Tom Bass was born in slavery in 1859 near Mexico Mo which back then was the show horse capital of the world. He would become the greatest horse trainer who ever lived, probably a “horse whisperer” before the terminology was first used. He trained and showed world champion horses all over the United States, was visited in his home town of Mexico by Theodore Roosevelt, William McKinley, William Howard Taft, and William Jennings Bryan. He rode in the inaugural parades for both Presidents Grover Cleveland and Calvin Coolidge. For a short period of time he had a barn in Kansas City where he trained horses and founded the American Royal. When Tom Bass was seven years old, he was teaching a mule how to canter. One time trying to impress the plantation owner who happened to be Tom’s father he had the mule canter backwards at a fast pace
At about the same time in history, the Hackley family became known for their Thoroughbreds which were raised on my great-grandfather’s farm north of Richmond where he sold horses to Frank and Jesse James. Later Standardbred horses were raised and trained by his son George and grandson Dub Hackley from Waverly.
My dad raised and showed Tennessee Walking horses, and could gait a horse in nothing flat. When I was seven years old, my dad gave me an old horse to carry water to the thrashing crew who were loading wagons in the field. I hated that horse. I had to kick him every step of the way to the field but then hang on tight when we headed back to the barn to fill the jugs up with more water. The horse would be at a dead run and try to scrape me off on a post before heading to the barn where I would have to duck down to keep from hitting my head on the barn door.
Unlike Tom Bass, I could never control that old horse I had. I think that is why my family’s love of horses ended with me. I much preferred a Ford.
Jack can be reached at PO Box 40, Oak Grove, MO 64075 or jackremembers@aol.com
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