The 2002 World Grand Champion is Out On Parole, and Steve Dunn. It was a well-earned, well-deserved culmination to an outstanding show career. 

OOPS was bred and raised by Dr. Judy Moore of Shelbyville, TN.  Sired by Pusher's Doing Time, his name was inevitable.  He was sold to Bob Kilgore as a yearling, and then resold to Pete Hammond who placed him with Bud Dunn & Son Stables for training.  Within months, his friendly outgoing personality, willingness to work, and natural talent convinced both Steve and Bud Dunn that OOPS was destined to be one of the industry gaits, and they were right. 

The horse was purchased by Randall Baskins shortly thereafter.  The Baskins, 17 year veterans of the walking horse industry refer to OOPS as their pride and joy. "He's just great to be around. He does everything a true Tennessee Walking Horse is supposed to do", says Mr. Baskin, and claims that he gets more compliments on OOPS than any other horse the family has owned.

Heading for the 2002 Celebration, Steve knew that conventional wisdom said OOPS wasn’t strong enough to handle a second workout. They proved conventional wisdom wrong. It took a lot of preparation, daily rides with the stallion wearing two or four-ounce chains across the green northern Alabama work area they call home.

Saturday night at the Celebration, OOPS wore a six-ounce flat chain. The track was firm – rain might have hurt him, made it more difficult for him to use his back end the way he can. Everything – including the horse, rider and owners – was right.

“He did everything I asked him to do and kept giving me more and more,” Steve said after the show. “The first part of the class I heard the west grandstand hollering for Shout. I knew I had to take it away from her. We ended up getting a pretty good crowd before it was over with.”

“I had Dad’s tie in my pocket,” Dunn said, referring to the tie his father, the late Bud Dunn, had worn on his world championship rides. Steve had been carrying it every time he showed since his father died. “I was sitting there in the line up thinking if they tie me I’m going to pull it out and let him make one more last ride with me. I pulled it out and put it around my neck."

“It’s OOPS' good luck tie. I guess it worked. I won four blue ribbons with it either in my pocket or hung around my neck. I guess I may retire it now,” he said, alluding to the idea that the tie and OOPS could retire together. “Daddy thought a lot of this horse, as much – or more – than some he won on.”

Like the world grand champion stallions who preceded him, OOPS will make a championship tour and retire at next year’s Celebration.

Shown in the video above as a 15 year old breeding stallion, Out On Parole has proven himself to be an outstanding ambassador of the breed, and still willing to give a heart-stopping, blue ribbon ride to anyone who steps into his saddle. 

On Friday, August 30th 2013, at the Celebration, Out On Parole was officially retired.  He will stand at stud at Harlinsdale Farm.

If you have a story or photos of Out On Parole that you would like added to this page, 
please forward them to Walkers West.

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