Pryor08_Clippings02

- I • Webb Rides Third Champion Tennessee Walker \q1i ............-~----,.- ... ~~ byAliceAMKtllar . To Billy Sims it's the Heimian Trophy and to Ron Guidry it's the Cy Youn, Award, but to any walking bone enthusiast the absolute in achievement is the National Celebration in Shelbyville, Tennessee, where more thao 1.800 hones are entered ln competition. Lut September, Joe Webb ('50) had the distinction of claiming that world championship title for the thhd tune, the fust person ever to accomplish such a feat. Webb's mount was a nine-yur-old black stalJjon wled Mart of Carbon, whose gra.odsire, Rodgers' Perfection, claimed the victory in 1959 and his lire, Perfection's Carbon Copy, in 1964. It was the first time a trainer had started, trained and ridden three ,enerations of World Grand Champions. In taking Mark of Carbon to the roses, Webb, who has trained horses more than 35 years, had his charge since the nine-month-old colt was seat ftom California by his owner, Verd Wallcer. Mark of Carbon bu been retin,d by Walter and is now standing at stud in Middle Tennessee. Webb started breaking the hone at 5 months, then taught him the ftat walt and running walk, The canter is the last of the three gaits of a Tennessee W alke.r. He also teachc:s the head motion, the nodding being the peculiarity that sets the walker apart from other breeds. Breaking records is not a new ex– perience to Webb, however. In his training career he bas trained and ridden 14 world champions. In addition to operating a training stable in Searcy, Joe holds a riding camp for boys and girl$ age 8 to 18at Camp Miles Sylvania near C1a.rtsville, Arb.D$as, during the summer months. Also be conducts 111 tlte loun,e of Webb St4bk, inS~. tniiMr,11,d 1tone lilke" Cft/w bred:. ridina and training schools for adutta. Recently a SQSion in Sean:y attracted 32 riders from 10 states. Other shows will be conducted u w as San Francisco and the $tale of Virginia before he starts the show circuit in late spring. The alumnus ls the author of "The Cate and Training of the Tennessee Walking Hone," a publication now in the third revised edition and the Obly recognized book that has been published on training waJJcing bona. Hia operation took a lflrious setback in 1976 when his barn was completely destroyed by fire. The facility has been rebuilt and he now has about 30 bona in training again. The calm. confident, patient demeanor that is so much a permanent characteristic of Webb somehow seems to be imparted to the hOl"le$ he trains. Time is no barrier when it comes to the amount of attention necessary to brina an animal to show ring quality. Ob– leffCn quickly note and are readily amu.ed at the control he commands with bis mounts.When he climbs in the saddle it's as though be and the hoae become a ·solid unit and Joe gives the appearance of riding in a luxury automobile. He can electrify a crowd, whether be is givi.ns an exhibition ride or performing ln fierce competition. Horses ha~ always had a pu in his life. While be was a student at Harding in the late -10's, he worked part time on a farm in Searcy training walkers. At. a boy be trained Im pets. Rex and Tony, to do numerous tricb. Some might claim his affinity for bones reached the ridk:ulous when he and Nell Youn1 ('54) were married in l %0 and took two horses on their honeymoon! Except for a brief stay (training horses) in Florida, Searcy has always been home for the Webb family- the listing of which l:Qds like a Harding ' alumni directory. Their children are Sharon (BA'74), married to PhlJ Pharr (BA '70), who lives in Nashville, Ten.nes~; Joanna (BA '78) is married to Adrian Hickmon (BA '77). who is now working toward his master's at HardiJli; Kim, a December sraduate, resides in Searcy with Bob Winston (BA •71); and Kevin is currently a sophomore ud also a Bison football letterman. Joe's thn:e sisters, Normanda ('45). K. Nell ('45) and Maudemma ('42), are married to alumni Dean lawyer (BA •45), Jack Pruett (BA '-48) and James Daniel (BA '40), respectively. and Nell's sister Vera ('St) is married to Charles Draper(BA 'SO). The next prospects are Sharon's 1WO young sons. Webb can claim a world title &om the SO's, the 60's and the 70's, and with a new decade about to begin, he's looking feverishly for the right 'boss' to keep the chain going for the 80's,