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1943 - 1969

MERRY GO BOY  1947 and 1948 W. G. Ch.

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MERRY GO BOY #431336

Merry Go Boy was sired by Merry Boy, out of Wiser's Dimples.  He was bred by Archie Wiser of Wartrace, TN.  He was foaled on May 4,1943 on the Wiser Farm.  Winston Wiser paid his brother $350 for the colt when he was only a few weeks old.  Go Boy was black with a star and a near hind sock.  As a weanling Merry Go Boy was the winner of the Weanling Horse Colt Class at the 1943 Celebration during a morning showing.  Three classes later, he was reserve to the weanling filly, Frances Langford, in the Weanling Championship.  This was the only time he was defeated in his class during his lifetime.
He won both the Yearling Colt Class and the Yearling Championship at the 1944 Celebration.  That year, Elroy Mallard of Georgetown, KY purchased a half interest in him.  

R. W. Norman of Salisbury, NC bought a one third interest for $6,000 just prior to his winning the Two-Year-Old Stallion Class at the next Celebration.
Go Boy was the winner of the Three-Year-Old Stallion and Gelding Class and the Junior Stake at the Celebration in 1946. 

 

 On the following night, as a junior, he entered the big stake and was beaten only by Midnight Sun.
The grand show stallion came back again in 1947 to win the World Grand Championship.

photo courtesy of Betty Nichols from  Hancock's Meadow

Merry Go Boy at S. W. Beech Stables
Photo contributed by Judy Crunk 
of Green Valley Farm.

He repeated this victory again in 1948.  This was the first Celebration to be held on the then new Celebration grounds.  He was purchased just prior to this event by C.C. Turner of Broadway, VA.
Merry Go Boy was a conformation model for the Tennessee Walking Horse breed.  The expression, "As fine as Go Boy", indicates the high regard in which he was held for his appearance as well as his ability to perform the gaits.  One of the first things noted about him was his extreme nodding action.  He had three distinct and perfect gaits and has many times been cited for his top performance.

This famous show horse was the sire of 3 World Grand Champions - Go Boy's Shadow (1955 & 1956), Go Boy's Sundust (1967), and Go Boy's Royal Heir (1968), as well as an impressive number of  World Champions.  He was the grand-sire of Sensational Shadow, World Grand Champion in 1971.  In the 1960 Breeders National Futurity, 24 out of 46 ribbons were awarded to weanlings and yearlings sired by Merry Go Boy.  Nothing appears to be known about what happened to all these colts when they were put under saddle, though.  

 

Merry Go Boy in 1950
photo courtesy of Tim Beckman  from SkiesRBlue Stables

----- Original Message -----
From: kaspareck
To: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2005 9:40 PM
Subject: Merry Go Boy

He is a fuzzy snapshot of me riding Merry Go Boy in November of 1964, bareback and in a halter. I think he was about 23 years old then and still wonderfully smooth and rhythmic. I was about 16 years old and showing my walking pony, ±El Cid½ often against Ray Beech and his pony at the time. SW just tossed me up on Go Boy and said take him for a spin─it was one of the life moments you treasure and hold dear─I was in total awe of this great horse.

Charlotte (Neill) Kaspareck
Formerly of Windy Acres Farm, Tuscumbia Alabama
Now of Williamsburg Dressage, Williamsburg, Virginia

Merry Go Boy rests on the property of S. W. Beech Stables in Tennessee.

Merry Go Boy died on July 7, 1969,  
a few short years after his illustrious rival,
the "Horse of the Century",  Midnight Sun.

 

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Click here for  MORE PHOTOS   of Merry Go Boy

**Please note:  All photos that are not specifically accredited otherwise, are courtesy of Dr. Bob Womack, author of "Echo of Hoofbeats."   If you have photos of Merry Go Boy that you would like added to this page, please forward them to Walkers West.

<== 1945-46  1949 ==>

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