I would like to nominate JACK CHAPMAN, STETTLER, AB and his gelding, TONY as Century Partners. Sadly, Tony died in 2009 at age 25. They are seen above, leading the Stettler Parade – in the rain!
Tony is irreplaceable, but Jack, even at age 90, can’t be without his saddle horse, so they have now found Walkaway Moondancer #1119 (Darkie’s Last Chance x Chapie’s Bay Doll). Ironically, when the Chapmans looked at his papers, they discovered that they had owned all of his grandparents and parents at one time. He was conceived on their farm and has come full circle.
Jack has raised Tennessee Walkers for many years. He rode his first Walking Horse stallion on the Polo Park racetrack in Winnipeg in 1969. He and Ellwood Smith drove there to see a TWH which they then purchased from a man in Ontario and brought back to Alberta. Since then many, many people have got their start in Walkers thanks to the Chapmans.
Marjorie Lacy
Jack Chapman’s Story by Madeleine Chapman
Jack Chapman on Walkaway Moondancer, aka Joe, photo taken August, 2011. Jack’s beloved ‘Tony’ died in 2010, and Madeleine says, “Although Joe isn’t Tony, he is sure a nice old horse to have around. I’m hoping to use him to teach our two year old grandson to ride one day.”
In the late 1930’s, before he went to war, Jack worked for a man south of Erskine [near Stettler, AB] who raised Kentucky Whip horses. They were a gaited horse and he was impressed with them. So, in 1959 Jack purchased a dark chestnut Walking Horse mare at the Calgary Horse sale, consigned by a man from High River. She was carrying a palomino filly that became one of Jack’s part-Walker brood mares [Goldie]. Unfortunately the Walker mare died of a kinked bowel the following year before she foaled.
In 1967 Jack arranged to meet Lloyd Falls of Thunder Bay, Ontario at the old Polo Park racetrack in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Ellwood Smith accompanied him as he did for many other trips. Lloyd was bringing a two year old TWH stallion with him. The purchase price was to be $500.00 if Jack liked the horse, and $50.00 for his trouble, if not.
The horse was Rhythm O’ Rolling Hills by Sun’s Merry Man out of Melody O’ Rolling Hills (Colonel D. x Black Beauty Allen). I believe Melody was bred by Marie McBroom in Montana and came from Calvin Miller’s Double Diamond Ranch in Rhame, North Dakota carrying the colt.
Rhythm O’ Rolling Hills 658791USA and #57 CAN became known as “King” and sired many part blood Walkers for Jack and many friends and neighbors. He was a flashy “roan” with white stockings and bald face, with white under chin and jaw, and flaxen mane & tail.
In 1975 Jack purchased the mare, Shadows Lyrical #695790 (Shadow’s Brantley x Little Toot Wilson by Thunderbird) and her 2 year old stud colt, Prairie Breeze #732966 (by Laddie’s Monte Ray) from Allan Ball of Perdue, Saskatchewan. Jack also bought the stallion Laddies’ Monte Ray from Allan Ball when he bought Shadows Lyrical. Ellwood Smith purchased Ray after Jack had used him for a season. Both the mare and stallion had come from Pearl Tompkins’ MT ranch. Known as “Darkie”, Shadows Lyrical became a trusted saddle horse and valued broodmare. She had many foals including the noted stallions, Prairie Breeze, Chapie’s Topper, Darkie’s Last Chance and Chapies’ Shadow King. Another well known sire Jack owned was Kings’ Stormy Mist #771871 (Beauty’s Sage King and out of Doll O’ The Mist. He purchased him as a yearling in Beaverlodge, AB. Jack used him as a stallion for ten years, after which he was gelded and became a saddle horse for our 7 year old son.
Tim’s Blue Canadian (Canadian Blue x A Masterpiece’s Pixie) was another stallion used extensively after Stormy. Jack’s last stallion was Dark Celtic Chance (Misty Dark Delite x Heather’s Angel) raised by McDonalds of Pouce Coupe, British Columbia.
Jack has raised countless purebred and partblood Tennessee Walking Horses over the past half century and only parted with his last broodmare in spring, 2011.
Below Madeleine, on Shadow’s Lyrical in the mountains, holding Jack’s horse, a different “Tony” (out of the original palomino from the mare from the Calgary horse sale). Ralph McDonald checking the saddle.
Shadow’s Lyrical 1980 in mountains.
The last offspring from Shadow’s Lyrical, the stallion, Chapie’s Shadow King.
King’s Stormy Mist (Beauty’s Sage King x Doll O’ the Mist) was another
stallion Jack owned and used for years.
Tim’s Blue Canadian was used extensively after King’s Stormy Mist was
gelded.
This is Laddie’s Monte Ray, also purchased from Allen Ball in
Saskatchewan.
He was later owned by Ellwood Smith who sold him to Don & Jo-Anne of
McDonald Farms, Pouce Coupe, BC.
