Saturday, July 12, 2003, the nation's number one Plantation
Stallion was laid to rest at his home at Bridlewood Farm. The loss of Iron
Works was a very personal one, not only for his owners Randall & Gloria
Dixon, but also for his Bridlewood family. He was considered by many to be
the greatest Plantation horse in the industry, but it was his unique
personality & uncanny ability to understand what was going on around him
that captured the hearts of every person who was fortunate enough to meet
him. "There was just something about him that captivated us. He was
magical," says owner Gloria Dixon.
The beautiful stallion with the shining eyes, the coat of polished
steel & mane & tail of shimmering silver touched the lives of countless
people, walking horse and non-walking horse alike. Each year during the
Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, Bridlewood Farm is flooded
with visitors, many of them came specifically to see Iron & some were even
reduced to tears upon looking at him. "What made him so special?" you might
ask. Read on to find out.
On March 31, 1985, a smutty-looking sorrel colt was born a product
of John & Betty Freeman's Freeman Foals in Lebanon, Tenn. Iron's breeder
Betty Freeman said, "From the moment he was born, Iron Works exhibited a
lovely personality, classic conformation, exquisite beauty & exceptional
natural talent." Sired by the legendary 1962 World Grand Champion Ebony
Masterpiece, & out of the great producing mare Bum's Little Dumplin, Iron
had all the right ingredients to become a show ring champion.
Started under saddle by the renowned Shaw Twins, Iron was shown
for the first time by Betty Freeman under the David Landrum Stables banner.
As a four-year-old, Iron was trained & shown by Dick Myers during that time
Dick & Betty decided they wanted to try Iron flat-shod. Little did they know
what an impact this decision would make on Iron's future. This is where he
would find his niche. In 1990, Iron was placed under the training direction
of Ryan Vanatta, who would be the first person to show him in the Plantation
division. The pair made an impression by winning the National Walking Horse
Trainers' show as well as many others.
By 1991, Iron was returned to Dick Myers & the reunited team
literally took the Plantation division by storm. Dick & Iron won 21 blue
ribbons out of 26 showings including the International Plantation Grand
Championship & capped off the season by claiming the 1991 Plantation
Stallion World Championship. This team was suddenly a new sensation,
creating excitement everywhere they showed & keeping spectators on the
rail to watch their performances. "We showed him 26 times in '91 & most
every time we went, he won us our gas money," chuckled Dick Myers. “When he
was showing, people didn't go get a hot dog, I can tell you that.”
Myers remembers one particular occasion when Joe Webb held a
riding camp in the Celebration's Calsonic Arena. Iron Works was invited to
attend the school to put on an exhibition. "I let every kid at that school
ride him," said Myers. "They all said it was the biggest thrill they'd had
getting to ride Iron Works. He had the biggest following of any horse I've
ever been associated with," Myers reminisced.
In the spring of 1992, the dappled grey stallion caught the eye of
Lucas Bleeker, who purchased him & placed him in training with Mitch Taylor.
Taylor directed Iron to the Columbia Spring Jubilee's Open Plantation &
Plantation Championship titles, the Dixie Jubilee's Open Plantation &
Plantation Championship titles and the Backward S Ranch Show's Open
Plantation Championship title.
Following Iron's Columbia Spring Jubilee win, his then owner Lucas
Bleeker approached Larry Lowman about the possibility of breeding the
popular young stallion. Larry & Judith Burgess had recently purchased a farm
outside of Shelbyville & named it Bridlewood. Their intent was to have a
place to keep their mares & raise their colts - not start a breeding
operation, but Iron Works would change all that! Eleven years later
Bridlewood Farm is home to 14 champion Tennessee Walking Horse Stallions &
is one of the premier breeding farms in the industry. "If it hadn't been for
Iron, I probably wouldn't be in the breeding business," said Lowman.
For the next three years Iron enjoyed a successful breeding run at
Bridlewood & was passing on his beautiful grey color to 85% of his
offspring. In July of 1993 Lucas Bleeker called Lowman to discuss the
possibility of putting Iron back in training to try for another world title.
This would be a difficult feat to take a stallion from a breeding barn so
late in the season, but once again Iron's resiliency would shine through. On
July 15 he was placed back in training with Dick Myers & with limited shows,
no advertising or promotions Iron Works & Myers were crowned 1993 World
Champion Plantation Stallion unanimously. Over the next five years, Iron
would breed successfully, becoming the nations number one Plantation
Stallion.
Late in 1997, Lowman received a phone call on a Friday afternoon
from Lucas Bleeker saying he had decided to sell Iron Works. As the saying
goes, "News travels fast." Randall & Gloria Dixon were into the Spotted
Saddle Horse Business & Spotted Saddle Horse News managing editor Deedy
Decker mentioned to them during a phone conversation that Iron Works was for
sale. By Saturday morning Lowman got a phone call from the Dixons, who had
seen Iron one time & were overtaken with his beauty & distinct personality.
