By Christy Parsons
Copyright Walking Horse Report 2008
The 2008 TWHBEA Executive Committee this morning voted unanimously to hold the National Futurity in conjunction with the 2008 Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration. Bill Stricklend met with David Howard, Board Chairman of the Celebration and other TWHBEA and TWHNC officials yesterday in Shelbyville to work out arrangements for this year's show. Based on that meeting, Stricklend proposed the motion to the Executive Committee.
The 2008 National Futurity will be held on the first day of the Celebration in Calsonic Arena utilizing the Celebration staff and judges. Horses shown in the National Futurity will be qualified to show in Celebration championship classes. This returns the Futurity to a cooperative effort between the TWHBEA and the Celebration as it was in the years 2006 and prior.
This decision was based on the fact that the Celebration affiliated with the National Horse Show Commission this week.
The National Futurity will be a true futurity program beginning in 2008 for weanlings. Weanlings that are not nominated to participate in the National Futurity this year will not be allowed to “buy in” as yearlings or two-year-olds, etc. Beginning with the 2008 weanling class, each year the futurity will be held as a true futurity such that in 2012, the Futurity will be held as a true futurity for all age groups, as opposed to a sweepstakes. Yearlings in 2008 that were not nominated as weanlings in 2007 can still buy in to participate in 2008.
More information about the National Futurity and the proposed change for the fee structure for regional futurities is available in the full story about the February Executive Committee story.