“Tell a gelding, Ask a stallion,
Discuss it with a Mare!”
“You don’t scare me,
I ride a mare!”
agnificent
ares
As
horse enthusiasts, we’ve all
probably seen versions of
the above phrases on t-shirts,
in magazines, or on social media. Mares
have a reputation. Those who love them
say they’re just opinionated and dramatic.
Those who don’t say they’re just witchy...
or another word that rhymes with witchy.
No matter how each of us personally feels
about working with them, we do have to
agree that throughout the history of our
breed there have been some truly great
mares.
enthusiasts the world over. Their names
are now legendary.
Prior to 1955, one-third of all horses
that won the World Grand Championship
at the Celebration were mares. These
First Ladies of the show ring were talented breed ambassadors that walked their
way into the hearts of early walking horse
As a two year old, she won her class at
the the very first Celebration. In 1940 and
1941 she won the grand championship at
the LeBonheur Horse Show in Memphis,
Tennessee. Also in 1941, she walked to
the Tennessee State Fair grand champion-
s
30 • Walking On
Melody Maid - 1942
World Grand Champion
Tennessee Walking Horse
The first mare to claim our breed’s
ultimate title, Melody Maid was by the
great Wilson’s Allen and out of Topsy Kidd. She was bred by J. L. Kidd of
Morrison, Tennessee, and was foaled
at the renowned Oakwood Stables in
Fayetteville, Tennessee.
ship. The following year she claimed the
top title at the Lexington Junior League
Show.
All of these titles and trophies were
mere preparation for her owners’ ultimate
goal, the World Grand Championship at
the Celebration. The mare, directed by
Floyd Carothers, did not disappoint.
Retired soon after the 1942 Celebration,
Melody Maid became a highly valuable
brood mare, passing along her show ring
presence and famous nodding walk.
Black Angel - 1943
World Grand Champion
Tennessee Walking Horse
A sparkling black mare, Black Angel
won her title on a muddy Sunday after-
noon at a Celebration delayed multiple
times by harrowing weather. In the irons
was a young Winston Wiser, directing his
very first world grand champion.
Bred by Fannie Bramblett of Wartrace,
Tennessee, she was by Merry Boy and out
of Nell Bramblett. The first world grand
champion owned outside the state of
Tennessee, at the time of her title she was
the property of Mr. and Mrs. R. F. Ellis of
Orrville, Alabama.
In October of 1943 she was sold to Mr.
and Mrs. W. B. Yancey of Blissful Farms
in Marianna, Arkansas. Her price was
rumored to be the highest ever paid for
a Tennessee Walking Horse at that time.
S. W. Beech, Jr., of Belfast, Tennessee, was
the trainer at Blissful Farms and he and
Black Angel proved to be a formidable
team at shows throughout the south.
The mare continued under the tutelage
of Beech through ownership transfers
that included Mr. and Mrs. David Moreton
and Knial Kissee. The popular team won
the championship at the Chicago Horse
Show in 1946 and retired the Mona
Lorenzo Memorial Challenge Trophy
at Jackson, Mississippi, following three
straight champion stake victories.
Following retirement Black Angel
found success as a brood matron. When
she was bred to Midnight Sun she once
again made history as the first World
Grand Champion to have a colt sired by
another World Grand Champion.
City Girl - 1944
World Grand Champion
Tennessee Walking Horse
After winning four championships in
four states within four weeks in 1943,
City Girl was widely acclaimed as a show
horse. She came to the 1944 Celebration
as one of the favorites to win it all. However, in the aged mares preliminary she
placed a disappointing fourth. It was so
disappointing that the mare’s owner at
the time, M. J. Myer, decided to leave
the Celebration prior to the world grand
championship class. His departure was
definitely premature and he missed out
on seeing his mare win the title.
ings, a bald face, and a mixed mane and
tail, Midnight Merry was trained and
shown by Steve Hill of Beech Grove, Tennessee. As a three year old she won seven
show grand championships on her way to
the ultimate victory. She eventually won
106 straight blue ribbons before being
defeated by Old Glory’s Big Man at the
1950 Celebration.
City Girl was another daughter of
the great sire, Wilson’s Allen. She was
out of Una Starnes and her breeder was
L. W. Starnes of Decherd, Tennessee. As
a foal, she was purchased by Frank Rambo of Oakwood Acres in Fayetteville,
Tennessee. Rambo sold City Girl to Myer
in April of 1944 and bought her back in
September of 1945.
Sold in May of 1950 to W. M. Duncan
of Inverness, Mississippi, she was later
acquired by Wade Moody of Mr. Airy,
North Carolina, where she continued to
show successfully into the mid 1950s.
Much of City Girl’s success in the last
class of the 1944 Celebration was credited to her trainer Urban Small, Jr. It was
said that he gave her a “fabulous ride”
and some remarked that it was the finest
ride they had ever witnessed in any show
ring, anywhere. So great and memorable
was their rapport that when Mr. Rambo
decided to disperse his Tennessee Walking
Horse herd several years later he gave
City Girl to Small to be his very own.
The last mare to win our breed’s ultimate
accolade, White Star was a snow-white
mare sired by Sir Maugray and out of
Crain’s Merry Legs. She was raised and
trained at Willow Oak Acres in Prescott,
Arkansas, and was shown under that banner until December of 1953. At that point
she was