Wilson's Allen
{{Infobox named horse
| horsename = Wilson's Allen
|image =
| image_caption =
| breed = Tennessee Walking Horse
|discipline =
| sire = Roan Allen
| grandsire = Black Allan
| dam = Birdie Messick
| damsire = Black Allan
| sex = Stallion
| foaled = 1914
| country = United States
| color = Chestnut
| breeder = Bud Messick
| owner =
| trainer = Steve Hill
| racerecord =
| raceearnings =
| racewins =
| raceawards =
| otherawards =
| honors =
}}
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 stallion foaled in 1914 (some sources say 1917) in Coffee County, Tennessee.{{cite book|last1=Beisel|first1=Perky|last2=DeHart|first2=Rob|title=Middle Tennessee horse breeding|date=2007|publisher=Arcadia Pub.|location=Charleston, South Carolina|isbn=9780738552811|page=68|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6q0QPE7LH90C&pg=PA68}} 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 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 within the Tennessee Walking Horse breed.{{cite book|last1=Green|first1=Sara|title=The Tennessee Walking Horse|date=2011|publisher=Bellwether Media|location=Minneapolis|isbn=9781600146602|page=19|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cfKnamMwYKUC&pg=PA19}}{{cite web|url=http://www.twhheritagesociety.com/Notable%20Horses.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090812021136/http://www.twhheritagesociety.com/Notable%20Horses.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=August 12, 2009|title=Notable Horses of the Past|author=|date=|work=TWH Heritage Society|accessdate=11 December 2015}} Wilson's Allen was a chestnut with a left hind sock. 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.
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.{{cite web|url=http://www.twhheritagesociety.com/Notable%20Horses.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090812021136/http://www.twhheritagesociety.com/Notable%20Horses.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=August 12, 2009|title=Notable Horses From The Past |website=twhheritagesociety.com |publisher=Tennessee Walking Horse Heritage Society}}
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 (MTSU), where he was buried on the campus.{{cite web|url=http://www.walkerswest.com/Champs/WilsonsAllen.htm|title=Tennessee Walking Horses – Wilson's Allen Homepage|publisher=}} Later, his grave was moved to a new location near the MTSU Horse Science Center, where it remains to this day.{{cite web|url=http://www.t-g.com/story/2183691.html|title=Strolling Jim portrait graces museum (04/09/15)|work=Shelbyville Times-Gazette|at=Local News}}
Descendants
Wilson's Allen sired a total of 482 foals. Among them were five of the first ten World Grand Champions: Strolling Jim, winner in 1939; Haynes Peacock, winner in 1940 and 1941; Melody Maid, winner in 1942; City Girl, winner in 1944; and Midnight Sun, 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.
{{collapse top|title=Sire line descent tree}}
{{tree list}}
- Wilson's Allen{{Cite web|url=https://www.walkerswest.com/Champs/WilsonsAllen.htm|title=Tennessee Walking Horses - Wilson's Allen Homepage|website=www.walkerswest.com}}
- Roy Wilson
- Wilson Allen Repeat
- The Last Wilson Allen
- Haynes Peacock
- Slippery Allen
- Fulton's Wilson Allen
- Victor Allen
- Wartrace
- Miller's Wilson Allen
- Strolling Jim
- The G Man
- Wilson's Allen's Replica
- Hill's Wilson's Allen
- Sir Maugray
- Wilson Allen Again
- Wilson's Allen Jr
- Wilson's Allen's Sunset Gold
- Wilson Allen's Dictator
- Frank Wilson
- Gold Bond
- King's Wilson's Allen
- Red Warrior
- Top Wilson
- Wilson's Allen's Boss Man
- Wilson's Allen's II
- Wilson's Allen's Order
- Billy Wilson
- Fisher's Wilson's Allen
- Governor Wilson
- Hi-Boy
- King of Haven
- King of the Alamo
- Limestone Wilson
- Midnight Sun{{Cite web|url=https://www.walkerswest.com/Champs/MidnightSun.htm|title=Tennessee Walking Horse - Midnight Sun #410751, home page by Walkers West|website=www.walkerswest.com}}
- Skipper Son Midnight
- Ebony Masterpiece{{Cite web|url=https://www.walkerswest.com/Champs/EbonyMasterpiece.htm|title=Ebony Masterpiece #560586 home page by Walkers West|website=www.walkerswest.com}}
- Ebony's Senator{{Cite web|url=https://www.walkerswest.com/Champs/EbonysSenator.htm|title=Tennessee Walking horse - Ebony's Senator #641156 home page by Walkers West|website=www.walkerswest.com}}
- Ebony Mountain Man{{Cite web|url=https://www.walkerswest.com/Champs/EbonyMountainMan.htm|title=Ebony Mountain Man #670069, home page by Walkers West|website=www.walkerswest.com}}
- Ebony's True Grit{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=19750908&id=rS8dAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4J0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=3120,861023&hl=en|title=Ebony's True Grit is horse champ |publisher=The Tuscaloosa News |via=Google News Archive Search}}
- Another Masterpiece{{Cite web|url=https://www.walkerswest.com/Champs/AnotherMasterpiece.htm|title=Tennessee Walking horse - Another Masterpiece #681363 home page by Walkers West|website=www.walkerswest.com}}
