1969 Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1969 March Voice RS | Page 47

WALKIN ’ IN ARKANSAS by Joan Beasley

When one thinks of Walking Horses in our corner of the state , the name ' Gunter ’ keeps coming to mind . Dr . C . B . Gunter of Siloam Springs pioneered the showing of Walkers from our area , along with the owner of OLD GLORY and BLUE BOOGER , Gene Goff . The doctor had to quit the showring a few years ago and he had sold most of his horses when we visited him two years ago , just keeping two or three of his favorites . This man loves Walking Horses and loves to show them , so it was with some sadness that I learned during a recent telephone conversation that he has sold his last horse , MIDNIGHT MAGIC LADY , to Edward Bowen of Springdale , Arkansas . That old enthusiasm came back , however , when he very proudly told me how " his ” black filly is doing in training . That conversation led to another call to Mr . Bowen , MIDNIGHT MAGIC LADY ’ s new owner . He has two horses in training , both with George Blades at B & M Stables in Republic , Missouri . Ed is proud of SUN ’ S LUCKY BABE , a twenty-month-old sorrel stud colt by IMPALA out of MIDNIGHT ROCKAWAY . He says BABE is a real big colt with a good strong front end , and George is bringing him along nicely . MIDNIGHT SUN is grandsire on BABE ’ s topside and great-granddaddy on the distaff side , so if breeding counts — and * it does — this colt should go a long way .

However , Ed is even more enthused about MID­ NIGHT MAGIC LADY . She is a black three-year-old , the first foal by GO BOY ’ S MAGIC MAN out of MID­ NIGHT BLUE BLAZE , and was as pretty as a picture when we saw her as a yearling . Ed avers she is the loosest , showiest filly he has seen in a long time . In fact , he raved about her so much that we are making a trip to B & M Stables as soon as possible to see for ourselves !

A lady who really gets the utmost in pleasure from her horses is Mrs . Frances Lindloff of Fayetteville . She has two lovely black mares , both with dispositions like angels . PLEASURE ’ S DOLL R . B . by MIDNIGHT PLEASURE R . G . will foal in May to MIDNIGHT SUN AGAIN , the beautiful black stallion that Floyd Posenke retired from the ring at the Springfield , Missouri show last fall . Another interesting note is that DOLL , a five-year-old , was MIDNIGHT PLEASURE ’ S lastfoal before he left Missouri to go south . If Mrs . Lindloff were to show any partiality , however , it would be to ber thirteen-year-old , MADAME MIDNIGHT , affectionately called AIMEE . Upon returning from an extended trip to the Northwest last summer , Mrs . Lindloff was distraught at finding AIMEE foundered . We were all quite worried because for such a long time she improved very little . Happily she is doing just fine now . If you are driving through Fayetteville and see a very attractive , smiling , grey-haired lady on a pretty black mare going on in that good old plantation style of Tennessee Walk , you ’ ll know that it ’ s Frances Lindloff and AIMEE .

With the Rex Robrahns of Siloam Springs , horses are a family affair . Three daughters — Gerrieann , Ellen , and Susan — mother Jean and father Rex all break , ride , and train their own horses . They have been raising Walking Horses for fifteen years and during this time have had some really fine colts . The Robrahns have crossed Walkers with Shetlands to get a small gaited horse that would make a nice pleasure mount for children . Mrs . Robrahn tells me that these horses all have had good dispositions , are very intelligent , and are easily trained . Ellen has shown SUN­ BEAM , a half-Shetland , half-Walker which she raised and trained , against registered stock in local Open Shows and has tied several times in large classes .

Their top broodmare is MAID O ’ MAY by KING OF THE ALAMO out of PRINCESS ROSE ALLEN . She has produced many fine colts . One , SUN ’ S PRINCE ALLEN R ., was broken and trained as a pleasure horse by Rex for himself . PRINCE is a big seventeenhand sorrel gelding with a light mane and tail and can really travel . Ellen took him in the ring for his first time at the Fayetteville show last fall and tied third out of eighteen entries in the Pleasure Class .

The Robrahns have several young mares by MACK K ’ S BIG CHANCE and STORMY RAID . RAID was the 1965 High Point Horse in the Southwest Missouri Walking Horse Association and was Grand Champion of the 1966 Walking Horse Jubilee in Springfield . They have two two-year-old stallions that they have very high hopes for this year . MIDNIGHT KING R . is a sorrel by KING OF MIDNIGHT by MIDNIGHT SUN out of MAID O ’ MAY . PLEASURE OF THE HILLS is a chestnut by SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS out of PARADER ’ S MAID , Mrs . Robrahn ’ s pleasure mount . She is a black mare by PLEASURE ’ S PARADER out of MAID O ’ MAY . She was placed in training as a two-year-old and tied second in her only show , but was injured in a stall accident and brought home to get well , raise colts , and be ridden for pleasure . Mrs . Robrahn is thinking about entering her in a few small , near-by shows this coming season .

Clell Burnett of Bentonville is another Walking Horse enthusiast . A note to all Arkansas Razorback football fans : he ’ s also the father of former Porkers Tommy and Bobby Burnett and our current star , Bill . Mr . Burnett has two stallions of which he is justly proud . Nine-year-old BRIGHT DECISION is a grey by AIR RAID out of ALICE FAYE . This is truly a multi-purpose horse , as Mr . Burnett uses him not only for stallion service but also as a pleasure horse , a parade horse and a buggy horse ! We have many fine colts in this area by this great old stallion . FRAN ’ S SEY­ MORE is really something special to Mr . Burnett . He is truly a natural : he will walk anywhere , anyhow , any time — with or without shoes , minus weights , pads , or any other artificial aid . SEYMORE is by BRIGHT DECISION out of STORMY ROSE by SIR MAU MAC . Mr . Burnett says you couldn ’ t possibly have a more enjoyable pleasure ride than the one you get from this pretty sorrel stallion .

JIMMY HflCKETT STABLES

Thirteen-year-old sorrel mare —

• By MIDNIGHT OF 0AKW00D .

March , 1969 47