LETTERS
EDITOR ’ S NOTE : We prim the follow ing letter from Mr . Gordon H . Wilder of Lexington . Kentucky . Mr . Wilder is highly respected for his theories about breeding and we fell his opinions would be of value and interest to our readers .
Dear Bruce :
I was especially interested in your article , " A Lot to Talk About ,” in the April VOICE . I think it was very timely . However , I am unable to go along with you in the order and emphasis you place in breeding , nor can I agree with the advice you gave , and I quote : " If a colt has the
ability and the conformation , regardless of his breeding , he should definitely be given a chance at showring stardom .”
I firmly believe Walking Horse breeding should be approached in this order , but not necessarily the order of importance : ( 1 ) Pedigree ; ( 2 ) Natural inherited walking ability ;
and ( 3 ) Conformation and bloom .
( 1 ) We have to have a starting point in breeding , and this should be the pedigree , the official ancestral history of the animal . A further study and investigation of this ancestral history can give us what we should expect in inherited natural walking ability in breeding this strain and these individuals .
( 2 ) From this breeding and from these crosses we can select for future breeding those individuals which show the most natural inherited walking ability . As a consequence , we can then expect the best results in showring competition , especially under the new rules of training and showing and judging , which finally brings in proper prospective natural inherited walking ability .
( 3 ) We have now reached the point in our selective breeding where we can choose from ( 2 ) for future breeding those individuals that show the best conformation and bloom . The Irish Setter people have approached their breeding from the point of conformation by greatly emphasizing Bench Show winners in their crosses . As a consequence , they have developed a bunch of dogs with
76 practically no field ability any more . My foxhound friends are following somewhat along the same lines in putting emphasis on Bench Show winners ( conformation ), and could well end up with foxhounds that can ’ t follow a fox scent . By overemphasis in our breeding to Walking Horse stallions that have made their showring stardom from man-made gaits alone , we could end up with horses that have had their inherited natural walking ability bred out of them .
Getting back to your " advice .” In the history of all breeding it is an established fact that ' freaks ’ do occur . The ' freaks ’ in our Walking Horse breeding are those horses with good conformation and apparent ability , but without background inheritance for natural walking ability . With manmade gaits these ' freaks ’ canbecome champions . Breeders fall over backwards to breed to a champion without due concern for the ancestral record as to inherited natural walking ability . Naturally , disappointment and frustration follow . It is hard enough to breed champions in any field under the best proven scientific and heredity programs , which certainly behooves us in the Walking Horse field to limit and upgrade our
breeding .
I am a firm believer in selective line-breeding , limited to superior animals and proven bloodlines . I chose MIDNIGHT SUN as the proven prepotent sire whose blood I wanted to concentrate on and around . I am breeding carefully chosen MID NIGHT SUN mares to top sons of MIDNIGHT SUN .
" The proof of the pudding is in the eating .” My proof , which I offer with
pardonable pride as exhibit 1 , is the good 3-year-old mare , DELIGHT ’ S ELKHORN ANN , that I bred and sold to Mr . and Mrs . J . P . Gracy of Fayetteville , Tenn . as a two-yearold . Bob Reid has shown her very successfully as a 2- and 3-year-old under the nameofDELIGHT ’ S ANN . You speak highly of her under Barnstorming in May VOICE . Emma Gray also refers to her in May VOICE . This fine young mare is by SUN ’ S DELIGHT and out of my top young line-bred MIDNIGHT SUN mare , SUN ’ S MARY MILLER with 62 */ 2 % MIDNIGHT SUN blood . I like her so well I gave her my wife ’ s name .
Exhibit 2 is a beautiful two-yearold stallion I recently turned over to Wallace Brandon to bring along slowly in training . His name is ELK- HORN ’ S DUKE . He is by my young breeding stallion SUN ’ S MIDNIGHT DUKE out of my fme young MID NIGHT SUN mare , SUN ’ S CHOICE LADY E . Her dam is line-bred SAM
ALLEN . This colt was bred to walk , he came here walking , and he continues to walk . He is a model colt , and is said by many to be the best looking and most natural walking colt in the country . He is the epitome
of what I started out to accomplish in a small way a short few years ago .
Bruce , I have gone into much detail in my effort to put over to you a
theory of breeding I believe to be logical and sound , as I know you are in position to exert great influence with our breeders . We are both dedicated to the betterment of the breed , that is for sure , tho we may approach it from different viewpoints .
Very sincerely , GORDON H . WILDER Lexington , Kentucky
EDITOR ’ S NOTE : The following letterwas so informative and interesting that we thought our readers would be pleased to read it also . Mr . Pfister expres ses a keen interest in the breed and his efforts to maintain top stock and participate on a high levc are inspirational . Thank you , Mr . Pfister !
Gentlemen :
You will be happy to hear that Louisiana Walking Horse Associ ; tion has been formed in order to e ; courage the increasing interest i the breed in this state . It is the ir tention of our group to furnish ir formation about the breed and L . make magazines such as yours available to those who have been exposed to it . We will also have on file in the Association office information about each stallion , its owner or owners
and the facilities offered by them . We also hope to have surveys made as to what stallions are crossing good with what mares . These and many other ideas which we have
will all tend to promote the best idea yet , " Breed the best you have to the best you can find .”
You will also be happy to hear that I have recently purchased the World ’ s Champion mare , SHADOW ’ S DANCER , for a brood mare . She presently has a SUN ’ S BLACK LA BEL colt by her side and is safe in foal to CARBON COPY . She has the most natural back end of any Walking Horse I have ever seen and , fortunately , she passes it on to her colt . Jimmy Waddell is breaking a full sister to the BLACK LABEL colt this fall . I also have recently purchased a full sister to SUN ’ S JET PARADE by MIDNIGHT SUN and out of MERRY SUE by MERRY BOY , second dam by GIOVANNI . This big , black mare has the most beautiful SUN ’ S DELIGHT filly I have ever seen in my life and she is bred back to SUN ’ S DELIGHT .
I also have in my stables an excellent yearling GO BOY filly out of
( Continued on page 81 ) Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse