PARIS, Tenn. - The Optimist Club of Paris held its 40th Annual Charity Horse Show on June 22, 2002 in Paris, Tennessee. the event was held at Henry County Fairgrounds, home of the World's Largest Fish Fry. The Optimist Club of Paris sponsors the fund raiser with proceeds benefiting the club's youth programs.
Joe Cotton judged the nineteen walking classes and Jimmy Small was the announcer. Optimist Club president, Jeff Morris, served as ringmaster. Chandler Music Company entertained the crowd with their talents on the keyboard.
The first class of the evening saw Armed in Rio and Debbie Williams capture the Two Year Old Amateur title. Master's Classy Dame and Sarah Coble have back to back blues in Youth Park Pleasure competition with wins at Ripley the previous night and Paris. The Two Year Old Open title went to the Cajun Edge and Harvey Rodriguez for Hansel and Paul Andrews. Heart Failure and Harris Lake Smith walked away with another win in the Youth 11 and Under division for the Verner Smith Family.
Falcon Ridge Farm led the blue ribbon tally with six Paris titles. Entries owned by Mr. and Mrs. L. H. Haines received back to back blues at Ripley and Paris. Lillian Gaines claimed top honors in the Ladies Amateur class aboard Come To Papa, the Amateur Open with Pride's Flapjack, and the 15.2 and Under Specialty class with Gen's Good As Gold. Ray Gilmer made two victory passes at Paris. The first honor came in the Three Year Old Open division with an impressive performance by Viva Santana, the property of Suzi DeButzkoy. Gilmer and This Pusher Is Armed were awarded the title of Four Year Old Open champions for Dr. and Mrs. Luby Jones. Generator's Thunderbay and Pat Sewell were in top form to receive the Amateur Specialty title.
Southern Serenity Ranch earned four Paris titles. Lauren Hamilton made two winning rides with Cotton's Medicine Man in the Country Pleasure class and Champco Moonlight in the Spotted Saddle Horse Open for owner, Ray Weaver. Grand Safari and David Ashmore captured the Park Pleasure Specialty title. On the heels of their recent Germantown title, Calvin Klein's Obsession and Rick Paschall dominated the Plantation Lite Shod class. A Black Market Pusher and Ronnie Stanfill claimed their sixth Three Year Old Amateur title of the season for the Billy Stanfill Family. My Favorite Dance and Jim Boyd collected another Amateur Owned and Trained title. The new team of Touchtone and Jeff Sanderson topped a talented class of Four Year Old Amateur contenders. Jonathan Pippin guided 1-800-Collect to the winner's circle for Saundra Pippin.
In the final class of the evening, Jimmy McConnell directed Lock and Load to the Paris tricolor for Mr. and Mrs. Odell McConnell.