Each year it seems history is made at the Fall World Grand Championship Show and this year was no exception as Barney Davis wore the roses out of the ring on the World Grand Champion Lite Shod horse Bum's Big Time, switched mounts, and in the very next class the Open Shod World Grand Championship brought home the ultimate reward on Lethal's Delight of Pride.

Six big time, Top of the Line Spotted Saddle Horses, World Grand Champions and Reserve World Grand Champion alike answered the call for class number 122, the final class on Saturday night. Three horses from Alabama, two from Tennessee and Lethal's Delight of Pride from North Carolina. Fresh from a reserve tie in the Five & Over Stallion Class on Monday night, Saturday night was Lethal's night to shine and shine he did under the World Championship spotlight as he carried Barney Davis to the roses under the colors of Ballentine Farms, Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina.

Foaled on April 29, 1993, he was bred by the Harrell Brawer family of Wynne, Arkansas. Out of Pleasure Principal, a direct-daughter of the 1984 World Grand Champion Delight of Pride. Lethal's sire Lethal Weapon, owned by Bob Hartwig of Union Springs, Alabama was a grandson of the 1969 World Grand Champion Ebony's Senator. A World Champion in his own right Lethal Weapon trained by Shane Hartwig passed on his talents and color to his splashed up black roan and white son, Lethal's Delight of Pride. Lethal and his brother were the only offspring of Lethal Weapon. The pair was purchased at fifteen months of age during the SSHBEA Fall Show by the Alabama Spotted Horse couple Carole and Benny Youngblood to replace their aged stallion Paint's Handshaker. After his purchase,the Youngblood's placed him with Shane Hartwig, (in a round about way, the young stallion was back where he started); left to grow up and come of age as a two-year-old, he was monster sized and began to amass his many titles
under the direction of Shane.

Illness in the family and with Benny Youngblood retiring, the Youngbloods decided the time was right to sell when Chris Jackson inquired about buying him. "He was a quiet colt, I've never known him to misbehave, always a gentle horse that would lower his head in pure heaven while you rubbed him between the ears," said Carole. "Benny and I always felt in our hearts he'd be the World Grand Champion one day and it was with tremendous satisfaction and the love of a good horse that we thank Nancy, Chris and Barney - from the bottom of my heart for being able to carry him through."

Carolina, Jacquelyn and Nancy Elliott are the driving force behind Lethal's Delight of Pride. Along with Nancy's husband Ross Stocks, they are the well known owners of the North Carolina based Ballentine Farm, long recognized for some of the Carolina's best horse flesh. This mother and daughter team is second to none in the horse industry. Campaigned in 2000 in the Amateur ranks by Jacquelyn for Chris Jackson and Nancy Elliott, the striking pair were crowned the Reserve World Grand Champions in the Amateur Open Shod Four & Over N/C division. A family affair, 2000 was Jacquelyn's year with Lethal's Delight of Pride, 2001 was Nancy's and her choice was to stake him. As it turned out, it was a great choice. Nancy commented "We finally did it and I am so very proud of everyone involved with Lethal's Delight of Pride. I could list a hundred names, Barney, Chris, his fans and on and on. This next year was to be Caroline's year with him but being from a horse family, you can't get attached and when an offer comes to sell - you gotta sell - I wish the Lee's the very very best with him," Laughing Nancy said, "So I guess I'm on the lookout for another ride for Caroline."

Only in the training business and on his own for three years, Barney Davis of Hidden Cedar's Stables, Lewisburg, TN had spent a few summers helping his uncle Palmer Fuller of Hot Pepper fame when he and Nathan Curtis decided to start breaking a few colts here and there. "I never thought in a million years it would grow into something this big. At the present I have thirty three head in training and it just keeps growing and growing."

And grow it has as this year Barney Davis was the first rider to win back to back Grand Championship Lite and Open Shod. The 2000 saw Barney winner of the Lite Shod and Reserve winner with Color's Spotted Beam in the Open Shod World Grand Championship.

When asked about Lethal's Delight of Pride, Barney Davis was quick to praise Mack Motes and his efforts and preparation of him, "I went to pick him up to deliver him back to North Carolina that weekend to Nancy Elliott, as they were planning on by passing the Fall Show this year. I hit him a lick and Nancy called and asked what I thought" and the rest is history for the North Carolina horse and the young Tennessee trainer.

Barney stated "I really want to thank the Elliott's for having faith in me and letting me ride, thanks to Mack for having him so near perfect as I had him only a short time prior to the Fall Show and thanks to my family, friends and to Chris Jackson who knew Lethal so well. He's the best natured, good all around horse I've ever worked with." When asked how it felt to ride under the spotlight, Barney replied, "I knew it would be here one of these days, I just didn't know when and sure didn't think it would happen this soon".