The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration and its board of directors has adopted new rules for riders in the Pleasure Division requiring amateur riders in these classes to be owner-amateur riders. The new rules will take affect for the 2005 Fun Show and Celebration.

Owner-Amateur status is a more strict interpretation than that of simply being an amateur rider. Both of these delineations are spelled out in The National Horse Show Commission rulebook.

“It makes sense to bring the Pleasure Division in line with our Performance Division, which has required amateur riders to be owner-amateurs for quite some time,” said Celebration Board Chairman Pat Marsh. “This will not affect many entries at all. However, it gives our two largest divisions basically the same rules for all amateur riders.”

The test for owner-amateur status with any entry is simple and is fairly liberal in its inclusiveness. It includes the owner of the horse (according to TWHBEA records) and his or her immediate family. For horse show purposes, the term “immediate family,” according to the NHSC rulebook, includes the following: husband, wife, parent, stepparent, child, stepchild, brother, sister, half brother and half sister, stepbrother and stepsister, in-laws of the same relations stated herein, grandparents, and grandchildren.

“The Celebration is a wonderful family event and this update of the rules falls right in line with what we are all about,” said Celebration CEO and show manager Ron Thomas. “The only thing this changes is that the amateur rider must be in the owner’s immediate family or the horse must be shown in a professional class by the trainer.”

Celebration personnel will not be involved in checking ownership of horses in owner-amateur classes. The actual ownership will be determined, if a question arises, between the owner and the NHSC. The NHSC will require The Celebration to retie any classes in which horses have been improperly entered, including the redistribution of prize money and ribbons.

The 67th Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration is scheduled for August 24-September 3, 2005 at the Historic Celebration Grounds in Shelbyville, TN.