While there are no day classes on Sunday during the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, there is still a host of activity taking place on the ground throughout the day ranging from the Celebration Worship Service in the morning, to the Celebration Dog Show through the afternoon and the evening performance in the historic big oval on Sunday night. 

The performance featured 13 classes highlighted by the Youth Riders 12-14, Owner-Amateur Riders on Walking Stallions, Owner-Amateur Riders on Four-Year-Old Walking Mares or Geldings and the Four-Year-Old Walking Stallions.

The judges for the 75th Annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration include Rollie Beard of Lewisburg, Tenn., Derek Bonner of Mooresboro, N.C., Jamie Bradshaw of Union Grove, Ala., Allen Foreman of Thomson, Ga., and Leigh Stuart of Alvaton, Ky.

The invocation for the performance was given by Bro. Steve Murphree of New Beginnings Baptist Church of Shelbyville, Tenn., followed by the singing of the National Anthem by the Edgemont Quartet of the Edgemont Baptist Church of Shelbyville, Tenn.

The young riders were up first on the evening schedule for class 83, Owner-Amateur Youth Riders 12-14 Years on Walking Mares or Geldings. As the entries for the class made their way down the hill, organist Larry Bright carried on his tradition of playing “Just A Closer Walk With Thee” as his first song of the Sunday evening performance. Eight of the 12 with reservations made the trip down to work for Derek Bonner and his panel. Making the first victory ride of the night was A High Dollar Charge and owner/exhibitor Lily Catherine Holland of Decatur, Ala. This made Miss Holland’s second 2013 World Championship as she captured a blue in the Youth Trail Pleasure division on Friday Morning with Leonardo DiCaprio. Be Cool and Jaclyn Compton were reserve for Rick Compton of North Tazewell, Va. Bum In The Storm and WhitLei Green were third for Stewarts Farm and Nursery and WhitLei Green of McMinnville and Shelbyville, Tenn.



The Trail Pleasure entries took center stage for class 84, Owner-Amateur Novice Riders on Novice Trail Pleasure Walking Horses. Sixteen of the 17 expected worked down the hill with hopes of riding out of the historic big oval with their very first Celebration blue tonight. Judge Jamie Bradshaw served as call judge for the class. Riding out of the Novice division tonight was Honey Badger and James Abernathy up for Jordan Howell and James Abernathy of Murfreesboro and Shelbyville, Tenn. This makes Honey Badger’s third 2013 Celebration win, as Jordan Howell picked up wins on Wednesday and Thursday morning. Cazadores and owner/exhibitor Tamara Hader pulled into the second position to take the red streamers back to Bainbridge, Ga. Shine Like A Diamond and owner/exhibitor Anne Frank of Christiana, Tenn. picked up the yellow streamers.

Class 85 brought the Elite Owner-Amateur Lady Riders on Walking Mares or Geldings to the track with 11 of the 23 on the program making the call to work as Allen Foreman called the gaits in the class. Busting out to the win in the class was Escape From Alcatraz and Pam Russell up for Larry and Pam Russell of Pontotoc, Miss. This team preceded this win with blue ribbon rides at the FAST Summer Showcase and the Money Tree Classic. Dollar’s Bright Star and Jannie Chapman were reserve for Jannie Chapman and Jean Baum of Owens Crossroads, Ala., and Ixonia, Wis. He’s My Main Man and Debbie Eichler rounded out the top three for Rising Star Ranch of Shelbyville, Tenn.



The young riders were back for class 86, Owner-Amateur Novice Youth Riders 6-11 Years on Novice Walking Mares or Geldings. All 14 of the expected teams made their way down the hill to work for their very first Celebration blue as Leigh Stuart served as call judge. A novice no more, I’m Redeemed and Claudia Gribble made an outstanding performance to ride to the winner’s circle for Mapels and Gribble of Cammack Village, Ark. She’s Armed With Poison and Will Derickson pulled into the second position for Thomas Derickson of Wartrace, Tenn. My Jurisdiction and Alexa Compton were third for Kenny Compton of North Tazewell, Va.


Staying in the Novice division, class 87 featured the Owner-Amateur Novice Riders on Novice Show Pleasure Walking Horses. Fifteen of the 26 on the program made the call to work for their chance to be a novice no more tonight as Rollie Beard called the gaits. Headed back to the Bluegrass State with that first Celebration blue were I’m King James and owner/exhibitor Amanda Smith of Paint Lick, Ky. Bronco Billy and Wendy Laughlin were reserve for Jo Laughlin of Waynesville, Mo. Jubilee’s Awesome Dream and Shannon Cotter picked up the yellow ribbon for Ed and Shannon Cotter of Rossville, Tenn.

Class 88 brought the Owner-Amateur Youth Riders 15-17 Years on Walking Ponies down the hill with eight of the 11 anticipated making the call to work for Derek Bonner and his panel. Collecting the blue in the class with a unanimous decision of the panel was Roll The Gold and Allison Thorson riding for ThorSport, Inc. of Sandusky, Ohio. This was this duo’s sixth win of the 2013 season with previous wins coming at Jackson, Miss., Panama City Beach, Fla., the Spring Fun Show, the Tony Rice Horse Show, and Lewisburg, Tenn. Tommy Lee Jones and owner/exhibitor Benjamin Bowen of Pontotoc, Miss., collected the red streamers. The Jazz Player and Alex Blackburn were third for Dilday and Blackburn of Dresden, Tenn.

