Heritage Horses
Heritage Horses are horses that were not previously registered but are deserving of a place in the Registry. They are from a time when neither blood typing nor DNA testing was available. Following the guidelines set forth below, we can now get those horses recorded with the designation of “Heritage Horse” with the Registry of the American Saddlebred Horse and Breeders Association. We are grateful to the ASHBA Historical Committee and all of the wonderful work they have done researching historical records. Guidelines for Heritage Horse Designation.
CH MASS OF GOLD 131965G – HERITAGE HORSE
Bred by Allie G. Jones, Foaled in 1914 Chestnut Gelding Large snip, right front ankle, left hind ankle, right hind coronet, white. Sire: Rex Peavine 1796, Dam: Cornelia King 3344, by Bourbon King 1788.
Mass Of Gold was one of the first horses to achieve multiple wins in the Five Gaited World's Grand Championship at the Kentucky State Fair. A three time winner of the big stake, his victories were in 1920, 1921 and 1923. He was also the World's Champion Five Gaited Gelding in 1920 and 1921. He was Reserve World's Champion Gelding in 1919 and 1923. A nearly forgotten bit of trivia is that he was also the winner of the Five Gaited Combination Gelding class at the 1919 Kentucky State Fair, his first year to make an appearance at that show.
Although not as heavily campaigned as some, Mass Of Gold was the winner of Championships at such prestigious shows as South Shore Country Club (1920-1921), the Illinois State Fair, Missouri State Fair and Tulsa Horse Show (1921). In 1922, he was injured while showing at South Shore. This put him out of contention for the Kentucky State Fair that year. But his return in 1923 proved that he was still the gritty little champion that was so beloved by the public.
During the majority of his career, he was owned by the famous Tulsa, Oklahoma sportsman, W.L. Lewis and often shown by Del Holman. However, his career began under the guidance of William Shropshire. Allie Jones showed him several times, most notably at the Kentucky State Fair in 1920 and 1921. Robert McCray was his rider for his final World's Grand Champion title in 1923. Like so many of his era, he was not registered because he was a gelding despite the fact that both his parents were, in fact, registered horses. His breeding is well documented throughout newspapers, magazine articles and in the legendary Susanne book, Famous Saddle Horses (Volume 2, page 302). His breeding is also acknowledged in the Kentucky State Fair records and official programs.
CH Parading Lady 157705M – Heritage Horse
Bred by: Walter "Johnny" Johnson, Foaled: spring of 1946, Chestnut Mare. Connected star, stripe and snip wider between nostrils, left front ankle higher in back, both hind stockings, white. Sire: Denmark Beaverkettle 15414. Dam: Cherry Blossom Time (unreg.), by Peavine's Roan King (unreg. son of Peavine's Highland Chief 10227 x Tryon Chief 3975 mare) 2nd dam: Johnnie Harris 23561, by Brilliant Star 3151.
Parading Lady was one of the most notable Fine Harness horses to show in the 1950's. She was, for that matter, one of the grandest of all time. She was sold as a youngster to J.S. McIntyre, Bridlewood Farm, Keswick, Virginia, received her early training from Frank Bradshaw and was sold through Tattersalls in the spring of 1950. She began her show career that same year, with Owen Haley showing for George Huss's Valley Farm of Ringtown, Pennsylvania. Before Louisville, she was sold yet again to the well known exhibitor/owner, C. Leake Fain, Jr. of Atlanta, Georgia. He drove her to victory and to her first World's Championship in the 1950 Junior Fine Harness Stake. In total, she showed ten times that season, suffering only one defeat which came in the Fine Harness World's Grand Championship. Her wins were at such prestigious shows as Devon, the Kentucky State Fair and the American Royal.
After her grand appearance at the Kentucky State Fair, she was purchased by Josephine Abercrombie, Houston, Texas, and became one of the stars of her Pin Oak Stables string. Harry Lathrop picked up the lines and set sail. In 1951, she was shown twelve times, with wins at Tulsa, Shreveport, Lexington, the Kentucky State Fair, the Tennessee State Fair and the Los Angeles International. Her one and only defeat was at Tulsa, where she bowed to the greatness of an up and coming WGC CH Regal Aire (reg. as Denmark's Mokanna).
In 1952, she was shown fourteen times (with thirteen wins), mostly by master trainer Frank Bradshaw. Her wins were at Devon, Lexington, the Indiana and Kentucky State Fairs, the American Royal (with Herbert McClain driving), the Pennsylvania National and the New York National. 1953 saw this brilliant mare show twelve times (with eleven victories). She was shown exclusively by her owner, Josephine Abercrombie. As usual, her performances were in all the best places---Devon, Lexington, the Indiana State Fair, the Pennsylvania and New York Nationals and the Royal Winter Fair in Canada. She did not show at Louisville. 1954 saw her show in six classes at three shows. They were at the Indiana State Fair, the Kentucky State Fair and the American Royal. Again, she was shown by Ms. Abercrombie. She won five and had the usual single defeat.
To summarize, Parading Lady was a three-time World's Grand Champion Fine Harness Horse. Her titles were earned in 1951, 1952 and 1954, each with a different driver. She won an additional four World's Championships. In her career, she was exhibited fifty four times with forty nine wins and a mere five losses. She was an amazing but difficult individual and, most likely, handed herself some of those defeats. As for verification of her breeding, it has been very well publicized in trade magazines and the Kentucky State Fair results and programs.