TWH History

For those who think the Walking Horse is comparatively new on the equine scene, pages of history reflect the strong influence this animal has had in the building of this country and in the daily lives of our forefathers. Mainly used for utility and riding stock, he gained wide popularity for his ease of gait and ability to stride faultlessly over hills and through the valleys of the rocky middle Tennessee terrain. Being used as a utility animal for all types of farm work, as well as family transportation and recreation, the old plantation-type horse was not trained for showing in those days -- its gait was naturally inherited. In 1885, a cross between a stallion called Allandorf, from the Hambletonian family of trotters, and Maggie Marshall, a Morgan mare, produced a black colt with a white blaze, off hind coronet and near hind sock, Black Allan, foal of 1886. Black Allan was a small black stallion that was bred to be a trotting racer, but Allan crushed everyone's expectations of him being the 'Great Trotter' he was bred to be. He only wanted to pace and no amount of training would change him. While the bloodlines of the Gray Johns, Copperbottoms, Slashers, Hals, Brooks and Bullett families ran thick and produced a type known as the Tennessee pacer prior to the arrival of Allan F-1 in Middle Tennessee, it was a cross between Allan and the Tennessee Pacer that produced today's Tennessee Walking Horse. At the age of 23 Allan was purchased by Albert Dement of Wartrace, Tennessee. Dement's dream was to produce a breed of horse that would perform the running walk naturally. Allan bred approximately 111 mares the last year of his life. He passed away at the ripe old age of 24. Following his death, Allan was

renamed Allan F-1 and was accepted as the Foundation Sire of the Tennessee Walking Horse breed. Before his death Allan was bred to Gertrude, a red roan with four white stockings and bald face. Her pedigree was filled with great foundation sires of the American Saddlebred, Morgan and Standardbred. Together they produced Roan Allan F-38, foaled May 23, 1904. Roan Allan was a real show horse who could perform not only the Flat Walk and Running Walk, but he could also perform the Fox Walk, Fox Trot, Slow Gait, Rack, and the Square Trot. He had a long overreach and a nodding head. Roan Allan sired many great Walkers, including Merry Boy and Wilson's Allan, which are two great stallions that virtually all Walking Horses trace back to. Wilson's Allan sired such greats as Strolling Jim, Melody Maid, Hayne's Peacock, City Girl, Pride Of Memphis, and the immortal Midnight Sun.