by Renee Isaacs

PRESTONSBURG, Ky. – The United Performance Racking Horse Breeders’ & Trainers’ Association held its annual world celebration horse show on Sept. 10-12, 2009, at the Stone Crest Equine Facility in Prestonsburg, Ky. Mack Deckle and Billy Dean of Shelbyville, Tenn., alternated the judging of the 67-class event.

Dalia Smith of Manchester, Ky., rode Labron James to the Walking Stake title as well as to the Four-Year-Old Open Sspecialty title on Thursday night. Smith claimed three other blues as well, including wins with He’s Vida Blue, Cash Lined and Miss Keeneland.

Entries were down this year considerably, but the association must move forward. The UPRHBTA holds all funds which are not within the budget to be used to give to children with life threatening illnesses, or a Dream Child. These children are usually 10 years of age or younger and are from average to low-income families.

Thursday evening the flag was carried by Lexie Faith Cain, a two-year-old who was diagnosed with Hepatoblastoma, a type of liver cancer, at nine months old. She was given a donor by her father, Chris Cain, in order to survive. The Cain family is from Jenkins, Ky., and are on their way to recovering.

On Saturday night, the exhibitors, trainers and spectators collected $2,000 to give to an 11-year-old boy, Kyle Smith, who is in the hospital awaiting a donor. The association and the family of Kyle Smith sends a very special thank to everyone who donated. “This is a very good cause and some of these families can’t make it without us, so please come out and support our horse show each year, if it is only for this reason,” said Raymond Hager.

The association would like to send out a special thanks to everyone who supported the show and the children they are helping.

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