By Kyle R. Thomas

In the equine world, lineage is everything. The 1990 comedy Kindergarten Cop provided Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character with the iconic question, “Who is your daddy, and what does he do?” It establishes precedent, and it absolutely raises or lowers expectations, according to the answer. In the thoroughbred industry, Into Mischief sired the winner of both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes in 2025, Sovereignty. Since Into Mischief has been the leading thoroughbred sire for seven straight years, Sovereignty was pegged for big things even as a yearling. He still had to go run the races and win them, to be sure, but his reputation was set from the moment he was foaled. The Tennessee Walking Horse industry has known many legendary sires over the years. However, in the wake of a record-setting 2025, one horse is growing his legacy in such a way that puts him in the discussion as one of the greatest of all time. His name is Honors.

Honors himself was sired by The Titleist in 2008, out of Pushover’s Mark. His glittering – albeit interrupted – show career has been well documented, but it is worth briefly revisiting here. Honors won the Three-Year-Old World Grand Championship in 2011, and he followed that by winning the Four-Year-Old title the following year. The “albeit interrupted” portion of his otherwise stellar career then plagued him, as he was kept out of Celebration Arena for the next three years. He was finally able to return to the Big Oval on the Saturday night before Labor Day in 2016, and he tied a bow on his unprecedented and undefeated career by winning the Tennessee Walking Horse World Grand Championship. He retired as undoubtedly one of the only horses in history to never receive a second-place vote on any judge’s card.

In the years preceding his victory in the Big Stake, Honors remained in training at Carl Edwards & Sons Stables in Dawson, Georgia. He first arrived there as a three-year-old, under the watchful eyes of brothers Gary and Larry Edwards. At that time, the Edwards’ barn was primarily a training facility, not a breeding operation. According to Paige Edwards, the fulcrum on which the farm rests, they had a fence row full of broodmares in 2013, but no sires. “We only had seven mares here that fall who were not bred,” she said. The design was always for Honors to stay in training, but they took advantage of the break in his show schedule and decided to try his hoof at breeding. In the late 90s, Paige had traveled with Jackie Whatley to Colorado State University to learn how to inseminate mares. “But we weren’t interested in the stallion part of it,” she said. “Just mares and foals.” In 2013, she went back to learn the other side. “I thought I could go back to Colorado State and learn how to do this,” she said. “And I did.” Thus, Honors’ career as a breeding sire began.

By the time Honors won the World Grand Championship in 2016, his popularity was as high as any horse who has ever shown at The Celebration. His title was viewed as a culmination, if not an outright vindication. As owner Keith McSwain put it, “Instead of it being for one horse, it was for an industry.” Paige echoed the sentiment. “He had become the people’s horse,” she said. The natural transition from the show ring for Honors would be standing at stud, but the question very quickly became, where? For Paige, that question brought a strong sense of dread. “He’s going to have to go to Tennessee,” she remembered. “He’s going to have to leave us.” In 1987, Larry won the World Grand Championship aboard Coin’s Hard Cash, and the horse was subsequently moved to Tennessee to a big breeding operation. The same was true for GameWorld in 2011 after he and Gary won the World Grand Championship. Paige worried that history would once again repeat itself. But according to Keith, Honors was already home. “Nothing against any other operation, but the love the Edwards have for Honors,” he said, “it’s more than blues, it’s more than breeding. Where would you want your horse to be other than with people who love him?”

From there, Carl Edwards & Sons Stables officially became a breeding operation, and did it ever get off to a busy start. “From the time people found out that we were going to breeding,” Paige said, “people started calling, wanting to breed to him.” Honors may have started out with the broodmares left on the farm, but very soon they were shipping semen all over the country. One such pairing with a mare named Maypine’s Doll Baby in 2016 that yielded a tremendous result the following spring.

At the outset of Honors’ breeding career, a key decision was made that absolutely deserves to be highlighted here. In keeping with the label “The People’s Horse,” Honors’ stud fee was kept intentionally low, and it remains so to this day. His stud fee is only $1,200, which is far below industry standard, and less than half of what is charged for some of the other top sires. “It was very clear,” Keith said, “I want to keep it at an affordable rate for the people. Because it’s the people he belongs to.” The love and support that Honors received from his fans has followed through to this next phase of his life. “He was so well received and so loved by everybody in the horse industry,” Paige said. “I’ll say this, I want everybody that wants to have a foal by Honors to be able to have one. His stud fee is a way for Honors to give back to the people for the cheers, kind comments, photographs and all the support and love shown to him over the years.” Yes, that does mean some lost revenue. But it also provides unbelievable opportunities for so many people. “You know, there are some people in the horse business that can afford to pay no matter what we charge,” she continued. “But there are a lot of people in the horse business that teach school. There is a bricklayer that sends me $50 every month, and that's fine with me. He wants an Honors, he loved Honors, he followed Honors. He would be there when Honors showed. I just remember one night, it was real late and everybody was leaving the show. But if Honors was there for the stake, people would stay. But this man followed him and just loved him and bragged on him to everybody. And I want him to have an Honors.”
Keith encapsulated it succinctly. “I don’t consider him my horse,” he said. “He is the industry’s horse.”

