Merry Go Boy

Merry Go Boy
Merry Go Boy
Breed	Tennessee Walking Horse
Discipline	Show horse
Sire	Merry Boy
Grandsire	Roan Allen
Dam	Wiser's Dimples
Maternal grandsire	Giovanni
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1943
Country	United States
Color	Black, star and left hind sock
Breeder	Archie Wiser
Trainer	Winston Wiser
Major wins
World Grand Championships in 1947, 1948

Merry Go Boy (May 4, 1943 – July 7, 1967) was a highly influential Tennessee Walking Horse sire and two-time World Grand Champion. He is credited for producing the most desirable conformation type in his offspring.

Life

Merry Go Boy under saddle c. 1947

Merry Go Boy wearing a championship wreath

Merry Go Boy was foaled on May 4, 1943. He was sired by the stallion Merry Boy, and out of a mare named Wiser's Dimples. Merry Go Boy was black with a white star and near hind sock. He was bred by Archie Wiser of Wartrace, Tennessee, and sold to Wiser's brother Winston for $350 when he was a few weeks old.^[1] In 1944, Elroy Mallard from Georgetown, Kentucky bought a half-interest in Merry Go Boy. In 1948, Merry Go Boy was sold again to a Virginia owner for a then-record price of $55,000.^[2] Merry Go Boy was euthanized due to arthritis on July 7, 1967, at Belfast, Tennessee.^[3]

Career

Merry Go Boy won the weanling horse colt class at the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration in 1943. In 1944, he won the yearling colt class and the yearling championship. He won the two-year-old stallion class in 1945, and in the following year, 1946, won the three-year-old stallion/gelding junior stake and was then entered in the "big stake" or World Grand Championship, which he lost to Midnight Sun. However, Merry Go Boy won the World Grand Championship title a year afterwards, in 1947, and again in 1948.^[4][1]

Merry Go Boy's last major win was in 1967, when he won the get of sire class at the Celebration.^[5]

Offspring

After his retirement from showing, Merry Go Boy was put to stud in 1954 at S.W. Beech's stables.^[6] He sired three World Grand Champions: Go Boy's Shadow, winner in 1955 and 1956 with Winston Wiser; Go Boy's Sundust, winner in 1967; and Go Boy's Royal Heir, winner in 1968. In the 1960 Breeders' National Futurity, 24 of the 46 awards were given to sons and daughters of Merry Go Boy, although it is not known what became of these horses after they matured.^[1] Merry Go Boy is credited with popularizing his black color and fine conformation within his breed.^[7]

Sire line tree

• Merry Go Boy^[8]
  • Go Boy's Shadow
    • Shadows Shadow
      • Sensational Shadow
  • Go Boy's Royal Heir
  • Go Boy's Sundust

Pedigree

Pedigree of Merry Go Boy^[9]

Sire Merry Boy	Roan Allen	Black Allan*	Allendorf*
			Maggie Marshall*
		Gertrude	Royal Denmark
			Ball II
	Merry Legs	Black Allan*	Allendorf*
			Maggie Marshall*
		Nell Dement	Donald
			Flax
Dam Wiser's Dimples	Giovanni	Dandy Jim II	McDonald Chief
			Lady Mc
		Francesca	Joel
			Mabel
	Wiser's Minnie	Black Allan*	Allendorf*
			Maggie Marshall*
		Wiser's Molly	(unknown)
			(unknown)

* Merry Go Boy is inbred 3S x 3S x 3D to the stallion Black Allan, meaning that he appears third generation twice on the sire side of his pedigree and third once generation on the dam side of his pedigree.

References

1. "Tennessee Walking Horses – Merry Go Boy 431336Homepage".
2. "Book Review: The Echo of Hoofbeats". Archived from the original on 2017-05-10. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
3. "Spokane Daily Chronicle - Google News Archive Search". Spokane Daily Chronicle – via Google News Archive Search.
4. Russell, George B. (1967). "Hoofprints in time".
5. "Spokane Daily Chronicle - Google News Archive Search".
6. "TWHBEA | Association". Archived from the original on 2015-12-08. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
7. Beisel, Perky; Dehart, Rob (2007). Middle Tennessee Horse Breeding. ISBN 9780738552811.
8. In Memory of Merry Go Boy
9. "Merry Go Boy Tennessee Walking Horse".