Shelbyville became the Tennessee Walking Horse Capital of the World because of families like the Dericksons, who championed their success from the very beginning.
On Sept. 17, 1886, a black stallion with a streak of white on his left hind foot and a white patch down his muzzle was born. He was registered with the American Trotting Registry under number 7623. Today, he is best known as Allan F-1 or Black Allan — the foundation sire of the Tennessee walking horse. Black Allan was supposed to be a trotter, yet he preferred a lateral ambling gait, which we now call a “running walk.”
Over the next 29 years, Black Allan had several owners. James Brantley purchased him in 1903, and occasionally, his son, French Brantley, rode him to school. Like the Dericksons, the Brantleys adore the breed. In fact, James Brantley’s great-great-grandson, J French Brantley, plays the organ during the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration (TWHNC).
Black Allan sired many Tennessee walking horses, including Roan Allan, who naturally inherited the four-beat gait, which is faster than a regular walk and extremely smooth since the hind foot oversteps the front. The breed became known for traveling long distances without tiring, even on uneven, rocky terrain. Their temperaments were calm — even gentle.
The Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ and Exhibitors’ Association was formed in 1935. Then, in 1939, after Henry Davis witnessed the Crimson Clover Festival in Winchester, he proposed that a similar event be held in his hometown of Wartrace. The first TWHNC began with a parade and an elaborate pageant. Strolling Jim — who had been a plow horse — was crowned the first World Grand Champion. More than 40,000 people flooded Wartrace due to the breed’s growing popularity, so the event was moved to Shelbyville a few years later.
Herbert and Jill Derickson didn’t choose the Tennessee walking horse breed. They were fortunate to be born into a family whose parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents had long advocated for the breed’s success and the Tennessee walking horse industry.
Jill said, “This breed is so unique in its calm disposition and beautiful gait. There is no other breed of horse that comes close to the versatility, beauty, and overall appeal of the Tennessee walking horse. Herbert and I both grew up in the Tennessee walking horse industry. That’s actually how we met. We both were showing on the Kentucky-Ohio Circuit at the time. Herbert is a third-generation Tennessee walking horse owner, breeder, and trainer. My parents owned horses, and both of our families enjoyed the showing and the breeding part of the business.”
The Dericksons passed their love of the Tennessee walking horse to their children — Erica, Maria, Thomas, and Will. They even named their business “4 The Glory Farm” because all four children are involved in the Tennessee walking horse industry and because Herbert is Herbert Thomas Derickson IV, which brings the Dericksons full circle.
“First and foremost, our faith keeps us grounded and focused on the good times and challenging times that we have experienced over the years. We always remember to give glory to God for all of our success and hope to always show God’s love in our daily life, at work, and at the shows,” Jill said.
Herbert and their son, Thomas, train the horses, while their son, Will, oversees their breeding program. According to Jill, all five of their grandchildren are “horse crazy,” and the three oldest are already showing horses in the ring. Though the Dericksons have been blessed to win several World Grand Championships and to have World Grand Championship rides around the arena, the most meaningful memories they’ve made are watching their children win. And these moments mean even more because the winning horses were loved and trained at 4 The Glory Farm.
“World Championships and World Grand Championships mean even more when they are on the horses that we have bred and raised here on our farm,” Jill recalled. “Some of the highlighted wins are when Herbert won the Two-Year-Old and Three-Year-Old World Grand Championship on Mr. Magnifico, a horse we= bred and raised. Another is winning five World Championships with She’s Lined with Love 4G. At just 5 years old, she has already earned so many titles. Or watching our son, Thomas, step up as a professional trainer and sweep blue ribbons in both divisions of the Two-Year-Old Mare Class in 2024, and then winning two of the last three World Grand Championships Two Year-Old Mare Classes, which is a huge accomplishment.”
She continued, “Last year, 2025, was very special. Will won his first World Championship on the same night Thomas also won the World Championship. That was pretty special. Now, all of us Dericksons have won a World Championship. Our two oldest granddaughters both made their debuts, and both won third-place ribbons. These were quite an accomplishment at just 8 and 9 years old.” The 2026 TWHNC begins Wednesday, Aug. 26, and the Dericksons are looking forward to what they call “The Greatest Show on Earth.”
“We always anticipate a wonderful 11 days of competition, success, and visiting with old and new friends, plus just the overall pageantry of the show,” Jill said. “We love planning how we are going to decorate our barn. This has been a long, long family tradition of deciding our theme, purchasing new items to update the look, and then putting it all together. We have been very fortunate to win lots of awards in the stable decorating contest.”
For the last 30 years, they have also planned a dessert potluck to go alongside their catered meals. “The fellowship, time to gether, the food — the whole aspect is very important to us,” Jill said. “Lots of friends, lots of fun, and lots of memories are made on the porch of our Celebration barn.”
More than a century after Black Allan shaped the first chapter of this breed, the Dericksons prove that the heart of the Tennessee walking horse industry is the families who love this breed enough to pass it on to the next generation. GN
