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Tennessee
Walking Horse OnLine Congratulates
Adult
Supreme Champion
Pam King, Ohio
Goldie Wilson Allen
Goldie Wilson Allen has been a part of Nod-A-Lot Acres off
and on since 1973 when she was purchased along with her half-sister Penny
Merry Allen F. from R. M. Foltz of Bremen, Ohio. Goldie was started under
saddle and sold a couple of years later, but bought back when her owners
at that time decided to leave the horse business.
Now a 16-year-old, Goldie Wilson Allen claims many fashionable older
bloodlines as she is by Major Golden Dare, a stallion with Wilson's Allen
blood, and out of a Merry Boy bred mare named Snow Man's Lady. She is
proudly owned by John and Pam King of Logan, and Roger, Twila, and Roger
King, Jr. of Lancaster, Ohio.
Goldie Wilson Allen began her show career in 1980 when Roger, Jr., decided
to use her as his 4-H horse project. None of them knew anything about
showing, but by attending 4-H clinics, and a lot of trial and error, Roger
and Goldie soon made their show ring debut. This team was soon competing
in Showmanship, Equitation, English Pleasure, Driving, Trail and Barrel
events. You name it, and Roger and Goldie did it!
During their 4-H career, the Kings had many judges tell them that they
didn't know Walking Horses could do all these things. It was not easy,
however, to compete with a Walking Horse in an area heavily populated with
Quarter Horses. In fact, many judges would ignore Goldie because she
didn't trot. Even though these judges would not place the mare, they left
the show with an entirely different opinion of Walking Horses!
The highlights of the years in 4-H came in the form of earning enough
points to become the FairfIeld County High Point Saddle Seat Award winner
and qualifying in both 1981 and 1983 to compete in the Ohio 4-H Horse
Show. There Roger and Goldie competed against many of the state's leading
saddle seat teams and always placed in the top ten!
Since Goldie was doing so well at open horse shows, the Kings decided to
venture into the Walking Horse show world. What a disappointment, at
first. They attended a number of shows where it was always the same story
- people would tell them what a nice horse Goldie was, but the judges
didn't seem to notice her. Pacey, fast, black horses seemed to be the
fashion, and Goldie was certainly none of these!
Finally, en route to a show, the Kings decided that if they didn't do
better this time, then they wouldn't attend any more Walking Horse shows.
As the saying goes, Goldie 'cleaned up' and even qualified for her first
championship class! The judge later commented that he had never seen a
nicer, more natural plantation pleasure horse.
1985 was Goldie's year. She won the Lite-Shod Championship at Michigan's
Little Celebration and went on to the International Championship in
Murfreesboro, Tennessee where she won 15 ribbons in the 15 classes she was
entered. There she scored several wins, and placed fourth in the Lite-Shod
Championship. She never placed below fifth!
At the end of the 1985 season, Goldie had earned many distinct honors. She
was named the Mid-Ohio Walking Horse Association's High Point Horse with a
total of 1505 points, and earned the Plantation Walking Horse Association
of Tennessee's High Point Western Pleasure and Versatility awards. Goldie
earned Honor Roll recognition in the TWHBEA Versatility Program as well as
the High Point English Plantation Horse title. All this she managed to do
while being in foal!
By the end of 1985, the team needed one trail point and seven reining
points to obtain its ultimate goal - Supreme Versatility Champion.
Because of her maternal responsibilities, Goldie was shown very little in
1986. Much of her time was spent at the farm and it wasn't until her foal,
Peter Piper, was weaned that she went back to showing She did manage to
earn her final trail point and two more reining points, but five more
reining points were needed to achieve that elusive Supreme title.
Fate intervened in 1987 as Goldie lost her foal and the arthritis in her
front ankles began to bother her when negotiating the small circles and
quick stops necessary in reining competition. It appeared to be a "now or
never" situation and the Kings began searching for any show with a reining
class. When the time for the Southern Ohio Walking Horse Trials arrived
September 12th, Goldie had managed to capture four more reining points and
needed only one more for her championship.
Goldie wasn't the only one there working toward the prestigious title of
Supreme Champion. The Kings' fellow Mid-Ohio member and friend, Jan Dilley
of Blue Rock, Ohio, and her mare, Dilley's Lady Bug, also needed only one
reining point for their Supreme Championship. This meant that it was
possible that both horses could attain Supreme Championship in the same
class at the same show from the same club!
To earn one Versatility point, you must place over three horses. There
were eight horses in the reining class that day, so both Jan and Roger had
to place fifth or better to earn that point.
Goldie worked a decent pattern and didn't have any major faults. Everyone
crossed their fingers and waited for the results.
Jan didn't have long to wait as her mare placed second and earned her
Championship. The Kings hadn't really expected Goldie to win, and 'Buggs'
did work a cleaner pattern, so maybe they would be third, but they
weren't. 4th? No. Finally, fifth place - Goldie Wilson Allen and Roger
King! Goldie as now a Supreme Versatility Champion! Finally, the goal was
realized. Now, Goldie is semi-retired and raising babies. Currently she is
in foal to the Kings' stallion, Legend of Royal Heir, who is by World
Champion Go Boy's Royal Heir and out of an Ebony Masterpiece mare.
Throughout her leisure time, Goldie will continue to serve as a "P. R."
horse. Since they live near Lake Logan, a public lake, the Kings often
have tourists stop by to look at their horses. Goldie has given many
people their first ride on a Walking Horse and has helped convert many
skeptics to our breed. She has even educated many people who already own
Walkers since she is a true, head shakin', teeth poppin', ear floppin'
Plantation Walking Horse! Many have said they never really felt the
1-2-3-4 beat of the running walk until they took a ride on Goldie.
"We would like to thank all of Goldie's many friends and supporters,
especially Bonnie Ault of Baltimore, Ohio; Jan Dilley of Blue Rock, Ohio;
Mike Federer of Sugar Grove, Ohio; Mag Ranft of Pickerington, Ohio; and
Susan Scholl of Breman, Ohio, all of whom helped Goldie to achieve her
goal of Supreme Champion.
"We are very proud of Goldie and feel that the fact that neither she nor
her owners have ever had professional training is truly a fine testimony
to the natural ability, versatility, willingness and intelligence of our
wonderful breed."
(Reprinted from Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse
magazine June 1988)
Adult Supreme Champions
Youth Superior Champions
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