Merry Walker (foaled 1939) was a

Tennessee Walking Horse The Tennessee Walking Horse or Tennessee Walker is a horse breed, breed of gaited horse known for its unique four-beat running-walk and flashy movement. It was originally Horse breeding, developed as a riding horse on farms and plantations in t ...

mare. She gave birth to the show horses Go Boy's Shadow 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 Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Its population was 165,430 according to the 2023 census estimate, up from 108,755 residents certified in 2010 United States census, 2010. Murfreesboro i ...

. She was a

black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

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

stallion A stallion is an adult 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, "cre ...

Merry Boy and out of a

Standardbred The Standardbred is an American horse breed best known for its ability in harness racing where they compete at either a trot or pace. Developed in North America, the Standardbred is recognized worldwide, and the breed can trace its bloodline ...

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 any event causing a ship to wreck, such as a collision causing the ship to sink; the stranding of a ship on rocks, land or shoal; poor maintenance, resulting in a lack of seaworthiness; or the destruction of a ship either intent ...

before being sold to Dr. Porter Rodgers of

Searcy, Arkansas Searcy ( ) is the largest city in and the 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 Statisti ...

, 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, Go Boy's Shadow, 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 foa ...

, 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