8. What, in your opinion, makes the Tennessee Walking Horse such a great breed?
Versatility, family horse, GAIT,
wonderful trail riding horse, and good in the show ring
if that’s what you want to do.
9. How many horses do you currently have and what
are their names?
Victory Trip or Trip (now in Dr. Daniel Starnes’ name)
Rebelation or Bud (now in Jack Starnes’ name)
Larry - Sweet Dixie Delight & Liberty’s Kiss
Linda - Belle of Rocky Hill
Starnes Stables Ponies - Sassy & Goldilocks
10. Besides showing, what else do you do with your
horses?
TRAIL RIDING is FUN! Taking Horses to School and
Promoting the Just Say WHOA to Drinking, Drugs
and Bad Decisions program. TWH Clinics, especially
Obstacle Trail & Showmanship. Playing Parelli Games.
11. I know that you’ve done a ton to promote the
breed, what are some of the events in
which you’ve participated?
Breyerfest TWH Breed Demonstration, Parade of
Breeds Kentucky Horse Park, Preschool Horse & Pony
Playdays for 15 years, Equine Affaire, Equitana, FFA
Field Days & 4H events, Horse & Pony Rides, Mammoth Cave Equine Trail Riders Association Benefit
Trail Rides, Mammoth Cave Back Country Horsemen
Benefit Trail Ride/Obstacle Course, Fiona Rose Foundation/Rendezvous Benefit Trail Rides, Governor’s
Speech in Edmonson County where Governor
Steve Beshear rode Traveling Time, Black Stallion Literacy Project, Parelli Rendezvous and Tour Stops with
Traveling Time, All Youth Day at the Celebration a lot
of times, and the International Open House.
12. What are the names and ages of each of your
grandkids?
John and his wife Annie have Jack Alexander Starnes,
age 6 and Andrew Lane Starnes, age 2 along with a
baby girl due in June.
Dan and his wife Catherine, have Hannah Catherine
Starnes, age 2 and another child due in October.
13. What are your horserelated goals for the future?
Linda - Level 4 in all 4 Savvys (Parelli) with a Tennessee Walking Horse.
Larry - Take care of Linda, trail ride more and show less.
Linda & Larry - Help GRANDKIDS and all youth be
involved with Tennessee Walking Horses.
14. How long have you been members of WHOA?
Larry’s Dad Howard was involved when WHOA
formed. Not sure how long we have been members, I
think we’ve been members since 1990.
15. What is it about WHOA that keeps you involved?
Commitment to the breed, Versatility and Youth.
16. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Linda - The Tennessee Walking Horse has had a huge
impact on my life from a very young age. My Mom and
Dad were Kentuckians- met at University of Kentucky/
Transylvania. Mom had family from Cumberland
County, KY and Dad was from Henry County. Dad
was a navigator in the Air Force. He went to Vietnam
in the fall of 1967 and was killed on Mothers Day, May
12, 1968. It was a terrible time for sure - for our nation
and our family. Mom chose to go to work in Burkesville as a social worker because we had family there
and as a single mother in a time where that wasn’t
done much- the town/family supported her.
Mr. Owsley Young added me into his horse training/
showing world with Tennessee Walking Horses from
1969- 1971. He took time to make a difference in the
life of a child - it was a difficult time and Tennessee
Walking Horses made it better. He had a brood of his
own, but still found time to help me learn to ride.
Our family eventually moved to Bowling Green, KY
for a “better” job for Mom and the pony I had been
riding stayed in Burkesville. I was crushed. That’s when
we started looking for and found my own Tennessee
Walking Horse. I started in the show ring world and
met Larry, his parents, Howard and Margaret, and his
sister Anne. I was friends with them before Larry and
I even looked at each other. Then we started noticing
each other as more than just friends. So we did get to
marry our childhood sweethearts!
Every time I try to help a child- make a positive difference through horses - it goes back to Owsley Young
and that period of life when horses - especially Tennessee Walking Horses - made me believe I could make it
through that difficult time. He took the time to make a
difference in the life of a child.
I’d also like to thank a few people. Versatility with
the Tennessee Walking Horse is synonymous with Sis
Osborne. Her involvement with my boys, her support, and the goals she encouraged them to set and
accomplish are a big part of why they are now Dr. John
Starnes and Dr. Dan Starnes. Additionally, special
thanks to the rest of the WHOA crew including Tommy Hall, Dee Dee Miller, and David Pruett.
7