Owner-Amateur Riders on Walking Stallions, class 89, was up next with eight of 23 on the official Lions Club program making the call to work for Jamie Bradshaw and his panel. Walking to the top of the competitive class was A Bruce Pearl and Lee McGartland riding for Mike and Lee McGartland of Ft. Worth, Texas. This win was preceded with wins at Jackson, Miss., the Spring Fun Show, and the Woodbury Lions Club Horse Show. I’m Wall Street and Clay Mills were in the second position for Corbin Mills of Mt. Airy, N.C. Skywalk’s Diego and Seth Stanfill rounded out the top three for Ruby Stanfill of Lexington, Tenn.

The young riders returned to the big oval for class 90, Owner-Amateur Youth Riders 12-17 Years on Park Pleasure Walking Mares or Geldings with all four of the expected teams taking the track to work as Allen Foreman called the gaits. When the work was complete it was Jesse Laughlin and Rev’s Flashback making the winning pass for Jo Laughlin of Waynesville, Mo. Evil Patty Gray and Megan Davis were reserve riding for Truman Volkart and Shamrock Farms/Mike and Beth Davis of Tipton, Mo., and Shelbyville, Tenn. MP-1 and Allison Hopkins were third for Katie West of Morristown, Tenn.

Class 91A brought the Owner-Amateur Riders on Four-Year-Old Walking Mares or Geldings to the big oval with 15 of the 21 programmed entries working down the hill to show in the section as Leigh Stuart called the gaits. It’s interesting to note there was a short break in the action to replace the first cast shoe of the 2013 Celebration . . .on Sunday Night . . .the first one. Maybe it will be the last as well. She’s Limitless and Molly Walters walked away with the win in the section for the Molly Walters family of Rancho Mirage, Calif. The Nickel and Holly Coggin accepted the red ribbon for Merv Whittenburg of Murfreesboro, Tenn. Fenway Finesse and Leslie Dotson rounded out the top of the class for the Terry Dotson family of Kingston, Tenn.



Owner-Amateur Riders on Four-Year-Old Walking Mares or Geldings, class 91B, featured 15 of 21 working down the hill to show for Rollie Beard and his panel. Making the winning ride was owner/exhibitor Sudie Reed and Miss Ebony Rose taking the honors back to Jasper, Ala. This team was the Three-Year-Old Amateur Mare & Gelding, Sec. B World Champions in 2012 and brought four wins into the 2013 Celebration. Hot Texas Salsa and owner/exhibitor Nancy Groover of Waco, Texas and Shelbyville, Tenn. rode into the second position. Silver Fog and owner/exhibitor Mary Medina of Skillman, N.J., rounded out the top three in the competitive class.



Class 92 highlighted the Owner-Amateur Riders on Western Trail Pleasure Walking Horses with 11 entries taking the track to work as Derek Bonner called the gaits. Heading to the winner’s circle for the second time of the 2013 Celebration, after capturing the blue in the Four-Year-Old Trail Pleasure class on Friday Morning, was Line Item Veto and Rachel Jernigan Teague riding for Bo Teague and Rachel Jernigan Teague of Shelbyville, Tenn. Confederate Jazz and Kasey Kesselring were reserve for the Kesselring family of Montverde, Fla. Eye On The Title and owner/exhibitor Jennifer Bingham received third.



Owner-Amateur Novice Lady Riders on Novice Walking Stallions, class 93, was up next on the program with 20 of the 25 with reservations making the trip down to the big oval to work for their very first Celebration blue as Jamie Bradshaw led the panel in the class. Walking out of the Novice division tonight was Just Bet the Line and Libby Doub riding for David and Libby Doub of Estill Springs, Tenn. Jose’s High Society and owner/exhibitor Reilly Miller took reserve honors back to Knoxville, Tenn. Puttin It On The Line and Sherry Bonner were third for Bertram and Bonner of Glasgow, Ky.

Class 94, the final class of the evening performance, brought the Four-Year-Old Walking Stallions (Canter) (Riders’ Cup) to the track with eight of the 14 on the books making the gate call to show their best for the good Sunday night crowd still on hand at 10:35 pm. Judge Allen Foreman served as call judge for the final class of the night. Making the impressive performance to ride away with top honors with the approval of all five judges was I Am Jose’ and Casey Wright, 2013 champions at the Spring Fun Show & at Pulaski, Tenn., up for Billy and Debbie Woods of Lexington, Tenn. Jose It Ain’t So and Jonathan Watts were reserve for Deborah Williams of Argyle, Texas. I’m Coach Cal and John Allan Callaway was third for George-Ann Pratt of Shawnee Mission, Kansas.

After Casey Wright and I Am Jose’ made their victory ride, with the approval of the Sunday Night crowd, the performance was complete prior to 11 p.m.

The final morning session of the 75th Annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration will start promptly at 9 a.m. on Monday Morning and we’ll gather in the historic big oval once again on Monday night at 7 p.m. when we’ll get our first look at three sections of Two-Year-Old Stallions and the 15.2 & Under Stallions. Make plans to be in Shelbyville and don’t miss a moment!