Dear Sir :
1 know just how you felt when you got the nutty letter on page 34 of your iast issue because I felt about the same way when I read Indiana Association News on page 32 .
We have a beautiful bay stud which we showed extensively last year and did well wdth ... so well that we won the IWHA -Junior Horse trophy with him — and someone forgot to include him in the listing . Enclosed is our Xmas card pictured ' him ( seeabove ) and his trophy . He was trained by Mr . K . C . Harvey at Cloverleaf Sta-1 bles at Michigan City , Ind . He is one | of 20 Walking Horses at this stable | operation . Brood mares , colts , studs , yearlings and weanlings — and all sizes . Of these , ten are in various stages of being trained . We really have a humdinger black three-yearold stud , JETS BLACK OWL , that people are going to look at , as well as LITTLE GEORGE , a four-yearold bay that we will campaign this year .
Maybe you can make us feel better again if you correct this oversight — in fact , I already feel better just thinking you will !
Yours truly , DOROTHY HARVEY Michigan City , Indiana
Dear Sir :
After just reading the new rules and regulations in February ’ s issue of VOICE , I found myself still a bit saddened as we seem to continuously overlook the true facts that plague our wonderful sport , hobby , pastime , business , or whatever category each of us may fal into , and that plague , to my way of thinking , is the trend of judging .
Let ’ s be honest about it : if it were not for our amateur and junior exhibitors , where would our horse shows be ? Who would go to see the professionals ? Sure , there would be a few people going to see Mr . Money Bags ’ horse do his stuff , but where would Uncle John , Aunt Jane , Daddy , Mama , all the kids and neighbors go ?
Now it ’ s high time we did some serious thinking on this subject . I know of several shows that have cancelled this year because of the dissatisfied exhibitors during last year ’ s show . I had the privilege (?) to attend a show last year , to be judged by one of our moreknowledgable trainers , and with much excitement as I felt this would be one of our better shows , but disappointment again as " old Buddy ” trainer won enough " blues ” to tailor himself a new blue riding habit . Let me ask a question : Why would a trainer put his profession on the line just to satisfy another trainer ? I certainly wouldn ’ t place my horse with a man with no more integrity !
Come on , horse lovers , let ’ s get together and clean up our judging as well as our horses .
JOE D . BRIGHT Helena , Alabama
Dear Sir :
I have four stallions and don ’ t need the far away from home horse religion . We good Morman ( sic ) here in California feel that we are orphans and are not inclined to purchase your stock , as we do have quality here and good action at our local shows and can beat the pants off anything you ’ ve ever sent out to compete . You have tosend " foreign ” judges out to ever get a place here .
You all are afraid to make local judges here cause you think that we ’ d steal your eyes out .
Your VOICE is just a whister ( sic ) to us .
WILLIAM J . FOX 6560 Santa Monica Blvd . Hollywood , California
Dear Mr . Fox : Your letter probably expresses the feelings of many Walking Horse enthusiasts in your part of the country . I am indeed sorry that we here in Tennessee have made such a poor impression with regard to our stock and our intentions .
THE EDITOR
Dear Sir :
Having been a VOICE subscriber since it first began , I am very much interested in every phase of the Walking Horse business . We are in desperate need of riding stock in our part of the country and I would like for some of your breeders to contact me regarding Pleasure Horses for sale . We wish to purchase at least four registered horses and will pay the price to get good " saddling ” stock . We prefer bright colors to dark and prefer mares to stallions or geldings . They should be gentle and sound and should be broke to ride . We do not want any show horse rejects with scars . Treat us right and we will buy more !
MRS . A . L . TUCKER 1310 Stanley Ardmore , Oklahoma
Dear Mrs . Tucker :
Since I am delinquent in answering your letter , I decided to print it in the hopes that some of our many readers in the West would respond . I believe you stated your case well and that you represent a market that has great potential for all of us in the Walking Horse business if we would just develop it . I hope you get
what you are looking for . Please let me know .
THE EDITOR
Dear Sir :
We were appalled and angered by the letter from An Innocent Bystander published in the February issue of the VOICE . Permit us to say what our editor was too kind to say . This character should have signed himself An Ignorant Bysstander .
We understand that the painting of MERRY LEGS F-4 was done by Victor Lallier from memory after the death of this great mare . If this crackpot enemy of the Tennessee Walking Horse would avail himself of some of the history of these lovely animals by reading publications like
72 Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse