Nineteen entries answered the first gate call of the day. The Three-Year-Old Park Pleasure Walking Horses with Amateur Riders started the final morning session off on Monday. As always the early competition was held at the Calsonic Arena in Shelbyville, Tennessee and began sharply at nine o’ clock. Judge Rollie Beard called the first class.
Following a fine performance Millennium Sky was called to receive the first blue of the day. Laura Brandon directed Millennium Sky to the win for Hickory Hill Farm of Franklin, Tennessee. The reserve ribbon in the class went to M.G.E.T. and Kristie Annasis of Dayton, Ohio. Third award was given to Grandy’s Fancy Lady and Jerrold Pedigo for Raymond C. Pedigo.
All six expected entries were present to compete in the Equitation Riders 18 and Over class. The honorable Judge Gilmer called the class. Each entry is required to canter and is called individually out of the lineup to present themselves to the judges at he end of the class. Jaclyn Harney gave a flawless performance and a great example of how to show a horse. Harney successfully performed each required gate with style and ease to receive the first place tie. Reserve honors went to Alice Klein and the yellow ribbon went to Elizabeth Whitton.
The Novice Park Pleasure Mares or Gelding with Amateur Novice Youth Riders entered the ring next. Judge Ty Irby was the call judge in the class. Trevor Collier will no longer be participating in the novice ranks. Collier directed Gen’s Gold Coin Lady to a win in the class. Clark Farms owns the entry. The second place award was presented to Sara Womack and Paris Rain. Rob Brooks is the owner. Caprice’s Lady Gen took third with Jimmy Civils.
Two divisions of Novice Plantation Pleasure Lite Shod Horses with Amateur Novice Riders were up next. The first division contained seventeen entries and the honorable Judge Milligan called the class. Silver’s Spinal Tap and Chip Carrier won the first division after a good ride. Chip and Bonnie Carrier are the owners. Reserve in the good class went to Double Java and Marcy Drummond. Finishing out the top three with a third place tie was the team of Gen’s Legend In Black and Steve Raley.
Division B proved to be just as exciting as the first. Whitey Whitehead called the class. Calvin Klein’s Obsession took first after an excellent performance. Rick Paschal was the exhibitor from Paris, Tennessee. The red ribbon was awarded to Gen;s Gold Investment and Jim Fuller. The third place award was given to New Millennium Generator.
Always an entertaining class, the Weanling Colt of 2002 Foal were presented next. Each handler proudly led their colt around the track for the approval of the judges. Beard called the class. Following the lineup and one last look by the judges, the team of Hey Hey Jose and Bill Beech were called to receive first. Hey Hey Jose is by the great Jose Jose and out of the talented show mare My Jackie O’ and is owned by Bill Beech of Belfast, Tennessee. Mucho Grande’ and Bobby Richards were reserve for Lindy Holt of Bell Buckle, Tennessee. Mucho Gusto and Robert Nelms placed third for James and Nancy Washburn.
The Novice Amateur English Trail Pleasure Riders on Novice Walking Horses Division A has twenty-three participants. It was Judge Gilmer’s turn to call the class. Eagle’s Lady Sue and Karla Massey left the ranks of novice as they made their victory pass after being awarded first in the class. Massey is the owner from Oxford, Mississippi. Logsdon’s Rocket and Diana Spalding claimed reserve in the large class. Division B of the Novice Amateur English Trail Pleasure Riders on Novice Walking Horses consisted of twenty-two entries and was called by Judge Irby. Blond Ambition claimed another blue ribbon at the 2002 Celebration in the class with Lisa Weaver. The team’s first blue was earned on Saturday in the Amateur Owned and Trained English Trail Pleasure class. The second place award was presented to Sleeper and Summar Shamma for the Stonegait Farms of Orange, California. Copper Gen’s Elegant Lady and Gary Feltner took home third in the class.
The exhibitors in the next class pull double duty with their horses. The Amateur Owned and Trained class consists of owners that take on the heavy responsibility of training their horses. All eleven of the expected eleven arrived in the ring quickly to vie for top honors. Judge Milligan was the call judge for the class. After each entry had displayed the three gaits of the Tennessee Walking Horse two times around the ring it was time for the lineup. Following a brief wait the team of Final Design and Kenny Smith were called to receive the blue ribbon. The partnership of Hacker and Smith from Manchester, Kentucky own the entry. Red ribbon honors were then presented to Stormy’s Black Rain and Jim Sullivan of Olive Branch, Mississippi. Equal Time and Jim Woodburn earned third in the class.
Sixteen exhibitors and their entries competed for the first place award in the Plantation Pleasure Lite Shod Walking Horses with Amateur Riders. The job of call judge went to Judge Whitehead. The talented Starstruck By JFK and rider Clint Dixon were the judges’ choice for first after they made a fine performance. Randall and Gloria Dixon are the proud owners. Receiving reserve in the class was the skilled Genius’ Dixie Chick and Kelly Gordon. Sheila Mack-Kyle is the owner. Third was awarded to Trashedeous and Barbara Civils.
The only championship class of the morning was the Auxiliary Equitation Youth Medal Championship. The call judge was Beard. Nine entries were expected, ten answered the gate call, and one left with the roses. That one was Sara Womack of Murfreesboro. Womack received a reserve win earlier in the day and finished the day out with a championship win. Rachel Jernigan was tied reserve in the class. Third place went to Jeren Guthrie.