Wink Groover

Wink Groover (September 27, 1935 – April 11, 2010) was an American Tennessee Walking Horse trainer who won the World Grand Championship in 1970 with the horse Ace's Sensation. Groover was also Trainer of the Year for 1970, and later served as a chairman for the National Horse Show Commission. Groover died in April 2010, at the age of 74.

Life and career Groover was born on September 27, 1935, and raised near Miami, Florida. During World War II, his parents moved the family to south Georgia for a time to keep his sister away from the large number of servicemen in Miami. However, she married a soldier from Georgia and the family later returned to Florida. About the time of the marriage, her new father-in-law traveled to Tennessee to buy mules and while there heard about the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, a major Tennessee Walking Horse show. at the same time he was also training another black stallion named Sensational Shadow. He continued training both horses simultaneously until he felt that he should focus his attention on Ace's Sensation;

In 1968 Ace's Sensation and Groover placed third in the World Grand Championship; in 1969 he placed fourth. He served as a judge in the 2006 Celebration.

Wink Groover and his wife had two children, Winky and Cindy. Groover moved to Longview, Texas in 1994, after spending most of his training career in Tennessee. He continued to train and show Tennessee Walking Horses after the move.