Go Boy Again Jigsaw Puzzle

The Foundation Sire: Roan Allen F-38

Roan Allen F-38 and J.R. Brantley

*Editor's Note:  Reprinted from the April, 1945 Tennessee Walking Horse Magazine

by J.R. Brantley

in collaboration with J.J. Murray and Rachel Hosey

PEDIGREE

Roan horse; both hind stockings, fore socks, broad strip; foaled May 23, 1906, died August, 1930; bred and owned by J.R. Brantley, Manchester, Tennessee

SIRE:  Allan F-1, by Allandorf, by Onward by George Wilkes F-54; Onward's dam Dolly, by Mambrino Chief; Dolly's dam by Potomac; Allandorf's dam Alma Mater, by Mambrino Patchen by Mambrino Chief; Mambrino Chief's dam Lady Thorne; Alma Mater's dam Estella, by Imported Australian; Allan F-1's dam, Maggie Marshall, by Bradford's Telegraph, by Black Hawk, by Sherman Morgan.

DAM:  Gertrude, by Jacob's Royal Denmark, by Artist, by King William, by Washington Denmark; Artist's dam, Lucy, by Brinkers Drennon; King William's dam, Queen, by Balled Stockings; Gertrude's dam Ball II, by Bullet (great grandson of Gifford Morgan); Ball II's dam, Ball by Earnheart's Brook's F-25, by Brooks, F-24, by Brown Pilot by Pacing Pilot (Canadian Pacer), Dam of Earnheart's Brooks F-25, is said to be by McMeen's Traveler. In Bedford and Marshall Counties, Tennessee. Earnheart's Brooks F-25 contributed as many natural-gaited walking horses in his day as any stallion. Black Hawk (5) is of strong Narragansett blood through his pacer dam and shows in nearly all of the best saddle horses of today. A progenitor of noted harness and saddle horses.

  Allandorf was the same acme of fashionable harness breeding of his day. Mambrino Patchen, a proven sire producing brood mares, sire of Mambrino King, said to be the most handsome harness stallion that ever lived, favorable compared with Montrose (106). In addition, the blood of Hambletonian (10) and Henry Clay is infused into the blood of Allan F-1.

  Bullet F-65, the sire of the second dam produced many great show horses, including Frank Bullet that won at the Tennessee State Fair.

  The above pedigree blends a notable list in standard bred gaited and walking horses.

EDITOR'S NOTE:  James R. Brantley is an octogenarian, having reached his eight-third birthday on January 27, 1945.  He was the breeder and developer of Roan Allen F-38, the foundation sire presented in the accompanying article. Mr. Brantley reads two daily papers, several magazines and local county papers. His son, French, now County Court Clerk of Coffee County and president of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' Association of America, took part in all discussions with his father and everyone enjoyed the many memories Mr. Brantley had of Roan Allen.

It has always been my first rule in appraising horses to know the individual as a colt if possible. In the case of Roan Allen, no finer colt could be painted by the most imaginative artist. As he was as a colt, so he was as a mature horse; possessing rare quality in conformation, a very long and finely proportioned neck, sloping shoulders, perfect head, quick sharp ears, short back, very heavy flaxen mane, water-sprout flaxen tail,  rear stockings, fore socks, and broad blaze face, and carried his head high.

  My first memory of him was when he was only a few hours old, and like all colts, gazing into a world truly new. He was constantly looking in every direction, ears erect, with playful glee, around his dam, Gertrude. Frankly, the looks and pride of this little fellow had impressed me very much, and I was indeed happy with his general appearance, and tried to visualize him as a horse. My real thrill came as he gamboled around his mother, showing a burst of speed, with a long over-reach, nodding head with coltish legs beating in perfect form a true running walk. This is why I repeat again, "as he was as a colt, so he was as a mature horse."

  The development of Roan Allen was the same as our other colts, including young mules. He had no special attention, and he ran in pasture with other horses until he was coming two years old.  Many of my friends, and some of my relatives, had little confidence in this long-legged colt's ever making a great stallion. As a yearling, and up until he was past three years of age, his legs were apparently long, but how he could use them!  He had as perfect gaits as any Tennessee Walking Horse could do then, and, I believe, now or in the years to come.

