Merry Walker (foaled 1939) was a Tennessee Walking Horse mare. She gave birth to the show horses

Go Boy's Shadow Go Boy's Shadow was a Tennessee Walking Horse stallion who won two World Grand Championships in the years 1955 and 1956. He was the last horse to repeat win in his breed for nearly fifty years. Life and career Go Boy's Shadow was a black stallio ...

and Rodger's Perfection, who won three World Grand Championships between them.

Life

Merry Walker was foaled June 18, 1939, in

Murfreesboro, Tennessee Murfreesboro is a city in and county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 152,769 according to the 2020 census, up from 108,755 residents certified in 2010. Murfreesboro is located in the Nashville metropol ...

. She was a black mare with white hind socks, bred by Harold Earthman. She was sired by the Tennessee Walking Horse

stallion A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded (castrated). Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" nec ...

Merry Boy and out of a Standardbred mare, Earthman's Queen Mary. In 1941 Merry Walker was sold to a Texas owner for $500. Merry Walker was bought by H. Thompson, father to World Grand Champion trainer Vic Thompson, in 1944. The same year, he showed her in the

Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration (TWHNC), sometimes known as the Celebration, is the largest horse show for the Tennessee Walking Horse breed, and has been held annually in or near Shelbyville, Tennessee since its inception in 19 ...

. She placed fifth in the World Grand Championship. Merry Walker

foundered Shipwrecking is an event that causes a shipwreck, such as a ship striking something that causes the ship to sink; the stranding of a ship on rocks, land or shoal; poor maintenance; or the destruction of a ship either intentionally or by violent ...

before being sold to Dr. Porter Rodgers of

Searcy, Arkansas Searcy ( ) is the largest city and county seat of White County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2019 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 23,767. It is the principal city of the Searcy, AR Micropolitan Statistical Area ...

, in 1945, but still brought a price of $2,000. She gave birth to eight foals in her life: Sun's Dark Lady, Merry Earthman,

, Anne's Merry, Rodgers' Perfection, Shadow's Sis W, Sensational Sue R, and Merry Walker's Doll. Merry Walker's son by

Merry Go Boy Merry Go Boy (May 4, 1943 – July 7, 1967) was a highly influential Tennessee Walking Horse sire and two-time World Grand Champion. He is credited for producing the most desirable conformation type in his offspring. Life Merry Go Boy was foale ...

, Go Boy's Shadow, won the Two-Year-Old World Championship in the Celebration. In 1955, he won the World Grand Championship and repeated the win a year later. Another of Merry Walker's sons, Rodgers' Perfection, won the World Grand Championship in 1959. He was sired by Midnight Mack K. A daughter of Merry Walker, Shadow's Sis W, foaled the 1978 World Grand Champion Mark of Carbon. Merry Walker is the only Tennessee Walking Horse

broodmare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...

to ever produce two World Grand Champions. It is also significant to note that the winning offspring were sired by different stallions.

References

{{Reflist, 30em Individual Tennessee Walking Horses 1939 animal births