walkers,
when properly shod, have proven to be among the
finest, if not the best, in exploring these scenic trails.
The Walking Horse is both cautious and careful in
negotiating his way along ledges and among boulders.
Just west of Doe Run we have a range of granite
mountains. Four of the major ones are Buck, Bald,
Big Stono and Little Stono. Bald is the roughest of
the lot (more about Bald later). Those of us who live
nearby think nothing of riding our best Walking Hor­
ses to the top of any of them. They have proven
themselves good trail horses over rough terrain as
well as on smooth footing.
The past summer has been an ideal one for trail
riding here in southeast Missouri. The rainfall has
been above normal, which kept the foliage lush and
beautiful in preparation for Autumn’s parade of colors.
October finally came with its bright blue weather
32
and crisp air. Jack Frost soon followed, covering ev­
erything with blankets of white. We were suddenly
made aware that Fall was here.
Sunday morning, October 15 arrived with a gentle
breeze blowing from the southwest. Just before day­
break I made my way to the barn to feed the horses.
I was greeted at the entrance with a neigh from my
favorite stallion and trail-riding horse, MAJORWALK-
EN BOY. When I flipped on the light switch, there
were seven other Walking Horse heads protruding
from their stalls asking for their grain.
As I returned from doing my barn chores, I noticed
a great grey cloud bank hanging low over the western
horizon. The weatherman had predicted rain late dur­
ing the day. For awhile it seemed that right might
arrive early and spoil the say, but the sun soon
came up over the horizon and a beautiful day was in
the making.
After breakfast I again returned to the stables to
start grooming and saddling five Walkers for the
Round-Up Trail Ride. I had just finished saddling my
first horse when a truck drove up to the loading
dock. It was Charles Sherrill and his son Johnnie
from Flat River, Missouri. They had brought their
beautiful three-year-old roan sorrel gelding, LITTLE
MAJOR. Charles greeted me by saying, "I didn’t
want to miss anything so I came early." This seemed
to be the spirit of everyone, as trucks and trailers
kept rolling in bearing Walking Horses, riders and
baskets of food. By eight o’clock some fifty riders and
their families from four counties had assembled at
the "Little 3 Hide-away Park."
Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse