|
|
|
World Grand Champion in 1981 |
 |
| The Pusher C. G. #725575 |
|
Thunderous crowd
approval echoed the announcement that The Pusher, trained and ridden
by Bob McQuerry, had been selected by the judges as the World Grand
Champion of the 1981 Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration.
The victory for the horse, his trainer, and his owners, the Joe Dietz
Family Joe, Jo Ann, 'and Sherri of New Castle, Indiana, towered over
both earlier pinnacles and disappointments. The nine year old blue
roan stallion had, for three consecutive years, won the International
Stake Championship at Murfreesboro; Sherri Dietz had won the
Celebration's Amateur World Championship title with him and had never
been defeated in amateur competition. |
| On the minus
side of the ledger, prospects for the World Grand Championship in
the 1980 Celebration failed to materialize when The Pusher was
reserve in both his preliminary class and in the championship
stake. He also took a disappointing second place in the qualifying
class at the 1981 Celebration. But when Bob McQuerry reined The
Pusher around the Celebration ring in his victory pass, it ended a
smooth walking journey that had started several years before in
the warm up ring scarcely 300 yards away. The victory strut of the
new World Grand Champion, accompanied by the screams and yells of
the huge Saturday night crowd, was quite a contrast to The
Pusher's first appearance on the Celebration Grounds. |
 |
|
|
The Pusher's
immediate ancestry was not well known; his sire was The Drug Dealer;
his dam was Go Boy's Blue Gal. Neither was a world champion. But there
were illustrious names among his grandsires: Merry Go Boy and Midnight
Sun and, a little farther back, Wilson's Allen, Sam Allen, Brantley's
Roan Allen, Jr., and Merry Boy. Both his coloring and his walking are
traceable to great walking horse blood of his forbears. |
 |
His breeder,
Charles E. Gavin III, had brought the "green broke" two year old
up from Fortson, Georgia, for the sole purpose of catching the eye
of a prospective buyer. He was not a competitor on that occasion
and was exhibited by two of Gavin's children in the warm up ring.
The loose, easy gait of the blaze face roan with two hind
stockings caught the attention of two Wisconsin horsemen, Larry
Pickhardt and Evan Sherburne, who shortly afterwards became his
new owners. The horse was taken to Wisconsin and placed in
training with Bryant Fly, who developed him into a performer that
demanded serious consideration. It was at this point, in
September, 1978, that The Pusher became the property of the Dietz
family and the mount of their daughter, Sherri, in amateur
competition, under the training of McQuerry, of Danville,
Kentucky. The
Pusher has served as a worthy representative of the walking horse
industry throughout the world. He led the Tennessee delegation in
the International Lions Club parade in Chicago in 1980, a
convention attended by representatives of 123 countries. And early
in 1981, The Pusher made an historic trip to England to
participate in a Walking Horse Owners' Association exhibition at
the famed Olympia International Championship in London. |
|
|
With his style and
performance, his conformation and disposition, The Pusher has earned
the highest awards offered by the Walking Horse industry and these
characteristics will, no doubt, serve him well in the future.
On Tuesday, October 2, 2001, The
Pusher C. G. was laid to rest. After consulting with Dr. John Bennett,
it was decided that the 29 year old stallion would humanely put down
with the same class and dignity he carried throughout his entire
career. He sired 1610
foals during his reign as one of the leading sires in the
industry.
The Pusher C. G.
made his home at Joe Martin Stables in Shelbyville, Tenn. for the past
13 plus years and had received the best quality of care under stallion
manager, Bobby Burton. - - JH |
|
THE PUSHER C.G. PROGENY PAGES
xx |
 |
|
| If you wish to print off this pedigree, click
HERE
to load a black and white copy. |
 |
 |
From:
shennon
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 9:16 PM
Subject: Meeting "The Pusher" when I was a little girl
Hi!, My name is Shennon Wagle. My mom showed her walker
"Drummer's Delight" when I was a young kid. We LIVED at the fair
grounds. I'd seen The Pusher several times. One year while
walking through the barns after a show, my friend Kendra and I
stopped to see The Pusher. We were so excited when we were
invited to sit on him for a brief moment. Both of us! I think we
were around 10 years old. We're 37 now and that is a memory I
will never forget. I was just showing my kids a picture of The
Pusher and remembered that night. Somewhere I still have my red
button with a black image of The Pusher that says Pushin' The
Pusher. He was a big beautiful horse. Thanks for the memories
and thanks for letting us sit on him!!!!
|
|
|
That is a great
story. It's just amazing that what seems like a small thing
that someone did for you made a lasting memory. I
understand perfectly. That had to be a thrill - especially
for someone that recognizes the fame of that particular
horse.
Pusher was a
wonderful, gentle horse. I used to visit him at Joe
Martin's stable and on 2 or 3 occasions, I was in his stall
with him and he was a sweetheart unlike some stallions that
seem to get mean once they start breeding them.
Thank you for
sharing your memories with us.
Mary Ellen
Areaux
Walkers West
|
|
|
|
----- Original Message -----
From: J. Gary Puckett
Sent: Sunday, January 11, 2009 9:23 PM
Subject: The pusher
He may be the greatest walking horse that's every been. I was his groom at Bob Mcquerry Stables after he won the world championship in Shelbyville. During his exposition year that followed his win I was honored to be a small part of his life. I got the chance only a few people got to do ride him, keeping him "legged up". what a memory that I would carry with me today. He was alot of fun to take care of, he loved to drink a pop I had not finished from time to time. As I was part of his new breeding career he handled it well and loved life. Far from the ring where he carried the roses he was a champ every day. At the time I never realized I had crossed paths with the greatest horse that would every live, I'll miss him and thank Bob for giving me a chance of a life time I enjoyed the ride thanks "Push" Gary Puckett |
|
|
If you have a story or photos of The Pusher
that you would like added to this page, please forward them to
Walkers West.
<==1980 1982==>
|
|
|
|
