For most of his life, RED BUD'S RASCAL remained what his sire had been, a true family horse that could be depended upon  to do things like provide a calm ride in a nighttime Christmas parade. In the larger equine world beyond his pasture's borders, Racking Horses were the hot new ticket for pleasure competitors, while the TWH show horses continued to be exhibited in pads even in pleasure classes.  BUD was  a  natural walking horse, not a speed racker, and as such attracted       only a small court of   mares. Times were changing in the seventies, however, as Saturday night shows added the occasional Plantation Pleasure class  for flatshod horses performing a nodding running walk, while in the  country, trail riding began an upsurge. Breeders across the nation began searching for remnants of the gentle, natural walking, utility horses  of the thirties and early forties. Deciding that he  had preserved what the market  now wanted, Leon ordered a set of business cards in     1979  advertising RED BUD'S RASCAL  as an old bloodline Tennnessee Walking Horse.

 

 During the eighties, breeders first in Middle Tennessee, then in other areas, discovered the gentle nature and smooth gaits       of the   RED BUD'S  RASCAL offspring and wanted more. Meanwhile, Leon took a top mare by OLD BUD to the court    of a grey stallion  by EBONY'S SENATORwhose grey color traced in an authentic line back to the foundation stallion TOP WILSON.     This cross produced a gorgeous grey filly foaled   black and a chestnut grey studcolt. Well pleased with the colt's build, bone, attitude, and gait,  Leon sold the filly but kept BUDS STERLING  BULLET  to stand alongside his grandsire at service at  Brown Shop Road Farms.

As the eighties faded into the nineties, OLD BUD continued to attract mares to his court, while BULLET's first crop arrived    in 1992.  All but one of the six foals was grey, establishing a tradition of a strong percentage of grey babies that would prove out  in each succeeding foal crop.  Meanwhile the OLD BUD daughters in production presented their owners with foals carrying the  traits of gait, disposition, and common sense.  As OLD BUD grew older, some breeders retained sons of the      old stallion. RED BUD'S RASCAL   died in July of 1997, having sired eleven foals   at the age of thirty.Currently, stallions       by OLD BUD in shades  of sorrel, sabino, and   palomino are found on  farms from Middle Tennessee to Texas.

Visitors to Brown Shop Road Farms will be able to see a number of fine daughters of RED BUD'S RASCAL. In addition, the   ever-popular Bullet continues to impress with his excellent manners, gentle nature, smooth saddle gaits, and balanced, rythmical  canter. A ride on Bullet  up and  down the driveway of the home place farm provides a thrill that deserves capture on video and  in photographs.

Brown Shop Road Farms is home to Heritage Tennessee Walking Horses from one of the oldest pleasure breeding programs in  the country,  jackstock descended from prize winners through many decades, beautiful American Cream Draft Horses, smooth  moving gaited ponies,  nervous goats, and other critters not seen at most horse farms. Young stock and well-broke trail horses are usually available at all times.  Leon and Mary Lou welcome visitors, and Leon is always happy to discuss the  wider view of  the  history of the Tennnessee Walking Horse  breed and the part that his family has played in this scenario for over 75 years.