Bud Dunn
Bud Dunn | |
---|---|
Born |
Emerson Dunn May 15, 1918 Scott County, Kentucky |
Died | January 2001 |
Resting place | Oakwood Cemetery, Sheffield, Alabama |
Residence | Florence, Alabama |
Occupation | Tennessee Walking Horse trainer |
Known for | Was twice oldest rider to win World Grand Championship |
Spouse(s) | Elaine Dunn |
Children | 3, including Steve Dunn |
Parent(s) |
Lucius Dunn Sadie Burgess Dunn |
Awards | 1980 and 1991 Trainer of the Year, inducted into Walking Horse Hall of Fame in 1987 |
Emerson "Bud" Dunn (May 15, 1918 – January 11, 2001) was a Tennessee Walking Horse trainer from Kentucky who spent most of his career in northern Alabama. He trained horses for over forty years and won his first Tennessee Walking Horse World Grand Championship at age 74 with the horse Dark Spirit's Rebel; at the time, he was the oldest rider ever to win the honor. He was inducted into the Tennessee Walking Horse Hall of Fame in 1987 and was named trainer of the year twice, in 1980 and again in 1991. At age 81, in 1999, Dunn won his second World Grand Championship on RPM, making him the oldest winning rider for the second time.
His son Steve was also a successful trainer who matched his father's record. Bud and Steve Dunn remain the only father and son to win World Grand Championships within their breed. Dunn died of a heart attack in January 2001.
Life and death
Dunn was born Emerson Dunn on May 15, 1918[1] in Scott County, Kentucky, near Lexington, to Lucius Dunn and Sadie Burgess Dunn. He grew up on his family's farm and was involved with horses from a young age. He moved to northwest Alabama in the 1950s.[2][3][4] He and his wife Elaine[3] (née Lewis) had three children, Billie Ann, David and Steve.[1] Steve Dunn also became a successful horse trainer. Dunn died in January 2001 at the age of 82,[3][5] following two heart attacks brought about by complications from knee replacement surgery. He was buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Sheffield, Alabama.[3]
Steve Dunn himself won two World Grand Championships, the first before his father won one. Steve Dunn's winning horses were Motown Magic in 1989,[6] and Out On Parole in 2002.[7] Bud and Steve Dunn remain the only father and son to win World Grand Championships.[6] When Bud won his first World Grand Championship in 1992, three years after Steve's first, Steve said, "I think him winning meant more to me than when I won it."[8] Bud Dunn said of his partnership with Steve, "I always wanted him to work out here. But ain't many fathers and sons ever got along that long."[6]
Career
Dunn began training horses in his teens,[9] and began training Tennessee Walking Horses specifically in 1951.[3] He participated in the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration almost every year for 50 years, beginning in 1950, and at one time was so popular he signed autographs for several hours before performances.[10] In total, he personally showed 108 horses at the Celebration over the years, not counting an estimated several hundred others that were trained by him and shown by other riders.[11] Dunn's training facility, Bud Dunn Stables (later Bud Dunn & Son) were located in Florence, Alabama and covered ten acres.[12] At one point in the mid-1980s, Dunn had over 50 horses in training.[13]
Dunn was given the Trainer of the Year award for the first time in 1980, by the Professional Walking Horse Trainers Organization.[2] He trained Tennessee Walking Horses for over 40 years, and during his career won two World Grand Championships, with the horses Dark Spirit's Rebel and RPM, and 20 World Championships with various other horses. In 1991 Dunn was again named the Tennessee Walking Horse trainer of the year by his fellow trainers for consistently showing and training top-quality horses. He was twice the oldest rider ever to win the World Grand Championship, which he did for the first time at age 74.[8][14] He also judged Tennessee Walking Horse shows.[15] In 1987, he was inducted into the Tennessee Walking Horse Hall of Fame.[3]
Notable horses
Dunn trained the black stallion Dark Spirit's Rebel to a World Grand Championship in 1992. Dunn had been training for 42 years and was 74 years old, making him the oldest trainer ever to win the class. The competition was held in front of a record crowd of 28,000. "Rebel" was the favorite horse going into the competition, out of a field of 13,[8] and the team of Dunn and the stallion was said to be the most popular in Celebration history.[10] Dunn said after the win, "I've been coming to the Celebration since 1950 and I've never seen anything like it. That made it twice as good. It's nice to know that I've got that many friends and supporters."[10]
Dunn's second World Grand Champion was RPM, a son of Dark Spirit's Rebel. RPM won the Reserve World Grand Championship at the 1998 Celebration and Dunn had hopes of winning first the next year. In 1999 the horse was sold to L R & N Partners, LLC for $1.25 million. The new owners moved RPM to trainer Sammy Day's stable in Shelbyville, Tennessee with the intention of entering him in the Celebration. Shortly before the Celebration, Day was convicted of bribing a judge, fined, and put on a five-year suspension. Dunn was given the task of riding RPM in the show, and won the World Grand Championship. Dunn was 81, making him the oldest rider ever to win the class for the second time, and breaking his earlier record.[6]
References
- 1 2 Burgess and Wickizer Burgess, Michael and Mary. House of the Burgesses. Wildside Press. p. 183. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
- 1 2 Staff reports (21 May 1981). "Dunn Named Top Trainer". Times Daily. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Walking Horse pioneer dies". Tuscaloosa News. The Associated Press. 13 January 2001. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
- ↑ Staff reports (4 November 1982). "Lucius Dunn". Times Daily. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
- ↑ Bryant, Joseph D. (6 September 2002). "Dunn Deal". Times Daily. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 Ryan, Gilchrest (8 October 1999). "Never Dunn". Times Daily. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
- ↑ "Florence man wins national championship". Times Daily. Associated Press. 2 September 2002. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
- 1 2 3 Felts, Jerry (13 September 1992). "Dunn finally has World Championship". Times Daily. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
- ↑ Staff reports (7 September 1992). "Dunn wins World title". Times Daily. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
- 1 2 3 Felts, Jerry (1 September 1993). "Dunn's number to be retired". Times Daily. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
- ↑ "Bud Dunn". Lauderdale County Sports. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
- ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1842&dat=19990604&id=kWweAAAAIBAJ&sjid=e8kEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2742,539388&hl=en
- ↑ Frisaro, Joe (5 November 1984). "Dunn Walking Horse specialist". Times Daily. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
- ↑ Sherer, Dennis (5 September 1991). "Dunn honored with Trainer of the Year award". Times Daily. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
- ↑ "Dunn is judge". Times Daily. 24 March 1971. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
External links
Emerson "Bud" Dunn at Find a Grave