S61, you might want to review your statement about who sired Midnight Sun...


"Gillie Mac" Orr, son of Gillie, still lives in Columbia. He is an avid fisherman, a frequent visitor to Seagrove Beach, Fla., & an all-around good fellow. However, he's not very interested in horses. That being said, he & his wife Lois commissioned a wonderful book about Maury County based on his father's extensive collection of photos.


Mack K's Speedway, mentioned above, was sired by Mack & out of one of Mr. Dean's "four sisters". His daughter The Flirt B. was a good mare shown by Blake Brassel out of Joe Webb's barn in the 70's. Blake's brother Bill showed Storm Threat about the same time. Their parents were originally from my hometown.

DB...Thanks for the update on Gillie Jr...was wondering if he was still living and where. The article stated his parents married in 1927, and sadly his mother died giving birth...so I estimated he would now be 81 or a little younger. Now, where do you find the book?

SB...I would think, Mr. Charles Brantley could confirm if Roan Allen has a grave. You need to ask him.

S61...Did you mean the grave of Wilson's Allen, instead of RA?

The book Deltaboy speaks of is called "Maury County Remembered". I haven't read it, but I did find that it is available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble booksellers. It does have a whole chapter devoted to horse shows. It is also available for checkout at the Nashville Public Library if anyone's interested.

Foreword: Gilbert MacWilliams Orr (1892-1949) Houston Gray ix
Preface and Acknowledgments xvii
1. The Dimple of the Universe 3
2. Columbia--The County Seat 21
3. Historic Homes 43
4. Farm Scenes 83
5. Horses and Horse Shows 119
6. Mules and Mule Day Festivities 139
Afterword: "Things I Love" Gilbert MacWilliams Orr

Also available for viewing at the library is a collection of scrapbook volumes compiled by Gilbert Orr. It appears the Nashville Public Library is a good place to do research on the breed.




"Scope and content: A collection of two scrapbook volumes and thirty-six folders of newspaper
articles and ephemera compiled by Gilbert "Gillie" M. Orr, a nationally prominent authority on the
Tennessee Walking Horse, comprised chiefly of his "Speaking of Horses" articles, a weekly
newspaper column published in the Nashville Banner during the 1940s. Includes a few photographs,
ephemera, and additional publications pertaining to horse shows, horse races, equestrian riders,
equine breeds, and various Tennessee stables such as the Haynes Haven Stock Farm in Spring Hill,
Tennessee and the Milky Way Farms in Pulaski, Tennessee. Additional sources provide information
about Shelbyville's Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration and Maury County Mule Day, as
well as some articles about horse racing, show horses, equestrians, and horse breeding in the
United States. The scrapbooks contain a few Christmas cards, as well as a Nashville Banner editorial
article "Monstrous Blasphemy," an anti-Hitler article written by George Armistead, Sr. (June 25,
1940)."

