World Grand Champion in 1970
ACE'S SENSATION 643336
World's Grand Champion 1970


Stallions continued their dominance of the Grand Championship Stake at the 1970 Celebration with Ace's Sensation leaving the ring on the final night with:

  • the Founder's Challenge Trophy,

  • the Musgrave Challenge Trophy,

  • the David Williams Trophy,

  • the gold and silver and the tricolor ribbon designating him the Grand Champion Walking Horse of the World.

Ace's Sensation was bred by Carmage Walls of Lakeside Farms at Guntersville, Alabama.   He was sired by Sun's Ace of Spades 550265, and his dam was Nancy Wilson C. 610204.   Sun's Ace of Spades is by the Grand Champion Midnight Sun, and his dam was Lady Brooks 11411205 by Sir Charles Allen 350097 and he by the foundation sire Ed Nowlin F-8.   Second dam of Sun's Ace of Spades was Lady Brooks 350096, a daughter of Major Allen 350059.

Nancy Wilson C. was a daughter of Top Wilson 400585 by the famous Wilson's Allen 350075.   Her dam was Nancy Warrior 601389 by Faulkner's Warrior 580215 by Red Warrior 400868.   Second dam of Nancy Wilson C. was Nancy Giovanni 420450 by Giovanni 370291.

As a weanling in 1964, Ace's Sensation was purchased by Roy Davis of Calhoun, Georgia for the reported sum of $250.   He was started under saddle at Davis' Bel Aire Stables by Billy Hiles.   Ace was shown twice as a two-year-old with Harold Kennedy riding and won two blues.   He was moved to the Wink Groover Stables that fall where he was purchased by Groover and Buddy Black.
Ace won his first show of the 1967 season at Centerville, Tennessee, and at that show he was purchased by S. W. Beech, Jr. of Belfast, Tennessee and Billy Hale of Gallatin, Tennessee.    At the Celebration that year, Ace's Sensation was winner of the Three-year-old Stallion class and the Three-year-old Championship Stake.   He was entered but did not show in the Grand Championship event.

As a four-year-old, Ace was Champion Junior Stallion and winner of the Junior Stake at the Celebration.   He was purchased by Randall Rollins just prior to the Grand Championship Stake at the Celebration that year and, as a junior, tied third in the big stake.

The aged horses were divided by height for the first time at the 1969 Celebration. Ace was reserve winner in the class for Stallions, Over 15.2 hands and came back in the Championship Stake to be tied fourth.  1970 was the year for Ace's Sensation at the Celebration!  He had, at an early summer show, suffered bowed tendons but a few months of systematic treatment, which included thirty minutes of swimming twice each day, had him sound again by Celebration time.  He was named Grand Champion Walking Horse of the World on September 5, 1970 before the largest crowd ever assembled on the Celebration grounds.  Almost 28,000 spectators witnessed Ace as he circled the big Celebration ring under the winner's spotlight.
Ace's Sensation was trained and exhibited by Wink Groover, up, at Groover's Etowah,
Tennessee stables from the fall of 1966 until he was crowned Grand Champion.
If you wish to print off this pedigree, click HERE to load a black and white copy.
-----Original Message-----
From: Kacey Cox, RN
Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 5:59 PM
Subject: Ace's Sensation

 I never remember not loving horses. It was born in me.  I never had any other interest or outside hobbies.  When I didn't own a horse, I would buy magazines, read books and try to learn as much as I could about them.  In my grandmothers house, there was a picture in a frame of this beautiful horse, Ace's Sensation.  I was about 30 when she died and I got nothing of her vast estate, but as I left her house, the day of the funeral, I did help myself to this picture.  It is in the original frame.  I took if from the spot that it sat on all my life.  I was born in 1967 and she died on Christmas day, 1990.  I remember being so small that I would stand and look up at the picture, which was high on the shelf. The day that I "lifted" it from the shelf, I towered down over it, by at least a couple of feet.  I thought, wow, this picture used to be so far above my head I could barely see it.  I must have looked it since I was old enough to walk.  I have six horses now, and one due on Feb 11.  I was given a gift of a beautiful black stud colt last year. He was born on 4/30/07.  He is TW.  I named him Ace.  He has been just wonderful.  My first baby.  Like so many people, I am now 40 years old and just now able to afford to live out all of my horse dreams.  I have the picture of Ace's Sensation, still in the original from, proudly displaced in my home.  Just thought you'd like to know, 
Kacey Cox, West Point, GA

Kacey

That is a great story....I can "relate" 100%, having always been horse-crazy...and you will have an opportunity to live out your dream.  Your new black colt sounds wonderful.  Did you go to my website and read about Ace's Sensation.  If not, go here: 

http://www.walkerswest.com/Champs/SLFAcesSensation.htm  He was truly a Sensation.  Overcame a leg problem and won the world championship - had the highest stud fee in the business after that at $1,000.  But strangely enough, instead of producing his gorgeous black self in his offspring, he started producing roans bred to black mares.  Back then, everyone wanted only black, so that hurt his breeding future and his stud fee was later reduced to about $500.  He was a truly great horse though.

If you are ever in the Dallas, Texas area, come out and see us -- we'll compare horsey dreams.

Mary Ellen Areaux
Walkers West
If you have a story or photos of SLF Ace's Sensation that you would like added to this page, 
please forward them to Walkers West.

<==1969   1971==>

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