Wallaby was a 1964 model chestnut stallion bred by Bud Warren. He was by Croton Oil by Leo and out of a Sugar Bars daughter. Although the Leo family was not known for world beating halter horses, when blended with Three Bars through Sugar Bars a wonderful thing happened---Wallaby.
Wallaby achieved status as the AQHA #3 All-Time Point Leader for Halter Stallions, cementing his legacy as a dominant conformation and halter sire of his era. He earned the official designations of AQHA Champion and Superior Halter horse. He won the Grand Champion Stallion title at the 1967 All-American Quarter Horse Congress.
In the early stages of Wallaby's career he was purchased by C. Grier Beam of Cherryville, NC.
Fresh out of college and unemployed during the Great Depression, C. Grier Beam bought a 1931 Chevrolet half-ton truck on good faith and a series of IOUs. He set up his first makeshift headquarters inside his brother's Shell service station in Cherryville, North Carolina. He began by hauling coal for local schools, textiles, and fresh fruit up from Florida. This became Carolina Freight Carriers Corp.
By 1937, Beam’s small business had expanded rapidly. Over the next several decades, it grew to become one of the top 10 largest trucking companies in the United States, known universally for their bumper stickers that boasted, “Nothing could be finer than to ship by Carolina in the morning.” At its peak, the company employed over 11,000 people.
Wallaby was at the 1967 All American QH Congress. He had never had a good photo taken. He had been hauled a zillion miles and was totally "show-sour." He had been everywhere and seen everything. Kenny Bacchus had just been hired to keep Wallaby on the road racking up AQHA points. It was Kenny's dream job.
Mr. Beam asked me to "try" to get good photos of Wallaby. The Congress was full of junk backgrounds. It was impossible to get a clean spot. We led Wallaby out the south gate and over to the lawn of a government school. In an hour of effort Wallaby never put his ears up a single time. Kenny decided to change the halter chain--the second he unsnapped it Wallaby bolted away sprinting at dead run straight east through the school play ground onto a slum housing area taking out a few clothes lines and other obstructions. I dropped the camera leaving stuff all over the lawn and we all chased Wallaby to a cul-de-sac where he came to a dead end about a mile away. Kids were screaming as we surrounded Wallaby. With a few pleading "whoas" a halter was placed on him and we went back to find all the cameras still there.
Kenny was new with Wallaby. In a few minutes Wallaby was alert, ears up and every vein and muscle was popping out. In minutes the only really good photos ever taken of Wallaby were captured.
As we finished up Mr. Beam walked up to watch. He was in his fifties, a medium size, gray hair, alway pleasant to talk, casually well dressed and a brilliant business man.
I will never forget he said. "Kenny, I don't know what you did, but I have never seen Wallaby look so good--every muscle is bulging."
Grier Beam passed away in 1992, and the company was acquired by Arkansas Best Corp (ABF) Today ABF is the main partial load carrier for DCCI Equipment, Bry chutes, nation wide.
Author: Darol Dickinson