Just because a horse was great in the show ring, though, does not mean he will find equal success in the breeding barn. There have been countless champions who never generated the same success in their offspring, and there are countless horses who were not great champions who ultimately became top sires. Finding both is exceedingly rare. Secretariat, as an example, was never considered a great sire. Affirmed may have gotten the better of Alydar in their great racing rivalry, but Alydar by far surpassed Affirmed in terms of breeding. Honors’ own sire, The Titleist, never had a glittering show career with floral horseshoes, but he has become one the industry’s most sought-after sires since his show career ended in 2007. So, there is no exact science. One of the most obvious parallels to Honors’ success is Jose’ Jose’, another sensational horse who was every bit as good in the show ring as he later was in the breeding barn. But those two find themselves in rarefied air.

The most notable offspring Honors has sired thus far – and one of the most notable horses in the history of the industry – was foaled on April 30, 2017, by the aforementioned Maypine’s Doll Baby. His name is Justified Honors, and he just became the first horse in history to win the World Grand Championship for a fourth time, surpassing the three-time record he shared with Talk Of The Town and I Am Jose’. “Certainly, Justified is the horse that epitomizes the greatness of his offspring,” Keith said. “Justified is a phenomenal horse. We're thankful for him and the history that he's made, which I like to say just continues the Honors legacy.” Paige shared her own thoughts, as well, sounding very much like a proud grandmother. “Every step with Justified is absolutely perfect. He’s never made a bad show. Justified is just perfect in every way.”

The 2025 Celebration saw a number of new records in Honors’ name, all of which solidify his position as the very best in his breed. Not only did he sire the only four-time World Grand Champion in history, he has now had his name announced as the sire of the last five World Grand Champions. Justified Honors in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2025, and Cavender in 2024. No other sire in Tennessee Walking Horse history has had such a continued and unbroken run of success. And by siring his fifth World Grand Champion, he surpassed the legendary Merry Go Boy, who sired four of his own: Go Boy’s Shadow in 1955 and 1956, Go Boy’s Sundust in 1967 and Go Boy’s Royal Heir in 1968. Honors has tied the mark of Ebony Masterpiece, who also sired five: Ebony’s Senator in 1969, Another Masterpiece in 1974, Ebony’s True Grit in 1975, Ebony’s Mountain Man in 1980 and Ebony’s Bold Courier in 1983. Their mark is only exceeded by that of the legendary Midnight Sun, one of the true founding fathers of the breed. Midnight Sun sired a whopping seven World Grand Champions in his time: Midnight Merry in 1949, Talk Of The Town in 1952, 1953 and 1954, Sun’s Jet Parade in 1957, Setting Sun in 1958 and Sun’s Delight in 1963.

There may have been a time when Midnight Sun’s record may have appeared unattainable, but that is no longer the case. And the reason for that is yet another record Honors established at the 2025 Celebration. Honors became the first horse in history to sire the Two-Year-Old World Grand Champion, the Three-Year-Old World Grand Champion, the Four-Year-Old World Grand Champion and the Tennessee Walking Horse World Grand Champion, all in the same year. The Two-Year-Old World Grand Champion was Sho-Time, out of Prissy Ritzy. The Three-Year-Old World Grand Champion was The Chief, out of Jose’s Private Eye. And, the Four-Year-Old World Grand Champion was Ohtani, out of Senorita Dumas. Ohtani also won the Three-Year-Old World Grand Championship in 2024. There are quite a few contenders in the mix to take Honors all the way to yet another new record.

At 17-years-old, Honors still should have several more productive years ahead of him. And, as exciting as his story has already been, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about what the future has in store. “We just look forward to what the next crop will be,” Paige said. “The two-year-old class was so exciting this year. I mean, there were four great ones this year going into The Celebration. And three were by Honors and one was by Justified.” Finishing second behind Sho-Time was Rival, sired by Justified Honors. And the horses finishing third and fifth, All Time Honor and Iceman, respectively, were both sired by Honors. First, third and fifth in the Two-Year-Old Championship. A bright future indeed.

In a world where lineage is everything, Paige and Keith both took time to single out praise for where Honors came from. “I thought there would never be another [He’s Puttin’ On The] Ritz,” Paige said. “I just thought he was going to be the most popular horse that ever lived. And then 20 years later, here comes Honors. The fact that he's Ritz's grandson makes it even more special for us. And I want to give credit where it’s due. Larry Edwards gets credit. His mama gets credit. His daddy gets credit. But I'm telling you, God had His hand in all of this.” Keith also summarized his thoughts. “God just brought that horse here,” he said. “And no pun intended, but I'm honored to be a part of Honors. He has been and remains a remarkable horse. And I'm so thankful to the Edwards.”

An American poet once defined legacy as “planting seeds in a garden you never get to see,” and also “notes at the beginning of a song someone will sing for me.” If asked the classic question, who is your daddy? The major champions of the 2025 Celebration are all able to answer the same way: Honors. One of the very best to ever do it. The People’s Horse. And if this most recent show season is any indication, perhaps the final stencils on his legacy are still yet to come.