  It is now among the greatest pleasures I possess from the storehouse o f memory to recall Roan Allen standing, or in action, and to compare him with the best champions of today. I trust the readers of THE TENNESSEE WALKING HORSE will pardon my pride in saying that not one of those champions could outclass him today. His sons, daughters and grandchildren have produced almost 100 per cent of the acknowledged champions, and they, in turn, have brought the highest prices for stalliions, mares, geldings brood mares and young things ever recorded in the annals of our breed. Who would not feel very proud of having been the breeder and owner of such a sire when his foals, owned by others who state with genuine pride that this horse, mare or stallion is by a son or grandson, or out of a mare by Roan Allen?

  Nothing is of more importance, of course, than the blood and performance of the sire and dam. The most colossal mistake in all my years of breeding horses was made the day I sold Allan F-1 to my good friend, Albert M. Dement, of Wartrace, Tennessee. Today, these two stallions are a father-and-son combination that will live on after I have answered the last roll call, to render their strong influence, to produce the best light horse in the world for pleasure or utility.

  The story of Allan F-1, written by my good friend, W.J. McGill, of Shelbyville, Tennessee, in Volume I, of this publication, was most interesting to me, as he is, of course, the sire of Roan Allen. There is little that I could add to that story except to say that Allan F-1 was as easy-gaited a horse as any one ever rode. I rode him myself, and so did my children and many neighbors. No stallion ever lived who had a better disposition. His gaits in the trot, pace, flat or running walk were perfect. He had a particular gliding gait under saddle truly equal to the family rocking chair. He had perfect style, a very high head, a natural, high tail, quick, very fine hair, good flat bone and ample foot. Indeed, anyone today would have to appraise him as a great horse, which he was.

  I have always contended, and still believe, that any great breeding stallion was backed through several generations with outstanding dams that were truly representative of that particular breed. This is doubly true of Roan Allen through Allan F-1, his sire, and Gertrude, the dam of Roan Allen. Gertrude was a red roan, four stockings, bald face, 15 and a half hands, 1,100 lbs.  Gertrude was the best flat-foot walker I ever saw. She was fine, and the kind of mare you would select to be the dam of a great horse. I bred Gertrude and also her dam, Ball II, which was one of the best walking mares ever in Coffee County. Ball, her dam, roan with white markings, was also truly a great walking mare, very fast, with style, and never produced a foal that was not a natural walker.

  Thus, through inheritance, Roan Allan came by his greatness in having a notable sire and through a list of dams that were all a credit to the breed.

  At three years of age, Roan Allen was 15-3 hands high. This was the exact size I liked, and after I measured him, the standard was never placed on him again to my knowledge. However, I never found fault with his size, conformation or disposition, and his good bloodlines impress me more today than they did when he died in August, 1930. 

  As a three-year-old, he served five mares, and all foaled to the service. In this group was a great show mare, owned by John Stevens, a sorrel mare, Mr. Stevens later bred many mares to Roan Allen, and produced many of the greatest walking horses of the time. After Roan Allen's colts began to develop and the general public realized he was a great sire, mares came from all over the adjoining counties to his court. The blood-lines of these mares largely included Hal, Brooks, Bullet, Stonewall and Donald breeding. These include almost all the dams of the early foals of Roan Allen.

  My friend, Ed Ward, of Flat Creek, Bedford County, Tennessee, was among the first to apreciate the breeding ability of Roan Allen, and bred his great show mare, Crickett to him for several years, and produced truly good horses from this mating.

  As the get of Roan Allen developed to three-, four-, five-, and six-year-olds, a great many people came to buy them. Many of his best get were sold for plantation horses in Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana to large planters. 

  Allow me to call attention here to a very important fact concerning Roan Allen and his particular kind of style that no other horse ever had, in my estimation. He had something unusual in the easy manner in which he could show all of his gaits. In additiion, his manners were perfect; anyone could handle him with ease.

  I should mention Roan Allen's first trainer, as there are many who have claimed that honor. The truth is that I let Charlie Ashley, of Manchester, have him in the summer, and he trained him and brought him back to my farm in February as a four-year-old.  Charlie taught him all the walking gaits, and he was indeed a walking horse. Roan Allen could go more gaits, and do them all more correctly, than any horse I have ever heard of, or seen perform. His flat foot walk was strong and fast. He could do the running walk, canter, fox-walk, fox-trot, and also do a perfect square trot in harness. He had a great overstride of from 35 to 40 inches in his running walk and would stay in form, of course. He was as fast then as any of the speediest walkers of this day. Truly, Roan Allen could do seven distinct gaits and was so trained, and he knew the rider's cue for every gait.

