Hill's Perfection
A Hidden Horse with a Great Future
Article and photo courtesy of Shellie of Slush Creek Walkers

  "A horse without a physical flaw," six-year-old HILL'S PERFECTION, made his debut at the 1963 National Celebration by seizing the trophy in the Four-Years and Older Gelding Class to become the World's Champion Gelding, and he promises to be contender for the World's Grand Championship in future seasons. He took third place in the Grand Championship battle this year - chosen by the judges for the three-horse workout with SUN'S DELIGHT, Sam Pashal up, and TRIPLE THREAT, ridden by Harold Kennedy.
  HILL'S PERFECTION had been a "hidden horse" since his foaling in Iowa - until the day Steve Hill bought the animal as a stallion, aged four years, six months. He had been running in North Dakota with mares, engaged in "pasture breeding."
  Steve had a man-sized job in breaking the strong stallion, and he gelded the stalwart son of MIDNIGHT SUN our of BABY RAY by MERRY BOY in the process of developing the great gelding within a period of eighteen months.
  HILL'S PERFECTION swept the blue ribbon in his class at the Chicago International last fall, first of his major show victories. Then the horse campaigned in Middle Tennessee to win at the spring show in Nashville, at Manchester, at Huntsville, and at Murfreesboro.
  Steve says the horse has no physical flaw that he has been able to detect. He has a natural lick; he possesses a rare rhythm, hard to find in most horses; he executes the gaits separately and distinctly; he has speed to cope with any other animal of the breed; and he also shows the natural head motion that identifies perfectly the Tennessee Walking Horse.

Oldest Active Trainer in Show

  The veteran rider-trainer, oldest in years of service among all the active trainers showing at the Celebration of 1963, believes this gelding will "last for years" as a contender for top honors. And Steve should know. He sat on the back of TALK OF THE TOWN, a gelding who won the Grand Championship of the World in 1951-52-53 - and set the record no other horse has equaled.
  HILL'S PERFECTION won his class with a judge-referee vote for first place and was a unanimous  choice for third place in the Grand Championship Stake in which fifteen horses competed.
  Steve Hill won four blue ribbons and a third place to lead all professional riders at the 1963 Big Show. He was ridden in every one of the 25 Celebrations - and rode STROLLING MARY to the Two-Year Championship in the 1939 Celebration that started the historic show on its march to great glory. He also owned his victorious horse that year.
  HILL'S PERFECTION was sold in 1962 to Mrs. Dwain Clark of Beverly Hills, California. Mr. Clark is a regional vice-president of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' and Exhibitors' Association of AMerica, Inc., for the Far-Western California area.
  Steve rode to the blue ribbon the great eight-year-old mare, LITTLE MYSTERY, which again became the World Champion Mare and was one of the few champions to repeat at the 1963 Celebration. LITTLE MYSTERY is owned by W.C. MacInnes of Tampa, Florida, one of the most prominent utility magnates in the Southeast. The mare was sired by MERRY GO BOY out of the famous MIDNIGHT MYSTERY twice American Champion Mare.