It's Saturday morning in Shelbyville at the 74th Annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration and there's activity all over the grounds. As always, Champions Arena was home to the All Youth Day Horse Judging Competition, the Bar-B-Que Cook off was taking place across from Calsonic Arena, the TWHBEA¹s Youth Clinic was scheduled for later in the day, and of course, promptly at 9 a.m., the horse show activities will get under way in Calsonic Arena. Twelve classes made up the Saturday morning session featuring the Equitation, Halter, Country Pleasure, Trail Pleasure and Lite-Shod divisions.
The judges for the 74th Annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration include Jennifer Bingham of Shelbyville, Tenn. (Pleasure, Halter & Performance), Chris Bobo of Shelbyville, Tenn.
(Pleasure, Halter & Performance), Nathan Clark of Arab, Ala., (Pleasure, Halter & Performance), Brent Grider of Columbia, Ky. (Performance & Halter), Carol Smithson of Clarksville, Tenn. (Pleasure), Connie Waldo of Naples, Fla. (Pleasure), and Joel Weaver of Shelbyville, Tenn. (Performance & Halter).
Up first on the morning schedule was class 60E, Auxiliary Equitation Medal Class, Youth Division, Riders 6-11 Years. All five of the expected teams made the call to work for Judge Jennifer Bingham and her staff. After the initial rail work, each entry was asked to complete their individual pattern work. Once the work was complete, the judges determined the champion to be Claire Hankins of Paris, Ky., Keely Morrow of Franklin,
Ky., was reserve in the class, while Allie Avent of Bell Buckle, Tenn., was third.
The young riders returned to the ring for class 61, Owner-Amateur Youth Riders 6-17 Years on Western Country Pleasure Walking Horses. Fourteen of the 20 with reservations made the call to work for Call Judge Chris Bobo and his cohorts. Busting out of the lineup and riding down victory lane with the approval of all five judges was Bustline and Mackenzie Morgan riding for Fred and Vicki Benjamin and Mackenzie Morgan of Humboldt and Shelbyville, Tenn. This was this duo¹s fourth Youth Country Pleasure win of the 2012 show season and Bustline had already captured a WC title earlier in the week with Vicki Benjamin. Cowboy On Parole and Peyton Davis were reserve for Dr. Jack and Wilsene Moody-Kwok of Delaware, Ohio and Shelbyville, Tenn. The Ghost Walker and Katie Garber were third for Brown, Irby and Gerber of Lewisburg and Shelbyville, Tenn.
The schedule moved to the halter division for class 62, Owner-Amateur Yearlings with 15 teams walking their way up from the warm up ring to work for Judge Chris Bobo and his panel. Walking away with the win in the class was Intimidator¹s Cover Girl and Amanda Wright, 2012 Champions at the Columbia Spring Jubilee and the TWHBEA National Futurity, at the lead for The Andrew Waites Family and The George Wright Family of Hattiesburg, Miss. and Mt Juliet, Tenn. Oh Pancho Oh Cisco and Roger Richards, Jr., walked into the second position for Roger Richards of Hendersonville, Tenn. I'm Star Gazing and Rhonda Martocci collected the yellow streamers for Rhonda Martocci and Bradley Richards of Franklin and Arrington, Tenn.
Owner-Amateur Youth Riders 12-17 on Western Trail Pleasure Horses was up next on the program with 11 of the 15 on the official Lions Club program taking the rail to work as Judge Nathan Clark called the gaits.
Making the winning ride in the division was Suiza and owner/exhibitor Allison Thorson of Huron, Ohio. This duo already won the Youth Riders 12-17 English Trail Pleasure on Friday morning. A Wicked Bond and Krysta Allen were reserve riding for Krysta and Rachel Allen of Pleasanton, Calif. A Red Ruby and Mackenzie Morgan were third for Liz and Mitchell Gassaway and Mackenzie Morgan of Shelbyville, Tenn.
Class 64 brought the Amateur Owned And Trained English Trail Pleasure Walking Horses, No Professional Training Within 90 days to the track with 15 of the 17 expected working the rail in hopes of riding away with top honors in the division. Judge Carol Smithson served as Call Judge for the class. Just Doing My Time and Maggie Moore found themselves in the winner¹s circle after a strong performance riding for Jim Leek & Maggie Moore of Albany, Ga. & Murfreesboro, Tenn. This win made number nine of the 2012 show season for this duo. Headed back to the Lonestar State with reserve was So It Is . . .God¹s Gift and owner/exhibitor Kimberly Coult of Livingston, Texas. The Karma Fairy and owner/exhibitor Liz Gassaway of Shelbyville, Tenn., rounded out the top three in the class.
Class 65E featured the Auxiliary Equitation, Medal Class, Youth Division, Riders 12-14 to the track with all three of the programmed entries making the call to work for Judge Nathan Clark and his cohorts.
