The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration announced class splits Friday afternoon for its 80th annual event, which kicks off later this month. Twelve classes have been divided, with the two-year-old stallion division once again having three splits.
The Owner-Amateur Riders on Two-Year-Old Walking Stallions has an A and B section (Class 21 A and B Thursday Aug. 24), along with the following: Owner-Amateur Novice Lady Riders on Novice Walking Mares or Geldings (Class 25 A and B Thursday Aug. 24), Three-Year-Old Walking Stallions (Class 45 A and B Friday Aug. 25), Three-Year-Old Walking Mares (Class 70 A and B Saturday Aug. 26), Two-Year-Old Walking Mares (Class 73 A Saturday Aug. 26), and Walking Stallions 5 Years and Over (Class 79 A and B Saturday Aug. 26), wrapping up the first week of the show.
Sunday, Aug. 27 features one split on the agenda in the Owner-Amateur Riders Four-Year Old Walking Mares and Geldings (Class 90). The Two-Year-Old Walking Stallions, as tradition calls, are divided into three groups Monday Aug. 28 (Class 105), with the Owner-Amateur Riders on Two-Year-Old Mares and Geldings split Tuesday Aug. 29 (Class 113). Wednesday, Aug 30, features the Owner-Amateur Riders on Three-Year-Old Walking Stallions (Class 118) and the Owner-Amateur Riders on Three-Year-Old Walking Mares and Geldings split (Class 122).
Entries in the aged stallions preliminary, sec. A are as follows: Ice Cold Gold and Allen Abee for Tom Shipman, The American Ride and Jesse Barnes for Ginger Hartlein, Jose’s Ambush and Layne Levertte for Jeff Faulkner, I’m Lombardi and Gary Edwards for Henry and Peggy Metcalf, I’m Mayhem and Rodney Dick for JoAnn Dowell, Gen A’ Mighty and Jimmy McConnell for Mike Floyd, A Bruce Pearl and John Allan Callaway for Lisa Baum and Jose’s Thunderstruck and Larry George for Beverly Sherman.
Sec. B includes the following: Putt For Dough and Bill Cantrell for Cantrell and Powell, Jose’s Power Broker and Keith Blackburn for Dan and Susan Erwin, He’s Unleashed and Chad Williams for Evergreen Walking Horse Farm, Really Coach? and Tyler Baucom for Kerry DeArmond and Denny Russell, Bourbon Street I and Larry Edwards for Duke Ingram, Master’s Razzle & Jazz and Herbert Derickson for the Alan Riddley Family, Bravo! and Chad Way for Diana Cruse and Jose’s Cold Chills and John Allan Callaway for LaRue McWaters.
The Celebration will have more horses competing at the 80th Annual Celebration. In 2018, 1,179 different horses entered versus 1,138 in 2017, a 3.6% increase.
“Not only do we have large classes that required splits we also had quite a few right on the cusp. This speaks strongly to what will be quite a lot of classes with top talent all the way through the number of ribbons available,” said Celebration Chief Executive Officer Mike Inman.
The 80th annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration will be held Aug. 22 through Sept. 1.