Reference: Reyclif Mid-Merry aka "Hills Perfection"


Photo courtesy of Shellie of Slush Creek Walkers.

Reyclif Mid-Merry is better known as multi-world champion "Hills Perfection".

His sire was Midnight Sun and his dam was Baby Ray by Merry Boy. His registered name was Reyclif Mid-Merry, and it was never officially changed because he had sired 4 foals, but he was campaigned as Hills Perfection. The foals that he sired were Suns Merry Iris (mare), Sun's Merry Robin (gelding), Suns Merry Mister (stallion, died as a yearling in Canada), Suns Merry Man, (stallion and the only one of the four to reproduce). He died in 1983 at the age of 28, his last owner of record was Ross Perot Jr. He was pasture breeding mares in ND until age 5 when Steve Hill started developing him for the show ring. Steve Hill called him a "hidden horse" and had this to say about him "the horse has no physical flaw that I can detect. He has a natural lick; he possesses a rare rhythm, hard to find in most horses; he executes the gaits separately and distinctly; has the speed to cope with any other animal of the breed; and he shows the natural head motion that identifies perfectly the Tennessee Walking Horse". In 1963 he competed in the Celebration and Steve Hill rode him to the World Championship for the Aged Gelding class, he then returned in the championship Stake for a 3rdHill's Perfection and Kim Lovette in 1967 place behind Sun's Delight D and Triple Threat. From 1963 until 1975 he claimed Celebration blues in nearly every division. He is said to have "established the most impressive Celebration record of any horse in history". Most of this information came from some articles and a couple of pictures sent to me by Mr. Perot. - Shellie Pacovsky of Slush Creek Walkers

Hill was laid to rest in Mr. Perot's front yard in Dallas Texas. They could not get the backhoe through the front gates so his grave was hand dug with a slant to walk him down into the grave. One of Ross, Jr.'s fraternity brother's just happened in the barn before the Celebration looking for a horse. He happened to see Ross and Hill's picture on the wall and told Bill who he was and was amazed that Ross had named his horse after his son. Bill told him it was the other way around...He named his son and his business after "Hill". - Connie Bobo

Hill's Perfection
A Hidden Horse with a Great Future
Article and photo courtesy of Shellie of Slush Creek Walkers

  "A horse without a physical flaw," six-year-old HILL'S PERFECTION, made his debut at the 1963 National Celebration by seizing the trophy in the Four-Years and Older Gelding Class to become the World's Champion Gelding, and he promises to be contender for the World's Grand Championship in future seasons. He took third place in the Grand Championship battle this year - chosen by the judges for the three-horse workout with SUN'S DELIGHT, Sam Pashal up, and TRIPLE THREAT, ridden by Harold Kennedy.
  HILL'S PERFECTION had been a "hidden horse" since his foaling in Iowa - until the day Steve Hill bought the animal as a stallion, aged four years, six months. He had been running in North Dakota with mares, engaged in "pasture breeding."
  Steve had a man-sized job in breaking the strong stallion, and he gelded the stalwart son of MIDNIGHT SUN our of BABY RAY by MERRY BOY in the process of developing the great gelding within a period of eighteen months.
  HILL'S PERFECTION swept the blue ribbon in his class at the Chicago International last fall, first of his major show victories. Then the horse campaigned in Middle Tennessee to win at the spring show in Nashville, at Manchester, at Huntsville, and at Murfreesboro.
  Steve says the horse has no physical flaw that he has been able to detect. He has a natural lick; he possesses a rare rhythm, hard to find in most horses; he executes the gaits separately and distinctly; he has speed to cope with any other animal of the breed; and he also shows the natural head motion that identifies perfectly the Tennessee Walking Horse.

Hill's Perfection

Oldest Active Trainer in Show

  The veteran rider-trainer, oldest in years of service among all the active trainers showing at the Celebration of 1963, believes this gelding will "last for years" as a contender for top honors. And Steve should know. He sat on the back of TALK OF THE TOWN, a gelding who won the Grand Championship of the World in 1951-52-53 - and set the record no other horse has equaled.
Hill's Perfection with Kim Lovette in 1967  HILL'S PERFECTION won his class with a judge-referee vote for first place and was a unanimous  choice for third place in the Grand Championship Stake in which fifteen horses competed.
  Steve Hill won four blue ribbons and a third place to lead all professional riders at the 1963 Big Show. He was ridden in every one of the 25 Celebrations - and rode STROLLING MARY to the Two-Year Championship in the 1939 Celebration that started the historic show on its march to great glory. He also owned his victorious horse that year.
  HILL'S PERFECTION was sold in 1962 to Mrs. Dwain Clark of Beverly Hills, California. Mr. Clark is a regional vice-president of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' and Exhibitors' Association of AMerica, Inc., for the Far-Western California area.
  Steve rode to the blue ribbon the great eight-year-old mare, LITTLE MYSTERY, which again became the World Champion Mare and was one of the few champions to repeat at the 1963 Celebration. LITTLE MYSTERY is owned by W.C. MacInnes of Tampa, Florida, one of the most prominent utility magnates in the Southeast. The mare was sired by MERRY GO BOY out of the famous MIDNIGHT MYSTERY twice American Champion Mare.


Hills Perfection and Ross Perot, Jr.
Photos courtesy of Shellie of Slush Creek Walkers.

Hill's Perfection

Hill's Perfection

Westwood Farms

The Westwood Farms Connection:

REYCLIFF MID MERRY
"HILLS PERFECTION"

TWHBEA #561395
DOB: 8/6/1956

COLOR: CHESTNUT
MARKINGS: NEAR HIND SOCK, BLAZE, MIXED MANE AND TAIL.
MIDNIGHT SUN
TWHBEA #410751
COLOR: BLACK

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WILSON'S ALLEN
TWHBEA #350075
COLOR: CHESTNUT
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ROAN ALLEN
TWHBEA #F-38
COLOR: CHESTNUT SABINO
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BIRDIE MESSICK
TWHBEA #86
COLOR: GREY
RAMSEY'S RENA
TWHBEA #410682
COLOR: BAY
DEMENT'S ALLEN
TWHBEA #391007
COLOR: CHESTNUT
DENA
TWHBEA #410681
COLOR: BAY
BABY RAY
TWHBEA #430979
COLOR: SABINO
MARKINGS: BOTH HIND STOCKINGS, OFF KNEE,  ON OUTSIDE NEAR FORE LEG, OFF JAW, UNDER LIP, BALD.
MERRY BOY
350189
COLOR: BLACK
SABINO
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ROAN ALLEN
TWHBEA #F-38
COLOR: CHESTNUT SABINO
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MERRY LEGS
TWHBEA #4
COLOR: BAY
MARKINGS: FOUR STOCKINGS, STRIP.
MAY HOLT
twhbea #992786
NIGHT RIDER, JR.
TWHBEA #360150
COLOR: BLACK
ANNIE POE
TWHBEA #10760

OFFSPRING

TWHBEA # NAME COLOR SEX DOB DAM
590511 SUNS MERRY IRIS PA M 5/14/1959 WILSONS GOLD QUEEN
590512 SUN'S MERRY ROBIN CH SAB G 6/05/1959 LADY'S HIGH CALICO
601518 SUN'S MERRY MISTER CH SAB   7/10/1960 LADY'S HIGH CALICO
620157 SUN'S MERRY MAN
*Only offspring to reproduce
PA SAB   8/16/1961 LADY'S HIGH CALICO


Westwood Farms - Locust Dale, Virginia 22948 - stephanie@westwoodfarms.net - 540-825-1300