^CH Walnut Wind's American Liberty

Liberty was the last horse that my late father, Walter Patrick, purchased for me, as my law school graduation present. My father referred to this as my "last trip to the trough", and told me that from now on, I'd have to purchase my own horses(!).

We purchased him at the Statesville, North Carolina horse show in 1978, and my first ride on him ever was in the five-gaited amateur stake on Saturday night which we won. Liberty was my once-in-a-lifetime horse who racked and trotted to numerous blue ribbons in amateur five-gaited stakes across the country. He was the epitome of our breed; a fire-breathing dragon in the show ring who thrived on lights and crowds and was extremely game and competitive, and my best friend out of the show ring who let me ride him bareback and would still do five gaits with only a halter and lead shank, and would permit small children to climb all over him.

Liberty was competitive and he knew what winning was all about; he would become very agitated if he had to 'wait' to be called out for a second or third place ribbon. The attached photo is our victory pass in the Amateur Five-Gaited Championship at the Southeastern Charity Horse Show in Atlanta in 1978.

Posted 2/2013