Midnight Sun: 410751 1945-46 World Grand Champion, Midnight Sun or "ol Sun" as he was refered to by many, was the first stallion to win the WGC at the National Celebration, he wore the floral horseshoe in 1945 and 1946. Midnight Sun was bred by Charlie Ramsey of Viola, near the spot the first champion,Strolling Jim, was foaled. Midnight Sun was sired by Wilson's Allen and out of Ramsey's Rena, His grand entrance took place on June 8, 1940. Ramsey later sold this colt to John A. Hendrickson of Manchester. The black stallion was bought by Harlinsdale Farm on Jan. 21,1943. Hendrickson had injured himself and Midnight Sun was then sent to Winston Wiser's stables for training and showing in 1944. After the '44 show Ol Sun was moved back to Harlinsdale Farm where manager Harlin Hayes put more training on him. Fred Walker was the lucky man to have rode Ol Sun to victory both in 1945 and 46. Midnight Sun soon became the most noted and his progency soon began to make marks for themselves in the show rings, as Midnight Sun was retired to stud.

MERRY GO BOY: 431336 Black stallion with a star and near hind sock foaled May 4, 1943. Merry Go Boy was the 1947 and 1948 WGC. Merry Go Boy was sired by Merry Boy and out of Wiser's Dimples by Giovanni. Wiser's Dimples was out of Wiser's Minie by Allen F1. The breeder was Archie Wiser of Wartrace. As a young colt Winston Wiser and Elroy Mallard saw the young stallion's possibilities. They bought him immediately and begun his training. He won the weanling championship in 1943 at the Celebration, then came back for the yearling title, again as a two year old he took the championship with Winston Wiser a top, and took Jr. champ as a three year old, then when this fine stallion was a 4 year old he took the reign for two years running with the Grand title. C.C. Turner of Broadway, VA., was owner of this awesome stalion thou it was Winston Wiser in the saddle as he took his yet another title bringing him up to three grand wins. Merry Go Boy had fine conformation and showed three perfect gaits. Though technically a Tennessee Walking horse of great repute in actuality Merry Go Boy's breeding predominantly was Saddlehorse tracing strongly to Canadian Pacing and Morgan lines. Many of today's Missouri Fox Trotting horses get their stride and style from the bloodline from Merry Go Boy. Thanks to Dyan at: Old Time Foxtrotters .

MERRY BOY: 350189 Black/Sabino horse foaled in 1925 sired by the great Roan Allan. Merry Boy's contribution to the Missouri Fox Trotting breed is nearly immeasurable. A large majority of today's Fox Trotters have Merry Boy in their pedigrees at least once and most times more. In breeding this horse was very interesting and showed the development of gait. On his sire's side his grandfather was Allan F-1, foundation sire for the Tennessee Walking Horse breed, however in breeding Allan was actually half trotter (became Standardbred) and half Morgan (also from lines of racing trotters) Roan Allan's dam, Gertrude was ¾ Morgan and ¼ Canadian Pacer. On Merry Boy's dam's side Merry Legs was sired again by Allan F-1 making her half sister to Roan Allan above but her dam was Nell Dement. Nell Dement was sired by Donald who was half American Saddlebred and half Canadian Pacer stemming from the immortal Copperbottom horse. Copperbottom also is a foundation sire for the American Quarter Horse. On her dam's side, Nell Dement was out of Flax who was half American Saddlebred and half Canadian Pacer from the Hal lines. In his own right as a Tennessee Walking Horse Merry Boy was a very successful individual who sired countless scores of foals in both breeds. In the Missouri Fox Trotting Breed his influence is felt in many lines but one particularly of note is through his grandson Sterling Merry Boy who carries his blood in both sire and dam lines. Thanks to Dyan at: Old Time Foxtrotters .

Setting Sun: 530380 In 1945 another great stallion immerged, sired by Midnight Sun and out of Alice Carver, the breeder was Sam Mayberry of Harrisburg. He began his show wins as a two year old and was now owned by W.M. Duncan of Inverness,Miss., and Steve Hill of Beech Grove. He took the two year old Reserve Championshipat the 1947 Celebration. He again changed owners just before the 1948 Celebration, new owners were Mr. and Mrs. Budd, in the 1948 Celebration he took the Jr. Championship stake. In 1949 he graduated to Reserve Championship, then in 1958 he came in and took the WGC title, this was a stallion that got better with age, and althou he was used to service several mares he was still shown and brought home several blues.

