My Fair Play Lady Awed the crowd at Murfreesboro!

By Linda Scrivner

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Entries at the 43rd annual Murfreesboro Exchange Club Horse Show increased from 160 in 2002 to 207 this year. This year the show also as added academy classes for the first time. Show manager Mark Farrar, Jr. was extremely pleased with the 2003 show.

“This show was started by the late Lew Penuel and was originally held at the old Marty Robbins race track on the Nashville Highway. From that beginning we have grown to be the one night show that you will enjoy here tonight,” stated Rob Jacobs, president. “On behalf of the Exchange Club Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse, the Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department, the Boys and Girls Club of Rutherford County, Murfreesboro Soccer League, Rutherford County Rescue Squad and the City of Murfreesboro Fire Department, we are very grateful and say thank you for your loyal support.”

Judge Wink Groover of Longview, Texas, judged the 30 class event. Announcer Bobby Sands kept the show going while Connie Dunlap entertained the audience with her organ. Jennifer Pack caught the champions on film.

Four academy classes were added this year and the youth were well supported, although the two adult Academy classes had no entries. The show started the academy classes at 4:30 p.m. with the regular classes later that evening. This program is a great way to get new riders into the show ring and excited parents attested to its success with their vocal support and cheers.

The Stake closed the evening with Bobby Hugh directing My Fair Play Lady to make the victory pass. This talented mare is generally shown by owner Jean Baum of Ixonia, Wis., in Amateur classes. Bill Bobo was awarded reserve in the championship aboard Pusher’s Phantom, owned by Steve Creekbaum. The yellow streamer was carried from the ring by the team of Boom and Monty Miller for Doug and Pat Simpkins.

The blue ribbon tally was led by Jeff Givens Stables with three blue ribbon riders for the evening. Several stables earned dual blues: Rollie Beard Stables, Ramsey Bullington Stables, Derickson Training Facility, Connie Waldo, Joel Weaver of Rising Star Ranch and Candy Whitehead Green of Victory Farm Riding Academy.

Sarah Hasting won the first blue for Jeff Givens Stables. In the Park Pleasure Amateur Specialty class, she directed Gen’s Sundancer to the blue ribbon ride. Jeff Givens came next and topped the Park Pleasure Specialty class. Givens was riding world champion Movie Extra to win this coveted blue.

Givens earned his third blue in the very competitive Plantation Pleasure Lite-Shod Specialty division with current World Grand Champion Sundrop Country.

Rollie Beard made a super ride on General’s Main Lady and returned home with the first of two Murfreesboro blues. This team won the Three-Year-Old Mares and Geldings title. Beard Stables’ second blue was won by the striking team of Editorial Page and June Hawkins. This team recently won a Grinder’s Switch Classic blue as well as many other 2003 blues.

Ramsey Bullington directed two different teams to Murfreesboro blues. Stephanie Rose first won the Two-Year-Old Amateur class with Dollar’s Mick Jagger. Later in the evening, Aaron Bertrand entered the Youth 12-17 Specialty with Extra Ebony and held everyone’ s attention throughout the class and the victory pass. Extra Ebony and Bertrand are always crowd pleasers.

Derickson Training Facility’s first blue was won by the team of Total Control and Jordan Kidd. They also recently won the same class at the Grinder’s Switch Walking Horse Classic. Brenda Carlon then won the Amateur Riders 50 and Over Specialty aboard Cut The Smoke. This team also won at the Bedford FFA Show in Shelbyville, Tenn., last weekend.

Connie Waldo brought two very nice flat-shod horses to Murfreesboro and returned home with dual blues. The first was won by Friday Night Mercedes in the 14-entry Country Pleasure class. Next, she won the 10-entry Amateur Lite-Shod Specialty aboard Drop The Hammer.

Joel Weaver and Our Private Benjamin won the first blue for Rising Star Ranch in the Two-Year-Old Mares and Geldings division. Their second blue was won by Gen’s Master Pusher with Joe Christmas in the irons in the 15.2 and Under Amateur Specialty class.

Candy Whitehead Green was the instructor of both of the winners in the academy classes. Lady Of Crime and Lisa Benenati won the Academy Youth Flat-Shod Specialty class winning the first blue of the 2003 show. Lindsay Ozalanski had quite a cheering section as she won her first blue in an outstanding performance aboard Double Hitter. They wore the Academy Youth Performance Horse Specialty blue from the ring with a smile.

Numerous stables earned a single Murfreesboro blue. Striding To The Ritz and Robert Nelms won the Weanling title.

Encore’s Magic Lady keeps stringing those blues. She added the 10-entry Yearling blue to that list. Nathan Mills led her down victory lane once again at Murfreesboro.

Diamond Buster and Guylene Ozlanski were the winners of the Four-Year-Old Amateur class. Grant Holt trains this talented horse.

Mo Nisbett rode the 11-entry Novice Amateur Rider Specialty champion Pusher’s Excel. Ronnie Spears Stables train Pusher’s Excel.

Alex Bumpus and Settle The Score repeated their Walking Seat Equitation Specialty victory from the previous week at Shelbyville. This team made a flawless ride and hails from Tan View Stables in Murfreesboro. Dickie Scrivner is the trainer with Faye Lynn Coffey doing the equitation instruction.

There were a ring full of beautiful fine harness horses. Current World Champions Dangerous Medusa and Lynn Womack pleased the crowd and the judge with their striking presentation.

Bill Bobo topped the Two-Year-Old Stallions and Geldings class aboard A Dangerous Man. Double Hitter returned to win a double hitter and his second blue of the night as he and White Whitehead claimed the victory in the Open Specialty class.

Rainbow Of Colors and Tim Smith were the selected winners in the Three-Year-Old Stallions and Geldings while Gary Bowman claimed the next class, the Amateur Specialty aboard I’m Unarmed. Hal Newman trained this outstanding horse.

Michele Hastings won the Two and Three-Year-Old Park Pleasure with Generator’s Mr. Twister. Nancy Rodriguez proudly trains this team.

Fran Varnadore and Razzamataz Jazz captured the Three-Year-Old Amateur and made the victory pass. John Puckett of Danlon Farm proudly trains this team.

Buist Carr had the blue ribbon entry in the Four-Year-Old event. Warning I’m Armed carried him out of the ring wearing the blue ribbon.

This highlights the 43rd annual Murfreesboro Exchange Club Horse Show. Results follow and may also be found by visiting our web site at www.walkinghorsereport.com.