Pride of Midnight (1966-1979) was a

Tennessee Walking Horse The Tennessee Walking Horse or Tennessee Walker is a breed of gaited horse known for its unique four-beat running-walk and flashy movement. It was originally developed as a riding horse on farms and plantations in the American South. It is a ...

who had a short career as a show horse but became very notable as a sire in his breed.

Life

Pride of Midnight was

foal A foal is an equine up to one year old; this term is used mainly for horses, but can be used for donkeys. More specific terms are colt for a male foal and filly for a female foal, and are used until the horse is three or four. When the foal i ...

ed in 1966. He was a black

stallion A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded (castrated). Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" nec ...

with a snip of white on his nose. He was sired by the two-time World Grand Champion

Midnight Sun The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon that occurs in the summer months in places north of the Arctic Circle or south of the Antarctic Circle, when the Sun remains visible at the local midnight. When the midnight sun is seen in the Arctic, t ...

and out of the mare Pride of Stanley. His paternal grandsire was

Wilson's Allen Wilson's Allen (1914–1939) was an influential early Tennessee Walking Horse sire. Although he himself was not used as a show horse, he sired the first three World Grand Champions of his breed. Life Wilson's Allen was a Tennessee Walking Horse ...

, and his great-grandsire was the foundation stallion

Roan Allen Roan Allen (1904–1930) was one of the founding sires of the Tennessee Walking Horse. It is believed that all Tennessee Walking Horses alive today trace back to him. Life Roan Allen was born May 23, 1904, on the farm of James Brantley in Coffee ...

. He was bred and owned by

Harlinsdale Farm Harlinsdale Farm is a historic district in Franklin, Tennessee that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. It dates from c.1900 and had other significant dates in 1935 and 1945. Its main horse stable, the centerpiece of ...

. Pride of Midnight was trained by Dot Warren and won first in several

horse show A horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer fo ...

s, but was retired to breeding at a young age. He became one of the most notable sires in the Tennessee Walking Horse industry. He died in 1979, after colicking twice. Bill Harlin, one of Harlinsdale's owners, later said that when Pride of Midnight died, it was the last time he saw his father cry.

Influence

During his lifetime Pride of Midnight sired 1703 foals who were registered with the

Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' and Exhibitors' Association The Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' and Exhibitors' Association (abbreviated TWHBEA) is the oldest breed association for the Tennessee Walking Horse. It was founded in 1935 and is headquartered in Lewisburg, Tennessee. The association also runs ...

. Numerous World and World Grand Champions are among his descendants. His son

Pride's Generator Pride's Generator (1975–2001) was a Tennessee Walking Horse who won three World Championships before being retired to breeding. Standing at stud first at S. W. Beech Stables and later at Waterfall Farms, he sired over 2,000 foals, of which two ...

was a three-time World Champion and also a notable sire. His grandsons include Cash for Keeps, the 2000 World Grand Champion; Generator's Silver Dollar, a notable stud; Gen's Armed and Dangerous, the 1993 World Grand Champion; The Skywatch, two-time World Champion; and Generator's Santana, the 1997 World Grand Champion.

References

{{Reflist Individual Tennessee Walking Horses