For the first time in the history of the Celebration a horse both owned and trained outside the State of Tennessee won the Grand Championship Stake at the 1950 show.   Old Glory's Big Man, a classy sorrel stallion owned by Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Budd of Quincy, Florida and ridden by trainer Carl Edwards, won the big show that year.  Other Champions have been owned by exhibitors living outside the state but each of these was stabled and trained by Tennessee riders within Tennessee at the time of showing.

Old Glory's Big Man 470149, the most famous son of Old Glory, was ridden to a spectacular and thrilling victory for the owners by Trainer Carl Edwards to climax one of the most enthusiastic Celebrations ever held.   From the time he entered the ring, "Big Man" was a definite favorite with the crowd and wild applause followed him around the ring throughout the showing of the big stake.

Sired by Old Glory 421215 and out of Nell Mayberry 441372 by Forgey's Brown Hal by Argot Hal, he carried the blood of both Merry Boy and Wilson's Allen from his sire while his dam side furnished an effusion of the blood of the Hals.    Nell Mayberry's fourth dam was by The Spy, he being a pacer of note.  Old Glory's Big Man was bred by Sam Mayberry of Harrisburg, Arkansas, and was foaled on June 20, 1945.

Old Glory's Big Man had a very brilliant show career and had been shown  consistently since he was a two year old.   As a two, this great going stallion was owned by W. M. Duncan of Inverness, Mississippi and Steve Hill of Beech Grove, Tennessee and was shown to the Reserve Two year old Championship by Steve at the 1947 Celebration.   Before the show in 1948, Old Glory's Big Man was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Budd and was then ridden and trained by Carl Edwards.   He was brought back to the 1948 Celebration to win the Junior Championship Stake for his new owners.   In 1949 Big Man was winner of the Championship crown at the Dixie Jubilee Horse Show at Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The Celebration of 1950 was indeed a big year for this famous show stallion for he came back from Florida to the Celebration to meet again the 1949 Grand Champion of the world, Midnight Merry, ridden by "Big Man's" old trainer Steve Hill, who had shown him to reserve two year old champion in 1947.   Again in 1950 these two great horses met head on, the mare Midnight Merry, undefeated in 106 straight classes, and the bold long striding stallion from Florida who had tied reserve to the great mare the previous year.   When the dust cleared after the battle on the Celebration track it was the year of revenge for this great stallion and with him this time he took back home the horseshoe of roses awarded only to the Grand Champion Walking Horse of the World.   That fall he was again victorious at the Dixie Jubilee for the second consecutive year.

Old Glory's Big Man was truly a grand champion in every respect, always displaying the same spectacular speed and form.

Old Glory's Big Man was Junior Champion in 1948 but was Reserve Grand Champion in 1949.   He returned in 1950 to defeat the current World's Champion Midnight Merry.