Tom Bass, Famed Horseman, Dies at age 73

One of Mexico’s best-known residents, a dean among horse showmen, is dead.  Tom Bass, the only negro ever to show horses in Madison Square Garden, died at the Audrain Hospital here at 5:30 Tuesday morning, after being a patient at the hospital for five days. Heart trouble was the cause of his death. 

With his death goes the last of a group of negroes whose ability and demeanor in a manner eliminated race distinction.  Tom had numbered among the guests at his stable here statesmen and presidents, and in gatherings of horseman he was he was an honored figure.  At horse shows, in city hotels, and elsewhere he was greeted with respect. 

He is survived by his widow, at the Bass home on the corner of Whitley and Olive streets next to his famous stable.  One son, Inman, is dead.

He was 73 years old at the time of his death. Coming from a farm near Ashland, in Boone County, to Mexico in the days when Mexico was gaining its title of “saddle horse capital of the world,” Tom learned to train horses and to love the work.  He ran a hack from the old station, to the old Windsor Hotel, and was a porter at the hotel, as he picked up a liking for horses from association with the hotel life.” 

He started by high schooling a horse, “Columbus” and gradually horsemen sent him horses to be trained.  Among them was Belle Beach, owned by Dinks Parish of St. Louis.  Tom showed Belle all over the country, taking her to the American Royal at Kansas City, the International at Chicago, the Madison Square Garden at New York, to Boston and St. Louis.  Belle Beach had one of the greatest collections of tricks ever seen in a show horse ring, and she won year after year.  Belle was jet black, except for a white star on the forehead and one white foreleg.    Bass rode her on two occasions before the late president Coolidge, who once left his box to salute the mare in the ring.

As Belle grew older, Parrish gave her to Tom, who continued to show her for a time, and then kept her in his stable here.  At her death a year ago, the patriarchical negro was too broken up to talk. 

George Lee recalled some well known horsemen for whom Tom had trained horses, including A. O. Rule of Kansas City, and Tom Dunn of St. Louis, who owned “Jack O’Diamonds,” a noted horse.[1]

Crowd Bass Home for Final Tribute to Mexico’s Famed Negro Horseman

As they were forgotten so many times during the 75 years of Tom Bass’ life, race barriers were laid aside this afternoon.

Friends – white and negro – met at the modest home on West Whitley Street, to pay their last respects to the Mexico horseman who had gathered about him much of the romance of Missouri’s saddle horse show rings.

From St. Louis, Hannibal, Kansas City, Centralia, and other places, they came, and from some of those who could not come came messages.

The short and simple services were held at the home, with the crowd filling the available seats inside, and overflowing into the porch and yard.   Many who did not remain for the services viewed the body.

The casket lay in the parlor – the same room where Tom had kept his prized collection of trophies, ribbons, records of his long and successful career as a trainer.  One of the floral wreaths which banked the casket was a horseshoe piece.

The Rev. Richards, pastor of the Second Baptist Church, was the minister, and members of the grand lodge of the Missouri negro Masonic order were there to officiate at the service and burial in the local cemetery.[2]