1938 Article from The Pittsburgh Press

Hunter's Allen F-10

*First printed in Tennessee Walking Horse Magazine, 1945

by Burt Hunter

  I appreciate the opportunity of telling the story of my sorrel stallion, Hunter's Allen F-10 that we called Little Allen. I rode him for many years and he was just as supple, with as quick an ear and the same gait as when a three, four or five year old. At the age of 16 to 20, he was as grand a saddle horse as ever lived, regardless of his years. Little Allen is a family tradition, appreciating as we did the great foals that he gave to the Tennessee Walking Horse world, and we point with pride the fact that in the first two volumes of the Tennessee Walking Horse Stud Books, through his numerous progeny, his name is comparable with any sire.

  The great mares that were sired by Little Allen were no disappointment to their owners, as they, in turn, produced performers of great ability and value, and they were highly appraised by all judges. We call attention to the fact that champion Midnight Sun, the first stallion ever to win the World Grand Championship at the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, is a great grandson, through his dam, by Dement's Allen, by Hunter's Allen F-10.

  In advanced years, there was not a pimple or blemish that could be found on this great stallion and no horse ever lived that traveled thousands of miles, under saddle with a better foot or set of limbs. I never knew him to stumble or even tip his toe. He had the wind of a fox and he could actually walk around eight miles an hour in perfect form. His canter was perfect with a flat foot walk that was straight and fast.

  At the time we purchased Hunter's Allen F-10, he was called Allen II, Little Allen and Walker's Allen.

  He made his first show at the Tennessee State Fair in 1912, winning the class for the best Walking Stallion, any age. He repeated this performance in the same class in 1913. In 1916 he won the Stallion Class and then came back to win the Walking Horse Championship, Stallion, Mare or Gelding. He won the Stallion Class again in 1917 at the Tennessee State Fair. He was not shown again until 1924 (at 18 years of age) when he won the Stallion Class again at the State Fair. He won, all told, the Stallion Classes at this last court of resort five times.

  In 1926, at the age of 20, Fred Walker, who had trained and shown Hunter's Allen F-10 in his younger years, wanted to show him again at the Bedford County Fair, Shelbyville, Tennessee. There he defeated his famous show son, Brown Allen, a recognized stallion of today, also Bud Allen, who was rated among the best. It seemed the old show horse realized he must show up the young tribe and especially his son, brown Allen in a contest that the "old timers" still recall as one of the greatest stallion classes ever witnessed.

  His get left a great record in show performances, his sons and daughters winning a the Tennessee State Fair, including the Tennessee Walking Horse Stake in 1920, 1921, 1922, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1932 and 1933. This  achievement has not been surpassed by any living stallion.

  He sired the famous show mare, Mary Allen, owned and shown by Z.R. Pickens, Bell Buckle, Tennessee. She won both the Junior and Senior Stakes, Tennessee State Fair. He also sired the famous mare, Queen, owned by Dr. R.B. Berry, Lewisburg, Tennessee, who won the Junior Stake, and was a full sister to Mary Allen. He was the sire of the grand old mare that passed away this year (1945), Old Hunter, owned and developed by Ed Jones, Lewisburg, Tennessee, also winner of the Junior Stake. One of his famous daughters, Lady Turner, 26 years of age in 1945, was the first mare that ever defeated the renowned performer, Merry Legs F-4. Other outstanding daughters of the old sire must include the great mare Springtime, owned by Z.R. Pickens, Bell Buckle. She was undefeated in open classes or stakes at all shows for one season. At the close of the show season she was sold to a new owner in New York, topping all known prices at the time of her sale. She was a full sister to Orr's Hal Allen, owned by Newton Orr, Farmington, Tennessee and he also made many shows as a three and four year old.

  Perhaps the most outstanding son of Hutner's allen F-10 as a show stallion was Brown Allen, who was owned and shown by J.F. Womack of Flat Creek, Tennessee; he was campaigned throughout Middle Tennessee by Fred Walker, winning Stallion and Gelding classes and many stakes, showing one entire season without defeat.

  Mary Allen, daughter of Hunter's allen developed into a great broodmare, producing Greater Glory by Wilson's allen, the Junior Champion Stake winner at the Shelbyville Celebration in 1941. owned and shown by Col J.H. Haynes, Springhill, Tennessee.

  The late A.M. Dement, owner and breeder of the celebrated mare Merry Legs F-4, bred her to Hunter's allen F-10 and produced the proven sire, Last Chance, who was also one of the greatest two-year-old stallions of his time and was successfully shown throughout the season by the late Floyd Carothers. Mr. Dement stated to me that he believed Merry Legs crossed better with Hunter's Allen F-10 than with any stallion she was ever bred to. Two of the foals by Hunter's Allen F-10, out of Merry Legs died as yearlings. Last Chance is also a producer of top walking and show horses including Tommy Tell, undefeated two year old, and there were other sons and daughters of equal importance. The records of the TWHBA disclose a total of 49 registered stallion offspring of Hunter's Allen foaled up to 1933 with many others being recorded since that year.

