Tom Burton Jr. (1933–2022): Tennessee Walking Horse Trainer and Rider
The Missouri horseman you’re referring to appears to be Thomas “Tom” Burton Jr., a Tennessee Walking Horse trainer whose career included training stables in Arkansas, Missouri and Iowa.
Born December 30, 1933, in Prescott, Arkansas, Burton began working with Walking Horses as a youngster alongside his father, Thomas Burton Sr., at Willow Oaks Stables. He later established his own training operations in El Dorado, Arkansas; Springfield, Missouri; and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His obituary credits him with starting, training and showing horses that became world champions and leading contenders. He personally won three Celebration world championships in the Grooms class, riding three different horses.
Contemporary records document his Missouri riding career by the 1960s. The November 1966 Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse lists Burton placing fourth aboard Mr. Realtor in a junior Walking Horse class and fourth aboard Knight Mary Sun in a Walking Horse championship stake. An August 1967 advertisement places Tom Burton Jr.’s operation near Rogersville, outside Springfield.
His stable also supported amateur and juvenile exhibitors. Coverage of the Heart of America association’s 13th Annual Fall Show credits Tom Burton Stables with five blue ribbons. Winning combinations included Jill Wait with Main Performance and Stormy’s Applejack, Mitzi Nichols with Criminal Action R.W., and juvenile rider Kelsey Bowen.
Burton belonged to the Walking Horse Trainers’ Association, Midwest Trainers Association and Heart of America Walking Horse Association, and served as an Iowa director of TWHBEA. After suffering a stroke in 2009, he continued following shows online and attending when able. He died February 11, 2022, at age 88, survived by his wife of 46 years, Gerry, and a large family.
In December 2014, the Walking Horse Trainers’ Association inducted him into its Trainers’ Friendship Club, which recognizes substantial contributions to the industry.
Still needing verification: the names of his three Celebration championship horses and the years of those victories. The obituary confirms the titles but does not identify the horses or dates.
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