By Linda Fox
LAFAYETTE, Tenn. - The third annual Dr. C.C. Chitwood, Jr. Memorial Walking Horse Show, sponsored by the Macon County Rotary Club, was held Friday, June 13, 2003, at the Macon County Fairgrounds. After a week of torrential rain and thunderstorms in the Macon County area, there was a possibility that the show would be cancelled. However, after a day's reprieve from the wet weather and a lot of "track work” the show went on. Even though the track was much less than perfect, with riders and horses having to pick their way the entire length of the South side of the ring, approximately 200 entries made the gate call.
The knowledgeable veteran trainer and capable judge L.M. Murphy of Mt. Juliet, Tenn., ranked the contenders and marked the cards. Gary Brewington announced the show and kept things rolling while Connie Dunlap set the classes to music.
Joel Woosley and Son Stables had a great show and brought the evening to a close as Woosley and the big going Pusher’s Easter Parader pushed to the Walking Horse Stake championship for Bowling Green, Kentucky’s Friends In Low Places. Todd Smith and The Bold Stroke took the second place slot for owners Tuttle and Thomas of Lafayette, Tenn., and rounding out the third position was Scotty Brooks and Half Dollar for the Kenny Hendrick Farm of Bowling Green, Ky.
Woosley Stables also accounted for blues in the Four-Year-Old Open class with the hard walking Touch Pushes On with Joel Woosley aboard for Mr. and Mrs. James Smith. Next, farrier Mary Jo Simcox took up the reins for Duncan & Simcox to win the Amateur Walking Horse Specialty division aboard the fancy Elect JFK, another Woosley trained property.
The Todd Smith Stables crew accounted for four top performances and blue ribbon rides. The Park Pleasure 17 & Under title was taken by the flashy Generator’s Flash Point and Austin Jones. Pretty wife Robin Smith directed her Citation’s Money Man to the Ladies Amateur Walking Specialty honors. Next, Todd Smith took Generator’s Top Dollar to the Open Show Pleasure Specialty winner’s circle for the Bob and Curtice McCloy family. Jared Carrier directed the super talented Just American Magic to a top performance to claim the Youth 17 & Under title for Gobbler’s Knob Farm of Franklin, Ky.
Byrdstown, Tennessee’s Beaty Stables carried three blues home.Talented rider Kathy Owen took her lite-shod talent Delight’s Walk About to the Country Pleasure Lite-Shod Specialty honors for Double Spring Farms. Trainer Scott Beaty and the exciting Midnight Dollar, just off their Cookeville and Harriman wins, took the Two-Year-Old Stallion blue in a class nine deep for the Quentin Fox family of Cookeville, Tenn. Next, Beaty would deliver a top performance aboard Neon’s First and Favorite to capture the Three-Year-Old Mare & Gelding title for proud owners Doug and Pam Hunt of Glasgow, Ky.
Trainer Jerry Woodlee captured dual wins. The first came aboard the big walking talent Silver Dollar Lady to claim the Two-Year-Old Mare & Gelding blue for owner Belinda Wenzel of Robertsdale, Ala. Woodlee’s second blue of the evening came aboard Armani Gold as they bested a large class of talents to ride to the 15.2 & Under laurels for Carol Canerday of Singer, La.
Scotty Brooks and his stable crew also claimed dual wins. The first came in the Amateur Three-Year-Old Stallion division as Beth Carol Thomas directed her talented Jazz Pushover to make the victory pass for the Butch Thomas family of Bowling Green, Ky. Their second title came as Wes Hendrick rode Half Dollar to the Amateur Four-Year-Old blue for the Kenny Hendrick family also of Bowling Green.
Murfreesboro trainer Jeff Givens accounted for two Lafayette blues, the first came aboard the good Pusher’s Secret Tiger in the Two and Three-Year-Old Park Pleasure Open competition for Mr. and Mrs. Bob Bass of Mt. Juliet, Tenn. Next, the Open Spotted Saddle Horse class felt the World Champion presence of trainer Givens and the talented Color’s Spotted Beam as they swept their way to the title for Joey and Dale Brown of Reform, Ala.
The Highland Stables crew always makes their presence known as they roll into a show. Trainer Keith Becknel claimed their first blue of the evening aboard the exciting I’m An Evil Rebel for Tracy Mosley. Next, Chris Mosley delivered a top performance aboard Just Jazz for Charlie Mosley. Hard riding Justin Mosley took the Amateur Show Pleasure Specialty division by storm as he directed the Brant Thompson trained Flash The Money to the title for Graham Holt of Lexington, Ky.
No stranger to the winner’s circle Robby Biggs took his Riverbend Stables directed talent Pushin For Dollars to Amateur Three-Year-Old Mare and Gelding laurels.
The Open Park Specialty class found the talented Threats Black Bum and Kenny Browning of Sylacauga, Ala., in the winner’s circle topping a field of eight talented entries.
Debbie Joins led her fancy Yearling Manhandler to the title besting a field of nine talents.
Shirley Ensey took her young talent Sunny’s Time Around to the Weanling blue.
This concludes the highlights from the Dr. C.C. Chitwood, Jr. Memorial Walking Horse Show. Complete results follow and may also be found by visiting our web site at www.walkinghorsereport.com.