Container List
SCRAPBOOKS (2 volumes)
Box 1
Scrapbook, May 28, 1940-May 10, 1941
Scrapbook, May 16, 1941-Oct. 17, 1941
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES AND EPHEMERA
Box 2 (folders 1-7)
f.1 Article by Gilbert M. Orr: “A few facts about a few homes in Maury County,
Tennessee,” n.d.
f.2 Articles by Gilbert M. Orr: “Haynes Peacock is dead;” “MysteryMan.”
f.3 Article by Gilbert M. Orr: “The Tennessee Walking Horse,” n.d.
f.4 Ephemera, ca. 1946 (15 items)
f.5 Gilbert M. Orr metal photograph
f.6 Obituary of William Mack Orr
f.7 “The Quarter Horse;” “The Palamino;” “The Hackney” (typescript), n.d.
f.8 “Winners Pulaski,” ca. May 24, 1944
Box 3 (folders 1-22)
f.1 Banner newspaper pages, ca. 1941-ca. 1942
f.2 Banner newspaper pages, May 7, 1945
f.3 Banner newspaper pages, 1945-1946
f.4 Banner newspaper pages, ca. 1946
f.5 Banner newspaper, June 20, 1947. Note: Includes a feature article about Cassandra
Jackson, a 5-year old girl who won a Blue Ribbon in the Maury Horse Show.
f.6 Banner newspaper pages, 1949
f.7 Banner tribute to Gilbert M. Orr, May 11, 1949; May 13, 1949
f.8 Miscellaneous clippings, ca. 1940-ca. 1942. Includes some newspaper pages.
f.9 Miscellaneous clippings, 1943. Includes some newspaper pages.
f.10 Miscellaneous clippings, 1944
f.11 Miscellaneous clippings, 1945
f.12 Miscellaneous clippings, 1946
f.13 Miscellaneous clippings, 1947
f.14 Miscellaneous clippings, 1948-1949
f.15 Miscellaneous clippings, n.d.
f.16 “Speaking of Horses” newspaper column, 1940-1942
f.17 “Speaking of Horses” newspaper column, 1943
f.18 “Speaking of Horses” newspaper column, 1944
f.19 “Speaking of Horses” newspaper column, 1945
f.20 “Speaking of Horses” newspaper column, 1946-ca. 1949
f.21 “Speaking of Horses” newspaper column, n.d.
f.22 “The Tennessee Plantation Walking Horse Comes to Madison Square Garden,” New
York Times, Nov. 8, 1939. Note: badly deteriorated condition.
Box 4 (folders 1-6)
f.1 “Blue Ribbon” magazine memorial tribute article about the life of Gilbert
MacWilliams Orr, ca. 1949 (photocopy)
f.2 Lynne Brannen material, ca. 1940s
f.3 Scrapbook sheets, Dec. 7, 1939 (2 sheets)
f.4 Scrapbook sheets, 1941 (6 sheets)
f.5 Scrapbook sheets, 1942 (5 sheets)
f.6 Scrapbook sheets, 1942 (4 sheets)

Thanks Smitty!

Deltaboy, see that's what I get for repeating someone with out checking the facts...sorry! My Bad...I usually research my info, I know better than that.

I am now 60, started going to sales & shows sometime around 1966, remember tented sales arenas & portable stalls. Remember the tents at Murray Farm & Sale of Showring Champions. Remember the cute little houses that the office & bathrooms were in at the Murray Farm. Some of the best sales were Yearling productions of Go Boy, Shadow, Ebony & Generator. I remember auctioneers like Pete Yokley, Eddie Bryant, Herb McClain, Skeets Ethridge, Odie Adcock & John Church. Ringmen Tom Yokley, RB Hickey & Benvis Beachboard. Remember Delights Adonis & Mountain Man being auctioned.

I was looking through a 65 Voice and they had the Celebration yearling production sales prices in there and they were bring more back then than they are now. And that was 44 years ago when a dollar was worth something!

And the entry fee wasn't $200 either, maybe $50!

Not to mention the difference in STUD FEES!

And mare care, and vet bills, and hay and feed etc. etc etc.

Concerning the photo of Midnight Sun in the snow, the fellow with him was not Red Laws, it was Fred Walker. I talked to Mr. Harlin today and mentioned it to him and he told me it was indeed Fred in the picture.