MIDNIGHT MACK K: 490450 Chestnut horse foaled in 1949. His contribution to the Missouri Fox Trotting horse was through his son Rodger's Perfection sire to Gile's Hot Toddy. A successful show horse Midnight Mack K III was sired by the immortal Midnight Sun and was out of Panola by Merry Boy. Panola was out of Mary Lee by Brown's Allen. Within 6 generations Midnight Mack K traced back to Saddlehorse, Morgan, Thoroughbred, Standardbred both pacers and trotters and was heavily line bred to the Hal's. His roots were in the very foundations of gaited blood. Thanks to Dyan at: Old Time Foxtrotters .

Mack K's Handshaker: 561320 Mack K's Handshaker was foaled in 1956, bred by J.H. Beasley of Athens,Ala. He was sired by Midnight Mack K, son of the emortal Midnight Sun. His dam was Deep Purple, whose lineage traced back to Last Chance. Doug Wolaver broke Handshaker as a two-year-old late in the season, and, that year, was fourth in the two-year-old stake at the Southern Championship show in Montgomery, Alabama. As a junior, he was reserve champion at the Celebration and then went on to win the junior classes and stake honors at the Kentucky State Fair, at the Dixie Jubilee in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and at the Southern Championship showing in Montgomery, Alabama. It is interesting to look back over the list of World Grand Champions to note that Doug Wolaver was only the third rider in the history of the Celebration horse show to be either owner or part-owner of the Grand Champion he exhibited. Another point of particular interest is the fact that Doug Wolaver was the youngest trainer to ever win the Celebration's big stake, replacing Percy Moss as holder of the youngest winning rider title. Winning, and especially the Celebration, couldn't have happened to a better person! That's the consensus of his fellow horsemen. Mack K’s Handshaker went on to sire two World Grand Champions - Shaker’s Shocker in 1966 and Handshaker’s Delight in 1972.

Silver Tip Rickey:
In 1947, Marie and Debs McBroom drove from their ranch in Big Arm, Mt. to Iowa to purchase Silvertip-Rickey as a six-month-old from the Iowa State Vet. And a mare, Richardson's Honey Chile (Chief's Allen X Dot C.), from Lew Mottlow of Lynchburg, TN. They were "shipped" to the Big Arm ranch. These were some of the first" TWH's in Western Montana.
Grace Larson and Silver Tip Rickey

"Honey" was in foal to Spiller's Gold Dust and produced a stud colt, Chief O' Chiefs, the first of many TWH foals born on the ranch.
Richardson's Honey Chile with colt "Chief 0' Chiefs" pictured at right

Marie McBroom trained Silvertip Rickey to be a versatile, working ranch horse. Her young daughter Grace, from a previous marriage, only one year older than "Rickey," began to ride him as described in the following passages:
"I don't remember when my relationship with Rickey began. He was the only horse I could ride bareback and never had to hang on -- up and down hills, across ice, after horses or just walking, we just fit together. Rickey was a "cutting horse" in the highest sense. He knew before I did when another horse was going to turn, and he would be ahead of it. Once his bridle broke while we were chasing horses. We were racing along at full speed and all at once I had no control. There was another stallion with a herd of mares on the South Hill pasture, and I had been trying to get two mares out into another pasture. Rickey went right on "cutting," and I had no choice but to stick it out. That was a ride I will never forget! Rickey got the job done, someone finally caught both of us, and I actually lived through it. I was about 12 then, I guess.

"...I always rode Rickey when I was at the ranch. He was very sure-footed. He just didn't fall or stumble. I would ride him fast and bareback up and down the hills and across fields, and neither of us were ever injured in any way."

About 1950, Marie McBroom purchased Tom Moss's herd of registered TWHs, of the Rafter 33, Big Horn, Wyoming, founder of the La Marr walkers. The broodmares in this herd helped perpetuate the bloodlines of Silvertip-Rickey. Some of them were Black Beauty Allen (Colonel Allen X Kittie Jackson), Ruby Jones (Jimmy Allen X Dixie May J.), Patty LaMarr (Billie-Gene X Lady LaMarr), and Margaret La Marr.

Silvertip-Rickey sired two colts born on the ranch that would become well-known: Lightfoot Rickey and Sago (Black Beauty II).

In the summer of 1956, when Silvertip-Rickey was only nine years old, he broke his leg, while running loose with the mares on the Big Arm ranch. "No one seemed to know how," but he "had to be put to death. What a loss of a wonderful sire and riding horse."

Grace Larson and Marie McBroom
Grace Larson
High Plains Walkers