  Albert M. Dement showed Roan Allen two seasons for me at the county fairs, and he was ridden during this time mostly by Henry Davis, of Wartrace, Tennessee.  French Brantley, my son, also showed him at county fairs for three seasons, and he won twice at the Tennessee State Fair against many notable horses. He was defeated one time by Hunter's Allen F-10 at the State Fair. Later on that same season,  Arthur Hoyle showed Roan Allen at the Wartrace Fair and Horse Show with three judges awarding the ribbons, and he defeated Hunter's Allen on this occasion.

  Joe Crawford bred his famous mare, Dutch, by Allan F-1, to Roan Allen and produced a filly foal, named Little Dutch, which was one of the greatest show mares of all time. Dutch, the dam, was also a great show mare. I have always believed that Little Dutch was one of the greatest walking mares I ever saw.

  W.H. Davis would show Roan Allen in the walking horse or "plantation" classes, as they were called then, the combination classes, saddle and buggy, and then in the five-gaited class, where he met some of the greatest horses of the day.  He defeated Roe's Chief, then owned by Tom Hayes of Lynchburg, several times, and the good sportsmanship between Tom and Henry often caused Tom to state, "No walking horse has a right to defeat a gaited horse as good as old Chief."  Of course, Roan Allen did not defeat him often. However, you could vouch for a good show every time they met in the gaited or fine harness classes.

  Some of the famous get of Roan Allen were:  Wilson's Allen, who was out of the great mare Birdie Messick, a dapple grey, by Allan F-1;  Merry Boy, roan, white markings, out of Merry Legs F-4, by Allan F-1;  Brantley's Roan Allen Jr., a light roan, out of a dam by Hal Sumner F-7; Hal allen, sorrel, out of a dam by Hunter's Allen F-10 and his full brother, Sam, chestnut; Hill's Allen, chestnut; Major Bowes, chestnut; Sycamore Farm Allen, black; Dr. allen, roan; Al Stone, bay roan.  Roan allen sired more chestnuts or light-colored sorrels than any other color.

  The breed was unfortunate in losing Major Bowes at eight or nine years old. He was a solid chestnut horse and he probably would have developed into one of the greatest breeders of the Allan family, a full brother to the great show horse, Harvest Moon.

  Wilson's Allen and Merry boy are double-grandsons of Allan F-1.  I was never much of a trader, and when I was convinced of the breeding ability of a stallion, I susually owned him up until death, as was the case of Roan Allen.

  When Roan Allen was coming six years old, we had a horse show here in Manchester.  There was a special prize for the best lady driver and horse in the harness class. My daughter, Carrie, then 16 or 17 years old, showed Roan Allen and won. There was also another class for the best horse and chlld rider, and Clyde Lee Manley, then seven years old and a son of Lee Manley rode Roan Allen and won the class. Roan Allen was also shown in the saddle horse class and won. He could show in more different classes at the best shows in his day, and win more of them, than any horse that ever lived.

  Frankly, I always gave him credit for having abundant brains, and I still consider him the smartest horse, with the best disposition, of any horse I have ever known.

  If we could recall all the show horses, stallions, mares and geldings, sired by Roan Allen which were exhibited throughout the years in Tennessee and elsewhere. I believe his name would leas all the rest of the Tennessee Walking Horse tribe.  It gives me great pleasure as the breeder and owner of Roan Allen, now F-38 in the stud books of the Breeder's Association, to see his offspring mett the best horses in the country and win so many championship ribbons. Within the last year, Wilson's Bullett, by Roan Allen, has been made a Foundation Sire, F-65. Also the dam of Roan Allen, Gertrude, has been placed on foundation, due to her great breeding ability in producing not only Roan Allen, but other great horses. Her number is F-84. This recognition, I feel,  is justly merited and as the breeder of Gertrude, I am glad that she has been so recognized.

  In closing, let me urge all breeders of The Tennessee Walking Horse to know something of their blood-lines, and their producing ability for our required gaits. Check the performance of sires and dams. That is the only true measure we can have in reproduction. To the many owners of great horses of our breed that carry the blood of Roan Allen, I extend my congratulations and best wishes for having the blood of what I will always believe to be the greatest sire that will ever be recorded by our breed.

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