Again, once the rail work was complete, each team was asked to complete a predetermined pattern. Once all of this was complete, top honors went to Kaitlyn Rippy of Greenbrier, Tenn., with a unanimous decision of the judging panel. Alexis King of Cornersville, Tenn., was reserve, while Allison Lane Holt of Shelbyville, Tenn., was third.
Back in the Trail Pleasure division, class 66 featured the Owner-Amateur Youth Riders 6-11 Years on Trail Pleasure Walking Horses, Optional Tack. All nine of the registered teams worked to the rail to show
their very best for Judge Connie Waldo and her staff. Riding away with their second blue of the 2012 Celebration was Juan Carlos and Lily Catherine Holland up for Lisa Weaver and Lilly Holland of Doyline, La. and Decatur, Ala. High Tide Surfin' and Brady Bachert picked up the red ribbon for Brady Bachert and Stacey Richards of Wildwood, Mo. and Arrington, Tenn. Contemporary Jazz and Ashley Gray rounded out the top of the class for Kesselring and Gray of Montverde, Fla.
Class 66E, Auxiliary Equitation, Medal Class, Senior Division, Riders 15-17 Years was the last Equitation class on the morning's schedule. These riders, and those from the other preliminaries, will return on Monday morning to ride for the roses in the Equitation Medals Championship. Four entries made the call to work in this event as Judge Brent Grider led the panel. Once again, each entry completed individual pattern work once the rail work was complete. Garnering the approval of all five judges was Allison Thorson of Huron, Ohio. Thorson was the 2011 champion in this division and the reigning Equitation Medal Grand Champion and this was her 18th 2012 Equitation win. Morgan Murphy of Scott Depot, Ky., was reserve, while Meme Anderson of Bishopville, S.C., was third.
The Yearlings were back on track for class 68, Yearling Fillies and Geldings, of 2011 Foal, with 14 entries working up from the warm-up ring to show their winning moves and looks for the judging panel, led by Judge Joel Weaver. Walking their way to the winner's circle for the second time of the morning session was Intimidator's Cover Girl and Amanda Wright at the lead for The Andrew Waites Family and The George Wright Family of Hattiesburg, MS. and Mt Juliet, Tenn. Silver Belle Titleist and Chris Richards were reserve for 4-J Land & Cattle Company of Waynesville, Mo. I'm Star Gazing and Bradley Richards were third for Rhonda Martocci and Bradley Richards of Franklin and Arrington, Tenn.
Owner-Amateur Youth Riders 6-17 Years on English Country Pleasure Walking Horses, class 69, was up next with nine of the 14 on the books making the call to work as Judge Jennifer Bingham called the gaits in the class. The Ghost Walker and Katie Gerber captured the blue in the class for Brown, Irby and Garber of Lewisburg and Shelbyville, Tenn. Mr. Jessie James and Mackenzie Morgan were reserve for Ann Jameson and Mackenzie Morgan of Union, W.V. and Shelbyville, Tenn. Jose¹s Hannah Montana and Ashley Gray were third for Kesselring and Gray of Montverde, Fla.
The last halter class of the morning performance was class 70, Yearling Colts of 2011 Foal. Fourteen entries beat the clock to work for the judging panel, led by Judge Jennifer Bingham. Headed to the winner¹s circle in the division was Coachin' And Preachin' and Beverly Lamp at the lead for Keith and Lorrainne Rosbury of Bell Buckle, Tenn. This talented youngster took 2012 top honors at the Liberty Lions Club Horse Show, the Woodbury Lions Club Horse Show and the Wartrace Horse Show. Oh Pancho O Cisco and Roger Richards, Jr., were reserve for Roger Richards of Hendersonville, Tenn. Jazz On My Mind and Robert Nelms were third for Carol Hargett of Shelbyville, Tenn.
The final class of the Saturday Morning performance was class 71, Owner-Amateur Youth Riders 6-17 on Lite-Shod Walking Mares or Geldings. Twelve of the 14 expected took the rail to work as Judge Chris Bobo called the gaits for the class. Garnering their second win of the 2012 Celebration, after capturing the blue in the Youth Novice Lite-Shod class on Friday Morning, was Simple Lee Dangerous and Alex Hopkins up for Kara Graham and Alex Hopkins of Niota and Sneedville, Tenn. Major Orders and Mackenzie Morgan for Westmark Farms of Somerville, Tenn. Gi Gi's Jamacian Generator and Kaitlyn Rippy were third for Leigh Stuart of Alvaton, Ky.
Another morning session in the history books! The morning sessions will resume for one final time on Monday Morning in Calsonic Arena at 9 a.m., but there will still be action tomorrow in Calsonic Arena as the Walking Horse Trainers' Auxiliary Dog Show gets underway at 12 Noon. It¹s always very enjoyable and something not to be missed.