FRANKLIN, Tenn. - Members of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ and Exhibitors Association gathered for their Fourth Annual Awards Banquet. Approximately 200 people gathered at the Cool Springs Marriott Hotel and Conference Center for the event held Nov. 31.
The TWHBEA took this opportunity to present Stallion and Dam of the Year Awards as well as the Emerald Awards Of Horse Show Excellence, Ambassador Awards, the National Futurity Graduate Award and to honor the owners and breeders of the current World Grand Champions.
A special award of recognition was awarded to the Board Of Directors of the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration by Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association Executive Director Bob Cherry for their hard work and dedication in making The Celebration the success that it is from year to year. Current directors include Bob Garner, Chairman, John T. Bobo, Virgil Johnson, Pat Marsh, David Howard, Bailey Little and Charles McDonald, as well as CEO Ron Thomas.
The Pleasure Division presented two Ambassador Awards, its highest honor, to people who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to promote the Tennessee Walking Horse. Sarah McCurley of Starr, South Carolina, received an Ambassador Award for her promotion on the local level; and the award for promotion on the national and international level was presented to Larry Starnes of Brownsville, Ky.
The National Futurity’s Top Graduate Award was presented to Gen’s Genessa, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Brantley of Wartrace, Tenn. This award is given to the entry with the most points in National Futurity classes during their time in the Weanling, Yearling, Two-Year-Old and Three-Year-Old divisions. Gen’s Genessa was presented in the Halter divisions by Chris Richards of Nashville, Tenn. and under saddle by Herbert Derickson Training Facility, Shelbyville, Tenn.
This was also the time to announce the winners of the Sire and Dam Of The Year Awards. Again this year, as in every year since the inception of the awards, Pride’s Generator claimed the Sire Of The Year award in both the Total Points and the Percentage Point divisions. He is proudly owned by Crowley Farms, Inc. of Shelbyville, Tenn. and stands at Central Georgia Equine Services, Ft. Valley, Ga.
The top Dam for 2000 based on total points as Rachel Gold, owned by Chad Hannah of Brooksville, Pa. and the top Dam based on percentage points for the second consecutive year was High Fashion Pride, owned by Rick Womack of Murfreesboro, Tenn.
For the first time in 2000, the association presented the Emerald Awards Of Horse Show Excellence to a One Night and Multi-Night Horse Show who go above and beyond, year after year, to insure an outstanding show. The One Night Show honored was the Woodbury, Tenn. Lions Club Horse Show and the Multi-Night Show was The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration.
This association took this opportunity to honor the owners, breeders and trainers of the 2000 Lite Shod, Plantation and Performance World Grand Champions as well as the outgoing members of the National Board of Directors and the 2000 President, Jim Welch. Welch was presented with a hand made mahogany office chair by the TWHBEA for his dedicated service in the past year.