1. Name Dub Ivins trainer son? / ROGER IVINS
2. Name Sam & Donald Paschals brother? / FORREST PASCHAL
3. Name Sam Paschals wife? / NEVER MARRIED
4. Name Donald Paschals brother inlaw? / MILTON ALEXANDER
5. What Confederate raiding officer married a gal from Readyville Tn? / MORGAN (John Hunt)
6. What famous trail comes thru Woodbury Tn? / TRAIL OF TEARS
7. Name Bud Seatons late trainer brother? / CHESTER
8. Name Doug Wolavers brother? MYRON WOLAVER JR
9. Name a drive in Huntsville with same name as a Col Tn/Ca trainer named Pat? / SPARKMAN
10. Name a drive in same city named after ASB trainer? / MAX LUTHER
11. Name Woody Woodruffs 2 trainer Brother inlaws? / RUSSEL PATE & ALLAN CALLAWAY
12. Name SW Beeches 3 sons? / STEVE, BOBBY & RAY
13. Who in Tullahoma owned Champagne Lady? / DIANE GREENE
14. Who in Belvidere trained her? / MARRIANNE LEECH
15. Name Charles Gleghorns trainer? / BRET BOYD
16. Who was Addys Brown' horse partner? / JIMMIE NICHOLAS
17. Name a drive in Huntsville named after 3 former Am riders? / PUTMAN (Beth, Wayne & DL)
18. Name a former WGC owner nicknamed, same as pigeon owning, funny paper character? / ANDY (Capp) SISK
19. Name a mare named after the Rockettes? / GENERATORS SHOWGIRL
20. Name a Gal whose Bro is named after Arlo's Dad? / AMIE LEE & WOODY (Guthrie) MARKS

no3 Dont think Sam Pascall was married
12 Ray, Steve, Bobby
15 Bret Boyd

14 J T and Marriane Leech

13 Diane Green

#1)Roger Ivans

6. Trail Of Tears
11. Allan Callaway & Huck Moss
20. Amie Lee Marks

2. Forest

4. Milton Alexadrant sp??

Yall doing good, gittir dunn, I'll be out of pocket most of the day, have a goodun.

#11 Ain't Right - not Hunk
#13 Diane Green

#11- Russell Pate

9. Ingram
11. Russell & Dickie Pate
19. Go Boy's Rockette

The following Family Histories have been taken from the book by Sue Oden titled "Hold Us Not Boastful - History of Thompson's Station, TN." This biographical collection includes 86 histories of pioneer families of Thompson's Station and Southern Williamson County. The stories are about families who are proud of their roots and their place in history.



The Pennington Family

William Caudle Pennington jokingly says his interest in horses began the day he was born. He cannot remember when he did not ride a horse. You would expect nothing else since both his father, and grandfather, traded in horses and mules.

Pennington and his sister, Martha Elizabeth Shaneyfelt, were born and raised in the house located next to Pennington Stables, his Walking Horse barn on Thompson's Station Road, West. A foster brother is M. L. Pugh who married Delisa Kimbro and had Bobby Pugh. The parents of William, Martha Elizabeth and M. L. Pugh were William Earnest Pennington (1899-1979) and the former Lucille Caudle (1904-1985).

Earnest was the son of Alexander Moses Pennington (1848-1934), who was born in Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee and the former Amelia King (1872-1941) who was born in Gallatin, Tennessee.

Children born to Alexander and Amelia Pennington other than William Earnest were: Lucille Pennington who married Roy Fraser; J. B. Pennington who married Aliene Epps; Herbert; Clarence who never married; Harry who never married; Robert who never married; Howard who married Clara Hudson; Emmette; and, Faine King Pennington who married Lucy Martin.

Lucille Caudle was the only child of Drue Scruggs Caudle (1874-1937) and the former Elizabeth Guffee (1872-1941). Elizabeth Guffee was the sister of A. P. Guffee, father of Dr. Harry Guffee.

The Penningtons raised tobacco, sheep and ran a Jersey dairy herd as well as the horse and mule operation. Young Pennington broke some of the horses to ride during his growing up years.

When he was seven or eight years old, a load of mules came to their farm from Bowling Green, Ky. for resale. Among the mules was a little brown and white pony which the boy immediately wanted for his own. Everytime someone mentioned buying the animal he always told them, "no one can ride that pony".

The elder Pennington bought the pony for $25 and gave it to his son for a Christmas present. William showed "King George" in the first Walking Horse Celebration ever held at Shelbyville and won first place.

