Wellington and Foreman Inducted Into Carolinas Horsemen’s Hall Of Fame
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Johnny Wellington Inducted Into Carolina Horsemen's Hall Of Fame
Editor's Note: The following speech was read Friday, September 16, 2005 at the North Carolina State Championship Horse Show.
Tonight’s hall of fame inductee is a man who spent many years dedicated to the American Saddlebred. He fell in love with the beautiful breed as a young boy and when he was old enough to get a job he went to work for one of the Carolina’s most prominent horse trainers of the 1940’s and 50’s, Jimmy Norris. When he was 16 and still working for Mr. Norris he met Lewis Eckard and they became lifelong friends. He began to show under the direction of Lewis and the Drowning Creek Farm, where he remained for more than 20 years and his family is still there today.
In September 1986 he married his wife of 18 years, Stephanie. In May of 1993 they were blessed with a beautiful baby girl, Alexandria Hope. He was never more proud than when his baby girl fell in love with the horses and entered the show ring herself. He was always on the rail to help her and to cheer her on. When he wasn’t cheering Allie on, he was in the show ring himself. He was best known for all of his great amateur mounts, such as, CH Lady Of York, CH Playing With Fire, RWC CH Carolouise, and RWC CH Belleavanti.
In 2000 he rode one of the Carolinas’ hometown favorites, CH Carolouise, to the Reserve in the World’s Champion Five-Gaited Mare class in Louisville, Kentucky. The late Carolouise now has two beautiful babies standing at All-Well Farm with a grand stud colt that is appropriately named “Johnny Be Good.” He also rode to the Reserve Ribbon in the Five-Gaited Mare class in Louisville in 2003 with his spectacular mount CH Belleavanti.
Although his amateur mounts took him to the winner’s circle many, many times, he also had a love for the road horse. This man definitely had a need for speed. When he was showing his amateur under saddle horses it was serious business, but when he came through the gate driving his road horse, “Free Agent,” he was all smiles. The faster his horse went the bigger he smiled. You knew he was having fun. He loved to go fast and he loved to have fun. So this was without a doubt, his niche. In 2000 he won his one and only World Championship with this great road horse.
When he could not be found on the rail or in the ring, he was sure to be back at the barns shootin’ the breeze with his longtime friends such as, Randy Cole, Steve Gassen, Ted Foreman, Cash Lovell, Danny Troutman, Sam Stafford, Jeff Shelley, Larry Scott, and a gang of others too numerous to mention. We would be here all night if we tried to name them all.
Outside the show ring he was loved by everyone. He always had an encouraging word and he could always make us smile. He not only had a love for horses but he also had a love for people.
Ted Foreman Inducted Into Carolina Horsemen's Hall Of Fame
Editor's Note: The following speech was read Saturday, September 17, 2005 at the North Carolina State Championship Horse Show.
He’s a tall, lean, unassuming man. There is always a hat on his head, not a ball cap, but what some might call a “golf” hat. There’s a Swisher Sweet cigar in his mouth but it is never lit. His usual attire consists of khakis, boots, and a plaid shirt. He works hard but he always has a minute to spare for someone in need.
He grew up in Oakboro, N.C, and he still lives there today. The long drive to his farm house makes you want to live in the country. His modest barn is within walking distance of his house, and the name of the road where his tranquil horse farm sits is named after his family.
Tonight’s inductee worked for Larry Barbee for seven years early in his career. Following this time with Larry, he spent a year in South Carolina with Ronnie Crow before returning to Oakboro. He has been on his own ever since.
His training talent is with the young ones. He starts with the large-eyed colts, barely broke to lead. His patience, persistence and mild manner mold these colts into young show horses. While the list is much too long to name them all, he started many Carolina favorites such as Attaché’s Venus, Ruff-N-Tuff, Caribbean Queen, Lucky Lynn, KaBoom, Candy Man, Splendid Citation as well as current show ring stars such as, WC Promise To Dance, Chesney, Unbreakable Heart, Startalyst, and Miraculous Odds.
The true talent of the mild mannered man is not with the horses but with people. This man who has lived his life on the family farm working with horses has the peacemaking skills many attending Ivy League schools hope to gain.
He is a good friend, a confidante, the “go-to” guy, and the one who will steer you straight. As Chairman of United Horsemen’s Association (UPHA) Chapter 12 for the past nine years, he has helped mend fences, bridges gaps, and create new avenues not only for the professional but for amateurs and juveniles as well. He is dedicated to his position with the UPHA. He has served as UPHA liaison for the American Saddlebred Association of the Carolinas (ASAC) for the past 12 years and is its current vice president. He has also served on the Board of the Carolinas Futurity for the past 15 years.
As you may have guessed, tonight’s inductee is Ted Foreman. The Carolinas are honored to have him. While he has introduced more young Saddlebreds to the show ring than we realize, what we treasure most is his dedication to a fair and just horse world. The saddlebred industry is made up of more than horse shows and world champions. It’s also the people who love these horses. It’s Ted Foreman explaining the rules to a junior exhibitor or helping a fellow trainer put horses in the ring or mending a fence between two horse show neighbors. It is Ted Foreman who helps us ride straight and work hard to do things the way they should be done.
There is no doubt that Ted’s dedication to the Saddlebred horse and its industry will continue for many years to come. Tonight, please join us in congratulating Ted Foreman as his peers honor him with their induction of him into the Carolina Horsemen's Hall of Fame. Present here tonight to honor Ted Foreman are his sons, Scotty and Chad, sisters Hilda, Mary, and Molly, and brother Junior. Also present are close friends, fellow horsemen and UPHA members.
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