Another great producing matron by Hunter's Allen F-10 was Ella II, dam of Hall Allen; also Minnie Black , the dam of the famous mare Maude Gray, one of the recognized all-time producing mares of the breed. Another famous granddaughter is Lynnie Gray, by Neal's Allen, out of Maude Gray. She was Grand Champion Stake winner at the Tennessee State Fair, 1938, also winner the same year of the Junior and Senior Stake at the Kentucky State Fair.

  Allow me to refer to Hunter's Allen's breeding ability for reproducing the perfect gaits of the Tennessee Walking Horse; meaning from  young foals to those fully matured. The winner of the first Futurity, held at the Tennessee State Fair, was a weanling filly shown by Jim Farrar, out of a Hunter's Allen F-10 mare. Dr. W.F. Fessey won the Futurity Championship with a filly out of Mary Lou, by Hunter's Allen F-10. His great-grandson, Arkansas rambler is by Neal's Allen, and Tennessee Rambler by Brown Allen, a grandson, were outstanding performers in Mississippi, West Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri.

Hato Benito by Milky Way Allen by Golden Sunshine with the dam Nell Hightower, a Hunter's Allen mare, was shipped to Puerto Rico as a walking two year old as head stud on a large sugar plantation with 400 horses under saddle every day. He was the first Tennessee Walking Horse exported after the TWHBA was organized.

Through public and private sales, the blood of Hunter's allen F-1- has been distributed wherever the Tennessee Walking Horse had gone, including many of his famous sons and equally-as-good daughters. They have found their way into some of the greatest bands of brood matrons and stallions in the country. They are highly appraised today by small and large breeders everywhere. 

  The get of Hunter's Allen F-10 have been in continuous demand since his death, January 15, 1932, by breeders who saw the prepotency of the old stallion and the fact that he could produce the true gaits of the Tennessee Walking Horse. His career as a show horse of top rank and perhaps on of the greatest all-time pleasure mounts of the breed, with abundant stamina and gameness, carried him successfully through long years of active service, participating in the best shows of the day and winning his last championship when 20 years of age at Shelbyville. No other stallion of the breed can surpass his years of usefulness, and when he passed away, his conformation was that of a horse not over eight or nine, unblemished, with all the gameness he possessed as a youngster.

  I believe the records will sustain me in the statement that only two sons of the renowned allen F-1 have ever shown male progeny in the Stud Books of the TWHBA. They are Hunter's Allen F-10 and Roan Allen F-38. There are several outstanding producing mares by Allan F-1 that show progeny in the first and second volumes. Of course, they are further removed at this time.

  Yes, we are proud of the record of Hunter's Allen F-10 and the good name that he has helped to mold, with his blood passing on for the benefit of the Tennessee Walking Horse tribe. Those who seek and know the Tennessee Walking Horse as we how have them developed, can appreciate, I hope, the contribution that this great stallion has made.

  Let me wish for the entire fraternity who love, own, show and develop the Tennessee Walking Horse every success as breeders. In the years to come, we hope, in turning the pages of breed history, they will reflect on the achievements and progeny this great sire of the breed has left for all.

LBJ & Lady B.

This footage from 1964 shows President Lyndon Baines Johnson and Vice President Hubert Humphrey celebrating their 1964 election victory with a "press barbecue" at the LBJ Ranch. Johnson and Vice President elect Humphrey are mounted on horses for a photo opportunity.  Johnson is riding his own Tennessee Walking Horse named "Lady B." after his wife.  The mare was a gift from his friend, Tennessee Governor Buford Ellington. Johnson and Humphrey are joined by Lady Bird, Muriel Humphrey, and John and Nellie Connally at the Ranch and are seated in a cart talking to press. Because of rainy weather, the barbecue was held in the ranch's plane hangar, which was decorated to look like a barn. Journalist Dan Rather is shown in the crowd of reporters.

July Photo of the Month

Merry Wilson & Steve Hill

1946 National Horseman Article

by Cap'n Flagg

Skyrocketing to fame and fortune in just a few years, the Tennessee Walking Horse in this issue of The National Horseman, enjoys the spotlight again, and rightly so. As you turn the pages to admire the pictures and read the stories of what in many ways is a Cinderella horse, it is interesting to recall that only seven years ago a photographer from Life magazine turned up in Shelbyville, Tennessee. Tom Tune of that city, well-known horseman and trainer, rigged up a tractor and drove it behind a Tennessee Walking Horse while the photographer shot pictures of over-reaching hoofprints on the damp ground. Eventually pictures of these hoofprints with others appeared as a double spread in Life.

