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Don't Stop Believing ... Private Charter's Destiny
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© Voice, September 2006

Bud Moore has always believed that Private Charter would one day win the World Grand Championship. From the moment he saw him, he liked his bold stride, but more importantly, Moore saw within Charter the heart and passion that prove he is all show horse. Private Charter wants to show. He wants to win the World Grand Championship and Bud Moore wants to own him when he does.
It all started when Moore saw Private Charter as a two-year-old at Edwards and Sons Stables in 1999. Moore saw Charter’s potential and purchased him. By Pride’s Generator and out of a Pusher mare, Private Charter was a product of the same breeding program as 2002 World Grand Champion Out On Parole, a program run by Dr. Judy Moore Foust.
His show ring career began his three-year-old year with five blue ribbons under Larry Edwards' direction.
As a four-year-old Private Charter won every time he entered the show ring except for the Celebration. At the 2001 Celebration Charter finished as the Reserve Four-Year-Old World Champion and Reserve Four-Year-Old World Grand Champion to Out On Parole, who would go on to win the World Grand Championship the following year.
In 2002 Private Charter entered Walking Horse Stake competition. He earned three more blues that season, which was the season that Moore decided to move Private Charter to Knox Blackburn. Blackburn earned one of those blues that season, but his eyes were focused on 2003.
Wins at Mississippi State Charity, the Fun Show and Woodbury, had the Private Charter fan club primed for a great 2003 Celebration. Following the advice of trainer Knox Blackburn, Moore switched divisions and showed Private Charter to the 15.2 & Under World Champion and 15.2 & Under World Grand Champion titles.
Moore and all Charter’s fans were delighted to see Private Charter wear the roses, but there was a piece of Moore that had not given up on his dream to see Charter win the World Grand Championship.
He would go on in 2004 to add another five blue ribbons to his resume and to repeat his performances as 15.2 & Under World and World Grand Champion.
In 2005 Rusty Hyneman approached Bud Moore and he made the difficult decision to sell Private Charter. Moore continued to love Private Charter and he watched with enthusiasm as Charter won at the Fun Show, Germantown, Tunica and Bethesda under the Hy-Steppin Farm banner. Rusty Hyneman too believed that Private Charter should win the World Grand Championship, so at the 2005 Celebration, they showed the former 15.2 & Under World Grand Champion in Stake competition. They were rewarded with a win that first Saturday night to be named World Champions and they returned the last Saturday night to finish as the Reserve World Grand Champion to Main Power.
During this time the friendship between Bud Moore and Mike Walden blossomed into a business partnership. When the opportunity to purchase a group of horses that included Private Charter presented itself to the partnership, Moore and Walden jumped at the chance.
“We bought a bunch to get this one,” says Mike Walden. “We want to give Private Charter the opportunity to fulfill his destiny.”
Moore’s love for Private Charter is obviously infectious. Bud Moore believed that Private Charter would win the World Grand Championship when no one else did, and now Mike Walden is equally convinced that Private Charter is destined to win the big stake and that this is his year.
It is a convincing argument. He is undefeated in 2006 with wins at Gallatin, Money Tree and Tony Rice. His lifetime record includes 33 blue ribbons and 7 reserves out of 45 performances. He has worn the roses twice. He has won at the Celebration 5 times. He was reserve at the Celebration in 2001 to Out On Parole and in 2005 to Main Power, both of whom have won the World Grand Championship. He is the 2005 Reserve World Grand Champion. He is a seasoned show horse with a talented trainer and an ownership team that won’t stop believing. And he has a heart that just won’t quit.
Private Charter wants to show. He wants to win the World Grand Championship. Bud Moore and Mike Walden want to own him when he does.
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