- Ebony's Bold Courier{{Cite web|url=https://www.walkerswest.com/Champs/EbonysBoldCourier.htm|title=Tennessee Walking horse - Ebony's Bold Courier #752371 home page by Walkers West|website=www.walkerswest.com}}
- Dr Elmer[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1842&dat=19940714&id=wQMiAAAAIBAJ&pg=2542,1846218&hl=en Kiwanis Club hosting annual event]
- Black Charger[https://www.walkerswest.com/Champs/Masquerading.htm In Memory of Masquerading]
- Talk of the Town
- Midnight's Major
- B Major Wilson
- Midnight Mack
- Rodgers Perfection
- Perfectionist's Carbon Copy{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=19710727&id=QhofAAAAIBAJ&pg=2943,4804913&hl=en|title=Horse trainer finds road to victory tough|publisher=The Tuscaloosa News |via=Google News Archive Search}}
- Shades of Carbon{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1891&dat=19760906&id=W0snAAAAIBAJ&pg=2303,993839&hl=en|title=Champ walking horse to stay in Tennessee |publisher=Gadsden Times |via=Google News Archive Search}}
- Mack K's Handshaker
- Shaker's Shocker{{Cite web|url=https://www.walkerswest.com/Champs/ShakersShocker.htm|title=Tennessee Walking horse - SHAKER'S SHOCKER #621314 home page by Walkers West|website=www.walkerswest.com}}
- Handshaker's Delight{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=19720903&id=4RsfAAAAIBAJ&pg=5439,746889&hl=en|title=Handshaker in Grand Champion |publisher=The Tuscaloosa News |via=Google News Archive Search}}
- Sun's Quarterback
- Triple Threat{{Cite web|url=https://www.walkerswest.com/Champs/TripleThreat.htm|title=Triple Threat home page by Walkers West|website=www.walkerswest.com}}
- Threat's Supreme{{Cite web|url=https://www.walkerswest.com/Champs/ThreatsSupreme.htm|title=Tennessee Walking horse - Threat's Supreme #673989 home page by Walkers West|website=www.walkerswest.com}}
- Sun's Jet Parade
- Setting Sun
- Sun's Gunsmoke
- Drug Dealer
- The Pusher{{Cite web|url=https://www.walkerswest.com/Champs/OutOnParole.htm|title=Tennessee Walking horse - OUT ON PAROLE #970569 home page by Walkers West|website=www.walkerswest.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.walkerswest.com/Champs/TheBlackNightShade.htm|title=Tennessee Walking horse - THE BLACK NIGHT SHADE #983540 home page by Walkers West|website=www.walkerswest.com}}
- Sun's Delight
- Delight Bummin Around
- Black Go Boy Sun
- Go Boys Black Fury
- Motown Magic[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1842&dat=19991008&id=uWQpAAAAIBAJ&pg=6979,1094463&hl=en Never Dunn]
- Pride of Midnight{{Cite web|url=https://www.walkerswest.com/Champs/PrideofMidnight.htm|title=Tennessee Walking horse, Pride of Midnight HF homepage|website=www.walkerswest.com}}
- Pride's Design
- Flashy Pride
- Pride's Gold Coin
- Coin's Hard Cash
- Pride's Royal Master
- Mind Games{{Cite web|url=https://www.walkerswest.com/Champs/Gameworld.htm|title=Tennessee Walking horse - GAMEWORLD #20501780 home page by Walkers West|website=www.walkerswest.com}}
- Pride's Generator{{cite web|url=http://www.walkerswest.com/Champs/PridesGenerator.htm|title=Tennessee Walking horse - Prides Generator #753925 home page by Walkers West|website=www.walkerswest.com|accessdate=16 December 2017}}
- Gen's Major General
- Gen's Armed and Dangerous
- Gen's Fable
- A Jazz Man
- Generator's Santana
- Generator's Silver Dollar{{Cite web|url=https://www.walkinghorsereport.com/news/equine-obituary-strong-dollar-10323|title=Equine Obituary - A Strong Dollar | The Walking Horse Report|website=The Walking Horse Report Online}}
- The Skywatch{{Cite web|url=https://www.walkerswest.com/Champs/WatchItNow.htm|title=Tennessee Walking horse - WATCH IT NOW #20302938 home page by Walkers West|website=www.walkerswest.com}}
- Pride's Jubilee Star
- Pride's Sundance Star
- Pride's Jubilee Encore
- Pride's Secret Threat
- Pride's Genius
- The Revelation
- A Command Performance
- He's Puttin' on the Ritz
- Pride's John Grey
- Another Grey John[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1980&dat=19950402&id=D3koAAAAIBAJ&pg=1321,140763&hl=en The Touch draws crowd of horse fans to Bishopville event]
- Pride's Dark Spirit
- Dark Spirit's Rebel
- Delight of Pride
- Pride's Final Edition
- Wilson Dean
- Wilson's Ace
- Wilson's Allen Winchester
- Wilson's Allen's Echo
- Wilson's Flight Allen
- Society Man
{{tree list/end}}
{{collapse bottom}}
Pedigree
| class="wikitable" style="clear:both; margin:0em auto; width:90%;"
|+ style="padding-bottom:0.4em;"| Pedigree of Wilson's Allen |
| rowspan="8"|Sire Roan Allen |rowspan="4"|Black Allan* |rowspan="2"|Allendorf* |Onward* |
|---|
| Alma Mater* |
| rowspan="2"|Maggie Marshall*
|Bradfords Telegraph* |
| Truman Pollock mare* |
| rowspan="4"|Gertrude
|rowspan="2"|Royal Denmark |Artist |
| (unknown) |
| rowspan="2"|Ball II
|Bullet Jr. |
| Ball |
| rowspan="8"|Dam Birdie Messick |rowspan="4"|Black Allan* |rowspan="2"|Allendorf* |Onward* |
| Alma Mater* |
| rowspan="2"|Maggie Marshall*
|Bradfords Telegraph* |
| Truman Pollock mare* |
| rowspan="4"|Nellie
|rowspan="2"|Walking Dan Allen |Major |
| Martha Washington |
| rowspan="2"|Minnie Ready
|Hal Summer |
| Readys Stonewall |