I read that story and two weeks later stopped at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where Dick Womack, horse and mule dealer, had a big barn full of Walking Horses. I rode several and was offered a beautiful pair of matched blacks for $600. I don't know what those horses would sell for today, but a good Tennessee Walker runs into five figures, and they are hard to find.

It was only a year or two before the Life story appeared that local horsemen at Flat Creek, just a few miles out of Shelbyville, one Saturday afternoon roped off a wide place in the road and staged a horse show. A horse by the name of Dan won a prize which could have been a sack of flour or a can of coffee. Cash prizes were not common. Dan's owner sold the horse to the late Col. Haynes of Haynes Haven Stock Farms, Spring Hill, for something like $375. It might have been a little more or less. When the deal was made the owner said to Col. Haynes, "You are paying too much for old Dan." The colonel changed Dan's name to Haynes Peacock. He became world's champion twice and earned the colonel large prizes.

Today, Walking Horse champions, when they can be bought, run into real money, three, four, five or even more, thousand dollars. This increase has occurred in a very few years. Probably no breed of horse has ever had as much publicity as the Walking Horse has had in the past six years. I've often thought that the breeders of Tennessee Walking Horses should be eternally grateful for that first big break they got in a national magazine of general and news circulation. Whoever said that "one good picture is worth more than a thousand words," certainly spoke the truth.

Driving south from Shelbyville and through the heart of the Tennessee Walking Horse country, you frequently pass pretty little crossroads churches with wide front porches. I did not know until recently why those churches should have been built with verandas such as you see on some Tennessee farm houses. George Walker, horseman and trainer and formerly of Wartrace, Tennessee, explained them to me. "In the old days everyone from grandma and grandpa on down to the kids rode a horse to church. After service the women and children would sit comfortably on the porch while the menfolks would stage a little horse show in front of the grandstand. Yes, they'd even swap horses and make deals and it wasn't considered wrong or bad. Frequently the preacher would be the judge. You see, in Tennessee for a hundred years or more our horses have been almost a religion with us."

Today Tennessee Walking Horses are still a religion, but they are also a big business. How big no one can say. There's one thing I can personally say for the Tennessee Walking Horse and I have ridden western stock, gaited horses and occasionally, jumpers. The Walking Horse is a safe, easy, rocking chair ride. Most of the horses have fine temperaments and many can still be worked on farm wagons, plows and hayricks as they did back in plantation days.

Wartrace Horse Show by Gilbert M. Orr

1941 Life Magazine Article

The Tennessee Walking Horse, a native American breed, has made its home in the Central Basin of Tennessee, within a 50-mile radius of the city of Shelbyville, for more than a hundred years. It originated in the need of small Tennessee farmers for a multi-purpose animal---one which had sufficient stamina for farm work, which was docile enough for the children to ride to school, and smart-looking enough to hitch up to a buggy on Sundays. Experimentation and cross-breeding of a number of celebrated strains produced a horse which many authorities today consider the easiest-riding saddle horse in existence.

  The Tennessee Walking Horse averages around 15 1/2 hands (62 inches) high, and weighs from 1,000 to 1,200 lb.  It can be almost any color. It is short in the back, deep in body and chest, with a long graceful neck. Its principal characteristic, however, is a gait in which the front feet take relatively short, almost mincing steps while the hind feet take long, graceful strides. The result is an illusion that the hind feet are catching up with the front feet.

  The fame of the Tennessee Walking Horse has spread far from his native pastures. Eleanor Roosevelt, Paul Whiteman and Don Ameche are famous owners. Gene Autry's trick horse, "Champion Jr." is a Tennessee Walking Horse. To publicize the virtues of the Tennessee Walking Horse even more, breeders last month staged a celebration at Shelbyville with parades, barbecues and a Queen's Ball as sideshows to a super horse show in which 400 Tennessee Walking Horses participated. Ten thousand visitors came from other States. The Tennessee Walking Horse was well on its way to becoming an All-American horse.

In the picture above, two experts examine the tracks left by a champion Tennessee Walking Horse, Greater Glory of Hayne's Haven Stables, Spring Hill, Tenn., to measure the difference between her hind-foot and front-foot steps in the running walk. Average step with her front feet was 42 1/2 in., with her hind feet 67 in., making an overstep of 24 1/2 in.

  In the running walk (6-8 m.p.h.) the Tennessee Walking Horse starts with a diagonally opposed flat-footed movement.  As it gains speed the hind foot oversteps the front track from a few inches up to Greater Glory's 24 1/2 in.  This produces a sensation of gliding, considered one of riding's rarest thrills. It is a natural gait.

  The Tennessee Walking Horse easily learns from his trainer how to do the slower flat-foot walk, and the faster canter. In the former gait, the horse's diagonally-opposed feet move in unison in a two-measure beat in one-two order. The canter is a "refined gallop" with a rocking-chair motion.

1944 Celebration Program