The pair appeared in horse shows, sponsored by schools as fund raising events, throughout the southern Williamson County area. They won every show they were in. Pennington kept this pony for 32 years before it died and today has an oil painting of "King George" hanging on the wall.

From this small beginning, William Pennington went on to stand in the spotlight of the Tennessee Walking Horse industry today.

William attended the frame, two-room school then in existence on the corner of Columbia Highway and Thompson's Station Road. Bessie Bond, of Bethesda, was a teacher and Clyde Adams, who lived on Lewisburg Pike, was the principal.

Some of the children attending the school with William during the late '30s were his sister, Martha Elizabeth Pennington, Walter Cannon Kinnard, Rodger Cotton, Tim Akin and the C. C. Brown children, Betty, Allen, Kenneth, Coleman and Sarah Jo.

During this time, four or five milk trucks ran through the area picking up milk from the dairy farms. William rode one of these to school every morning and someone picked him up in the afternoon.

In the 8th grade he commuted to Franklin where he attended Battle Ground Academy and graduated five years later. After high school, William continued farming, milking cows and working with horses. Later he rented several farms which he cultivated.

By 1968, a few factories had come to Franklin making it hard to get farm help. Pennington gave up the farms he was renting and sold the dairy. He went into training horses and working with mares and colts in a breeding operation full time.

Since he didn't have a milk check coming in any longer, things were pretty slim at first. He says his start really came from two sources - Dr. S. W. Ballard of Southall and Kibler Farms from Ohio. They furnished him with many mares and colts.

Pennington says if you want a nine to five job, don't become involved with show horses! During show season, a day starts at 5:30 a. m. and, if you're lucky, it ends at 9:00 p. m. every day. On the week-ends, you are showing Friday and Saturday nights, getting home at 1 or 2 in the morning. Sitting up with foaling mares through the night is a big part of this business.

He has shown weanlings and yearlings in all the championship classes. He has shown in all the major shows all over the U. S. He has watched the Walking Horse industry grow from simple, family operations into the multi-million dollar business it is today. In the beginning, exhibitors only traveled within the county. Today they think nothing of flying horses all over the world.

The riding attire has gone from pants and sport shirt to tuxedos and black tie. Pennington's father paid $25 for "King George". A champion today sells for thousands of dollars.

Colts come to Pennington Stables from California to Florida. Fifteen World Champions and thirteen Reserve Champions of their various divisions (weanling, yearling, etc.) have come from this barn.

He has done very little advertising. His reputation has been built from successes in the show ring and by word of mouth.

In his opinion, the best animal he has ever worked with is "Generator's My Papa", who has won every major show in the United States. He owned half interest in this colt.

There is an interesting story that goes with this horse. The Penningtons were showing at Summertown one night. At the end of the show, Pennington says he had a sense of urgency to return home as fast as he could. He never traveled as fast before while pulling a horse trailer.

When they arrived home, he jumped from the truck and ran to the barn. One of his mares was down, dripping wet with sweat. Her colt had been born with his head turned back against the wall and the sack still over him. Pennington ran around to the door and took the sack from the colt - he was not breathing. Pennington started breathing into him, beating on him and suddenly the colt gasp with life. This colt was within seconds of suffocation! Later $150,000.00 was turned down for this animal.

William Pennington's paternal grandfather was Alexander Moses Pennington born December 1, 1899 in Gallatin, Tennessee. He died April 2, 1979 in Williamson County and is buried in Mt. Hope. He married the former Amelia King.

His maternal grandparents were Drue Scruggs Caudle (1874-1937) and the former Elizabeth Guffee (1872-1941).

Smitty,that is such a GREAT biography of William(Buddy) and Martha .William has raised some of the TOP colts in the WH industry.They are also some of the nicest people you ever want to meet.

The first horse I ever owned in my own name was a grand-daughter of Merry Gypsy Rose. We got her from Eddie Bryant at Jimmy Holloway's sale in Kosciusko. She was my high school graduation present.