Sun’s Delight was sired by
Midnight Sun, out of Wilson Snip’s Chance by Wilson Dean, who was by
Wilson’s Allen. His
second dam was Snip’s Chance by Last Chance, by Hunter’s Allen F-10,
and his third dam was Snip, a daughter of Grey Lad.
His fourth dam was the famous foundation mare, Merry Legs
F-4. The breeder of
Sun’s Delight was A. S. Dean of Christiana, TN.
He was the owner of Sun’s Delight at the 1962 Celebration
when this great horse tied second in the event for Junior Stallions
and was named Reserve Junior Champion Walking Horse over some of the
best competition every exhibited at a Celebration showing.
Sun’s Delight was undoubtedly one of the most popular World Grand
Champion walking horses of all time.
Fine and handsome, this chestnut son of Midnight Sun had, in
addition to his beautiful conformation, the three distinct gaits of
the true walking horse.
Many considered him the perfect model for the breed in looks,
manners and action.
In January of 1961, A. S. Dean took Sun’s Delight to the stable of
Neal Branscum in Winchester, TN to begin his training for the
ensuing brilliant show ring career, and it was under Branscum’s
guidance that this great horse was started and shown through his
junior year. During the
fall of 1962, Fray Escue of Covington, KY asked Sam Paschal to begin
searching for what he considered to be the “outstanding Tennessee
Walking horse in the country”.
Sam visited dozens of stables before notifying Mr. Escue that
he had located what he thought to be the most likely prospect for a
champion – Sun’s Delight.
This great horse was purchased from Dean on January 7th,
1963 and was brought to Sam Paschal’s City View Stables in
Murfreesboro, TN to complete his training.
Exactly eight months later, Sun’s Delight was declared the
1963 World Grand Champion.
Sun’s Delight, as were the two previous World Grand Champions from
Sam Paschal’s stable, Setting Sun and Ebony Masterpiece, was retired
from active show ring competition following his big win at the
Celebration. He
stood at stud at Harlinsdale Farm in Franklin, TN, and the demand
for his services was heavy.
Many knowing horsemen predicted that he would become one of
the most outstanding sires of the breed because of his quality and
natural way of going.
Many of the sons and daughters of Sun’s Delight made outstanding
records in the show ring, and his popularity as one of the leading
sires increased with each succeeding crop of colts.
Nothing in Sun’s Delight’s gaits were hand-made, and it was
noted that everything he did was done as nature intended.
He proved what he could do and he had the breeding behind him
to go with those natural ways.
Since he was retired in 1963, the name of Sun’s Delight D. has
appeared in the pedigrees of many many world champions, and on those
of six World Grand Champions -
1973 W. G. Ch. Delight Bumin Around; 1984 W. G. Ch. Delight
of Pride; 1987 W. G. Ch. Coin’s Hard Cash; 1988 W. G. Ch. Doc’s High
Tribute; 1995 W. G. Ch. Pride’s Sundance Star; and 1997 W. G. Ch. Generator’s Santana. |
