and see if anybody is there ,” Lonny said . As Joe turned and headed toward the house , Lonny said to himself , It s hard to believe that some of the great Walking Horses were stabled here .” He couldn ’ t help but recall the time that his uncle had brought him over here to see old MERRY TOM F-10 . " What a horse ,” he thought . " I bet he could carry a man from here to Nashville and back in the running walk .” As his thoughts wandered , he slowly walked inside the rickety old barn and looked around . An ancient horsedrawn disc harrow lay in the far corner of a dark stall , and old barrels and tack were scattered around . On the wall was an array of dusty old calendars and posters . Lonny was completely absorbed in his thoughts when he was startled by a shadow in the doorway . A gruff voice said , " What you doin ’ in here , boy ?” Lonny wheeled around to see a big , burly , red-headed man in his fifties standing in front of him . " Why , uh , I ’ m looking for Mister Waldow , the caretaker ,” he said . " I just wanted to pick up ... ” The big man broke into his explanation , saying , " OF man Waldow died and this is my place now , so I ’ ll thank you to git .” Lonny smiled and said , " Well , I ’ ll just do that , when I get my broodmares .” Spitting tobacco juice into a corner , the man put his thumb in the bib of his overalls and said , " Thar ain ’ t no mares around here that I know of ,” and turned toward the door to leave .
Lonny jumped in front of him and said , " What do you mean , there aren ’ t any broodmares around here ? I ’ ve had two good mares here all summer and I want ' em now .” The big man squared up his shoulders and looked at Lonny with a mean squint in his crusty eye and said , " You heard me , boy ... I got this property now and there ain ’ t no mares around here . Now you and that nigger better get off my land before I throw you off .”
Little Joe had been listening from the doorway , and when he heard the tone of voice that the man used , he turned and headed for the truck . Lonny paused a minute and followed him . He grabbed the door handle and as he got in he turned to the man and said , " I ’ m going to find out what happened to those mares , mister , and they better be in good shape .” The man just looked at them as they drove out of the corral and spit as far as he could toward them , with a slight grin on his face . " What you gonna do , Mista Lonny ?” Joe asked when they reached the highway . Lonny answered slowly , " I don ’ t know , Joe . I really don ’ t know .”
FOLLOWUP ARTICLE ON 1967 CELEBRATION
The response to our September 5th Annual " Parade of Champions ” Edition of the VOICE has been most gratifying . We look forward to our readers ’ comments regarding the magazine , pro or con , and gain a great deal of information from many of them .
There are several points of interest regarding the 1967 Celebration which we did not bring out in the
September issue that we would like to emphasize at this time . In particular our coverage of the Championship Stake class was somewhat limited . This was unintentional and we in no way intended to take anything away from any of the fine horses and trainers who participated in this class . The cover story was devoted to GO BOY ’ S SUN DUST and Doug Wolaver , but there were a number of horses in this same class that deserve mention for their outstanding performances in the ring .
The Celebration followed an unusual procedure in the Championship Stake this year of calling out the winners in reverse order , and when the field narrowed down to the top five the tension in the stands and in the ring was at a peak .
The fifth place ribbon went to Hershel Talley on DUKE ’ S HANDYMAN after a strong performance , particularly in the running walk . This horse always gives a good account of himself whether in the Celebration or at a one-night horse show . He has the tools to get the job done , as his high placement at the Celebration illustrates .
The number four ribbon went to GO BOY ’ S CHAT TERBOX and Bud Seaton . This beautiful bay stud was one of the pre-show favorites based on his magnificent performance at the Columbia Spring Jubilee . However , he never really got in top form at the Celebration despite all of Bud ’ s efforts to straighten him out . A top horse has to be doing a lot in all three gaits , and when he is off just a little , it is very noticeable . CHATTERBOX gave a very creditable performance but he was capable of much more . This simply means that he will be back and that is bad news for his competition . Tying third was the ever-popular JOHNNY MID NIGHT with young and talented Mack Motes in the irons . This big black stud has the ability to thrill the crowd and her certainly did not let anyone down this year . He may be back next year .
The reserve World ’ s Grand Champion of the 1967 Celebration was MR . GLO and Elmore Brock . Many of the fans thought that this great stud was one of the most natural horses to hit the ring in years . Elmore gave him an excellent ride and almost pulled one of the biggest upsets in a long time . This horse has too much ability to be tied second very often . Keep your eyes on this top team . This year ’ s show was a big success from all standpoints and this is a tribute to the wonderful management of the " Celebration Team .”
Particular praise is in store for Mr . Bill Tune , President of the Celebration , and Sam Gibbons , General Manager of the show . The experience and work that these two gentlemen donate every year to the show are taken for granted by most observers but they are no doubt essential to the success of the show .
Emmett Guy , the premiere horse show announcer , and Jimmy Richardson , MR . Horse Show Organist , did their usual outstanding jobs in the middle of the ring . The names of these two fine gentlemen have become synonymous with the Celebration .
Behind the scenes doing the work that everyone else leaves is the dedicated office staff of the Celebration . Headed by Mrs . Kathryn Potts , this workhungry crew deserves a big blue for their efforts .
October , 1967 19