Wilson's Allen (1914–1939) was an influential early

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 ...

sire. Although he himself was not used as a

show horse 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 ...

, he sired the first three World Grand Champions of his breed.

Life

Wilson's Allen was a Tennessee Walking Horse stallion

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 1914 (some sources say 1917) in

Coffee County, Tennessee Coffee County is a county located in the central part of the state of Tennessee, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 57,889. Its county seat is Manchester. Coffee County is part of the Tullahoma-Manchester ...

. He was bred by Bud Messick at the urging of Johnson Hill, who contracted to buy the colt for $200. Wilson's Allen was by the foundation sire

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 ...

and out of a mare named Birdie Messick. The breeding created a stir in the area because Roan Allen and Birdie Messick were both sired by Black Allan. That mating is considered by some to be the first deliberate act of

inbreeding Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders and o ...

within the Tennessee Walking Horse breed. Wilson's Allen was a

chestnut The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. The unrelat ...

with a left hind

sock A sock is a piece of clothing worn on the feet and often covering the ankle or some part of the calf. Some types of shoes or boots are typically worn over socks. In ancient times, socks were made from leather or matted animal hair. In the late ...

. Wilson's Allen was taken to Johnson Hill's farm at five months old. When he reached maturity, he was started under saddle by Hill's nephew Steve Hill, who later became a successful

horse trainer A horse trainer is a person who tends to horses and teaches them different disciplines. Some of the responsibilities trainers have are caring for the animals' physical needs, as well as teaching them submissive behaviors and/or coaching them for e ...

. Johnson Hill died in 1922 and Wilson's Allen was sold to Bibb Kirby. By then the horse had lost an eye and was referred to as "Kirby's one-eyed horse". Kirby tried to breed Wilson's Allen but did not have much success. In 1928 Wilson's Allen was sold to Frank Wilson, who immediately stood him at stud, with considerable success.

Death and burial

Wilson's Allen died in 1939 and was actually buried three different times. The first burial was right after his death, and the grave was located at Steve Hill's stables, but in 1975 the horse's body was exhumed and taken to

Middle Tennessee State University Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU or MT) is a public university in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Founded in 1911 as a normal school, the university consists of eight undergraduate colleges as well as a college of graduate studies, together off ...

(MTSU), where he was buried on the campus. Later, his grave was moved to a new location near the MTSU Horse Science Center, where it remains to this day.

Offspring

Wilson's Allen sired a total of 482 foals. Among them were five of the first ten World Grand Champions:

Strolling Jim Strolling Jim (1936–1957) was the first Tennessee Walking Horse to become World Grand Champion of his breed. Since Strolling Jim's death, a restaurant, street, and an annual ultramarathon in his hometown of Wartrace, Tennessee have been named aft ...

, winner in 1939; Haynes Peacock, winner in 1940 and 1941; Melody Maid, winner in 1942; City Girl, winner in 1944; and

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 ...

, winner in 1945 and 1946. It is estimated that of the nearly 70 horses who have won the World Grand Championship, only three do not trace in a direct line back to Wilson's Allen.

Pedigree

References

{{reflist, 30em Individual Tennessee Walking Horses 1914 animal births 1939 animal deaths Individual male horses