It is with great sadness to share that Gen’s Black Gin was peacefully laid to rest Sunday, June 20, just five days short of his 22nd birthday. Having extended health issues his breeding was ended this year and he was kept as comfortable as possible. It was evident that Sunday morning that the right choice was to let him go. 

Gen’s Black Gin was bred and raised by Keith Blackburn of Louisa, Kentucky. Keith was the person Black Gin was most associated with. Having started him under saddle, Keith and Black Gin took the Walking Horse World by a storm becoming 2002 World Champion Three Year Old Stallion and World Grand Champion Three Year Old. It was during the 2002 Celebration that Bill Johnson purchased Black Gin for a reported $500,000 from then owners Erin and David Graf. With Keith as his trainer Black Gin with Bill Johnson aboard became the 2003 World Champion Owner-Amateur Four Year Old Stallion and World Grand Champion Owner-Amateur Four Year Old. In his last show ring appearance Black Gin with Bill Johnson became the 2006 World Champion Owner-Amateur 15.2 and Under Stallion. In his show career Black Gin was shown 15 times with 13 Championships and 1 reserve Championship.

As a breeding stallion Black Gin was different in many ways than most. Sired by Gen.’s Fable and out of the Ultra Copy daughter Ultra Precision, his pedigree wasn’t something the serious breeders were overly excited about.  But in true Black Gin fashion he excelled beyond his own pedigree. With a very reasonable fee most of his career Black Gin entered stud in 2004 and currently sired 17 crops of foals totaling, currently 923 registered offspring, 311 of those with a show record. Of those foals 63 have become World or Reserve World Champions and they have won 155 World or Reserve World Championships. Black Gin is also the sire of “Back To Back” Big Stake winners in Gen’s Black Maverick The World Grand Champion Tennessee Walking Horse in 2017 and Gen A’Mighty The World Grand Champion Tennessee Walking Horse in 2018. Gen’s Black Gin was inducted into the TWHBEA Hall Of Fame in 2020.  Black Gin has been owned by Five Star Stallions in his last years.

Some of the other great World Champion Black Gin sons and daughters include, Bubba’s Sip of Gin, Gin Toddy, Sonny Steele, Cottonwood Gin, Hey Good Looking, A Gin To Win, Slingblade, Blacklist, Gin’s Shadow, He’s High Maintenance, and He’s Primetime, A Black Smoke, Anthony Davis, Be My Baby, Bronx Bomber, Cougar, French Gin, Gin and Juice, Gin Fusion, Gin In Everything, Gintastic, Give Me A Triple, Grassy Creek Gin, Havana Gin, I’m Redeemed, Jamaica Gin, Miss Movin On, Molly Lou Melon, My Gin and Roses, Nip Of Gin, Playing Gin, Poison’s Splash Of Gin, Sapphire Gin, She’s The Black Widow, The Gin Was Poisoned By Gen, Tonic and Unwavering.

On behalf of Five Star Stallions and Rising Star Ranch we want to sincerely thank all the breeders and trainers and fans that have supported Black Gin through the years and continue to show and cheer for his offspring. May his legacy carry on for generations through his foals.

David W. Williams

Gen's Black Gin
June 25th 1999 - June 20th 2021