They had fallen in love with him upon visiting him once at Bridlewood Farm.
As always, Iron was "hamming it up" for his guests, performing all his
little tricks & the Dixons, like everyone else who's ever met Iron, were
hooked. They purchased him over the telephone, never having seen a video of
him & never having seen him outside his stall.
The Dixons decided that Iron Works would go back into training &
try for the ultimate goal of Plantation World Grand Champion. Although he
had won two preliminary world titles, the roses had so far evaded him. Iron
was taken to the Dixons' Red Eagle Farms in Dacula, GA., where he was to be
prepared for the 1998 World Championships under the direction of Willie
Cook, Jr. This would be no easy undertaking, for Iron had been out of
training for five years & was 13-years-old. However, once again, Iron's
resiliency would prevail.
Iron's return to the show ring was a triumphant & happy one indeed
for the legion of fans he had acquired over the years. "Never has any horse
had more fans or a bigger following than Iron," said Joyce Myers, another
member of the Iron Works family and wife of Dick Myers. After winning the
Celebration's Spring Fun Show, Iron & Willie ended the 1998 show season as
Plantation Stallion World Champions and Reserve Plantation World Champions.
Iron was returned to Bridlewood Farm the following Sunday after the
Celebration to resume his breeding career, but the Dixons had not given up
on their dream of Iron wearing the roses.
The following year when Iron was 14 years of age, his owners
wanted to give him one more shot at the Plantation World Grand Championship
title. This time Iron's goal would not escape him. As always, never wanting
to disappoint his fans, he claimed the preliminary win & was named World
Champion Plantation Stallion. A few nights later, to the screams of his
adoring fans and family, Iron captured the 1999 Plantation World Grand
Championship & those roses he'd been seeking for so long were finally
awarded to him and he made his pass under the Celebration spotlight.
It was always understood that Bridlewood would be Iron's home
after his show career ended win or lose. The Sunday morning after the
Celebration, he was delivered to the farm & upon turning in the drive, it
was told that he began pawing and nickering...he knew he was home! After
eight years Iron & Larry Lowman had developed a special bond. Most everyone
could get something out of Iron...a kiss or often a lick on the face! But no
one could make him "show out" like Larry. Iron's stall was positioned so
that Larry could see him from his desk. "I never really considered him a
horse, I considered him my friend," says Lowman.
Larry & Iron would often put on a show for visitors. Larry would
cluck to him & Iron would snort & rear up in his stall & then prance around
as if to say, "Look at me...I'm "Iron Works," let me entertain you!" Larry
took Iron for countless exhibitions, from grand openings to equine fairs and
festivals so children could pet him & have their pictures made with him.
In 2000, Iron would make another mark in history by becoming the
only Plantation horse ever to be retired at the Celebration. His ceremony
was every bit as beautiful and unique as he was, featuring cheerleaders & a
fireworks display like no other. Iron seemed to know he was being honored &
used every opportunity to play to the crowd, as was his trademark.
After his retirement from the show ring, Iron enjoyed a successful
breeding career & was the center of his home, Bridlewood Farm. His fans
would come from all over the country just to stop by for a visit with Iron.
Bridlewood Farm's public relations director Tanya Hopper says "I remember
one time in particular during the Celebration, we had one lady come out to
see Iron & when she laid eyes on him, she immediately began to cry. She was
just so moved by his beauty & so thrilled to be in his presence she was
moved to tears."
Bridlewood began conducting organized tours a few years back &
Iron became a key player in each one of these events. Upon entering the
Stallion Center, within minutes guests were seemingly drawn to his door,
first by his captivating beauty, and then by the hilarious antics he used to
entertain them and keep their attention. Usually during these tours guests
would learn how much Iron loved his favorite treat...peppermints! Somehow,
upon hearing this, someone would always find either in his or her pocket or
purse, a few peppermints. The more Iron ate the more excited he would become
& would start curling his lip, another trademark of his, delighting all the
guests. He would always seem to do this on command when anyone would want to
take his picture. Someone would say "Give 'em a smile, Iron," and up that
lip would go as if on command.
Once in a while an animal comes along that really touches your
life. For his owners, his caregivers & countless walking horse fans, this
horse was "Iron Works." His stunning beauty & unique personality touched the
hearts of so many & while our memories of him will live on forever, so will
we feel his loss. He enjoyed an incredible show career that made an
indelible mark in walking horse history claiming five world titles in all.
But everyone who knew & loved him would surely agree...he was so much more
than that!
Plans are underway to create a memorial garden around Iron's
grave. Randall & Gloria and Iron's Bridlewood family want the generations to
come to know what a special horse Iron was...what a great asset he was to
the breed & how he touched the lives of all who knew him.
By Tanya Hopper
