Wilson's Allen was foaled in 1914 on Bud Messick's farm in Coffee County, Tennessee. There was quite a buzz created among breeders when Roan Allen F-38 was mated to his own half-sister, Birdie Messick F-86 to produce Wilson's Allen. It was said to be the first act of linebreeding done on purpose. Johnson Hill had arranged to have Bud's mare bred to Roan Allen in hopes of producing a stud colt, which he had contracted to buy for two hundred dollars. The resulting foal was a chestnut foal, named Wilson's Allen.

When the colt was five months old, it was brought to the farm of Johnson Hill and as was the custom at that time, it was named for the owner, so this colt was called the Johnson Hill Horse. His gaits were exceptional and disposition the best. Steve Hill had said the colt could really walk, "he'd walk and shake his head and slobber." The horse was used as a farm horse pulling a heavy hillside plow.

Mr. Hill died in 1922 and the following spring the stallion was offered for sale. He was purchased by Bibb Kirby of Bedford County, TN and by this time he had lost an eye in an accident and came to be known as the "one-eyed Kirby horse." Kirby believed the horse would develop into a great sire. He rode him everywhere and used him to round up cattle near Petersburg. The round trip was nearly 30 miles. Kirby offered the horse at stud for ten dollars with a live foal guarantee. He had few takers and was offered for sale in 1928 but not before he left behind two outstanding colts, Haynes Peacock and Slippery Allen.

Mr. Frank Wilson bought the horse and immediately offered him at public stud. The easy gaits of the foals attracted attention from many southern states. Pride of Memphis was born in 1932, one of Wilson's Allen's foals, and in a few years he established his sire in the show horse world. Most of the successful show horses sired by Wilson's Allen were chestnut in color and inherited their sire's muscular build and proud carriage. Frank Wilson had commented that Wilson's Allen was one of the most gentle horses and easiest stallions to handle he had ever seen. "I never saw a better natured horse," he declared, "I used Wilson's Allen all the time; if I didn't have a bridle handy I'd use a halter and ride him bareback. I rode him to get the mail, in the field, driving cattle....in fact, for a long time he was the only horse on the farm, and I rode him everywhere. He had a walk better than any horse I'd ever ridden."

The old horse died in of pneumonia on August 22, 1939, having sired many great horses. On the video, "A Look Into The Past", Dr. Bob Womack commented that if horses such as Haynes Peacock and Strolling Jim had been left stallions, think of what the breed would be like today.

One of the Wilson's Allen sons is Sir MauGray. Billy Taylor said Auburn Gray had sold twenty thousand dollars worth of foals from Maude Gray, dam of Sir MauGray, back in the 30's and 40's and that was big money back then. He said Sir MauGray was sold in the 30's for eighteen hundred dollars.

WILSON'S ALLEN TWHBEA #350075 FOALED: 1-1-1917 DIED: 8-22-1939 COLOR: CHESTNUT MARKINGS: NEAR HIND SOCK. SEX: STALLION	ROAN ALLEN TWHBEA #F-38 COLOR: CHESTNUT SABINO HEIGHT: 15.3H	ALLAN TWHBEA #F-1 COLOR: BLACK	ALLANDORF TWHBEA #12205 COLOR: GREY
			MAGGIE MARSHALL TWHBEA #12206 COLOR: BLACK
		GERTRUDE TWHBEA #84 COLOR: CHESTNUT SABINO MARKINGS: FOUR STOCKINGS, BALD, MIXED MANE AND TAIL.	ROYAL DENMARK TWHBEA #12284 COLOR: CHESTNUT
			BALL II TWHBEA #12285 COLOR: CHESTNUT
	BIRDIE MESSICK TWHBEA #F-86 COLOR: GRAY	ALLAN TWHBEA #F-1 COLOR: BLACK	ALLANDORF TWHBEA #12205 COLOR: GREY
			MAGGIE MARSHALL TWHBEA #12206 COLOR: BLACK
		NELLIE TWHBEA #10140 COLOR: CHESTNUT	HAL
			UNKNOWN

NOTABLE OFFSPRING

1946 portrait of Champions (left to right): Strolling Jim, Melody Maid, Black Angel, City Girl and Midnight Sun.

Wilson's Allen has 482 offspring registered with the TWHBEA.

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