by Linda Scrivner

            GERMANTOWN, Tenn. – The Germantown Charity Show, held June 12-16, 2007, held its first edition in 1948. This show, founded by the Germantown Civic Club and the Oak Grove Hunt Club, has developed a wealth of tradition. In its 59^th year, Germantown provided another excellent horse show with tough competition, festivities, entertainment and profit for both the community and the horse industry. Plans are already underway for their 60^th event with many special things being planned for 2007.

            Bill McGaughey, president of the Germantown Charity Horse Show, welcomed exhibitors with the following statement: “The members of the Germantown Charity Horse Show Association would like to welcome you to our 59^th year. New improvements to the grounds are taking shape. All the buildings have a fresh coat of stain and all the barns have been renovated with new stalls. Our goal is to make our show as exhibitor friendly as possible.

            “We hope you will experience our Germantown hospitality and show your fine horses in front of the greatest spectators in the country.”

            The show was definitely exhibitor friendly with a welcome reception that began on Monday with free food, fun music and fanfare; wine and cheese on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; ice cream parties on all five days and a fish fry on Friday. In addition to this many groups had picnics on the grounds.

            On Friday afternoon, Bill and Joyce Brady held their annual fish fry at their home in Byhalia, Miss. Southern hospitality, fishing and plenty of food were in abundance.

            Saturday evening barbecue ribs, chicken and all the extras were set out next to Rusty Hyneman’s bus for all to enjoy. Hyneman Companies sponsored the $25,000 Grand Prix of Germantown on Saturday evening. Mike Civils of Petersburg, Tenn., was on hand to judge the walking and spotted divisions. The bowl shaped arena was nicely decorated and a gala mood was in the air despite the 90-102 temperatures.

            NHSC DQP Ira Gladney inspected all walking and spotted horses. On Saturday evening, he was joined by USDA VMOs Dr. Lynn Bourgeois and Dr. John Poe, along with several other USDA officials and Dr. John Bennett, representing NHSC, assisting in the inspections.

            The $5,000 Motor Young WHTA Riders’ Cup Grand Championship is always the highlight of the Saturday evening performance and is the final class of the show.   Jackie McConnell and World Grand Champion Four-Year-Old Star made their 2007 debut into the aged ranks at the famed Germantown Charity Horse Show. They stepped into the limelight once again as they made their victory pass to the cheers of the crowd, just as they did Thursday evening in the Aged Stallion class. Star carried McConnell to the top honors for owners O & W Moody.

            Busting Special and Jimmy McConnell had their own fans cheering as they wore the reserve ribbon from the ring. This team, which won the Gulf Coast Charity Grand Championship earlier this season, was in top form to make the stake very interesting. Larry and Farrah McAlexander proudly own this talented stallion.

            The Germantown competition was tough this year as it is traditionally. Formac Stables of Unions City, Tenn., dominated the competition by capturing 12 blues. Within the 12 wins, four were Germantown tricolors.

            Falcon Ridge Farm had a great weekend in Germantown, as well, picking up 11 blues, including four tricolors. Whitter Stables proudly earned nine blues, three of which were tricolors. Todd Claborn of Circle C Stables at Backward S Ranch also returned home with three blues.

            Edgar Abernathy Stables, Steve Aymett Stables, Southern Serenity Ranch and Circle T Stables won dual blues each. One of Abernathy Stables and one of Aymett Stables’s blues were tricolor championships. Joe Clift, Hunter Fikes, Donnie Jones, Karla Massey, Jackie McKnight, Dustin Smith, Rodney Spencer, Stanfill Stables, George Vine and Casey Wright collected the remaining titles.

            Formac Stables won their first blue Tuesday with Flash Me A Dollar putting forth a strong effort to capture the Junior Mare and Gelding class for Mike McGartland and Lee Wall. Jacked Up, also owned by McGartland and Wall, won two more Germantown blues for these proud owners. On Wednesday evening, Wall directed Jacked Up down victory lane in the 15.2 and Under Amateur Stallion class. Dan Waddell took over Jacked Up’s reins on Thursday evening and the pair claimed the Open Specialty Trainers’ class.

            Bob and Mary Medina-owned horses won three blues with two of their horses at Germantown under the Formac Stables banner. Miz Hissy Fit was very impressive Wednesday evening as she won the Three-Year-Old Amateur Mare and Gelding class with Mary Medina aboard. Card Trick won dual blues at Germantown. Alex Blackburn won the Youth 11 and Under title on Friday evening. The team returned Saturday evening to claim the Youth 11 and Under Grand Championship.

Jimmy McConnell and An Ace In The Hole won the Three-Year-Old Mare and Gelding class on Thursday evening for Rachel Gasaldi, the Medinas’ daughter. On Wednesday evening, McConnell captured the competitive Two-Year-Old Stallion title with Jazz Time In Dixie for Louise Lyons. Saturday they returned to claim victory in the James Corlew WHTA Riders’ Cup Two-Year-Old Grand Championship.

Another star from Formac Stables created quite a stir at Germantown. The very talented three-year-old stallion, ridden by owner Pam Betts, claimed the Four-Year-Old Amateur Stallion class on Thursday and returned to claim victory in the Amateur Four-Year-Old Grand Championship on Saturday evening.

Jimmy McConnell was aboard World Champion Stewart Little to win the tough Show Pleasure Grand Championship for Red and Dot Strickland.

My Wicked Ways and Ray Gilmer started Falcon Ridge Farm’s winning streak Tuesday by claiming the Three-Year-Old Stallion blue for the Tommy Jowers family. Gilmer also enjoyed victory aboard this stallion in the Waterfall Farms WHTA Riders’ Cup Three-Year-Old Grand Championship. The Jowers family is becoming known for their great young horses and Germantown proved to be a showcase for some of them.

Their Puttin Cash On The Line also won the Junior Stallion title on Friday with Gilmer at the irons and returned Saturday to walk down victory lane in the Hartland Farms WHTA Riders’ Cup Four-Year-Old Grand Championship.

On Wednesday Gilmer rode to the winner’s circle in the Two-Year-Old Mare and Gelding class on Jowers’ Very Vegas. Very Vegas is sired by Out On Parole.

World Champion The Armed Cashier, only a three-year-old, and Bart Gilmer made an excellent performance to win the Lite-Shod Plantation Pleasure class for Susannah Borg. 

The current world grand championship team of Mary Morrison and Watch N Bedazzled captured the Youth 12-17 blue on Thursday and returned Saturday evening to wear the tricolor from the ring in the Youth 12-17 Grand Championship for Andrew Morrison. Another of Falcon Ridge’s youth riders claimed the WHOA Youth Challenge class Friday evening. Haley Lane directed Falcon’s Hitman through all three gaits to claim the blue for Lane and Jones.

An excited Paula Sanders aboard Silky’s Silhouette won the Amateur Mare and Gelding title and returned on Saturday to win the Amateur Grand Championship to claim Falcon Ridge’s final blue. Silky’s Silhouette is owned by Taylor Sanders.

Whitter Stables claimed nine Germantown blues this year, including the two blues won by Star. World Grand Champion The Great Escape began Whitter Stables’s blues this year with Jackie McConnell directing him down victory lane in the 10-entry Show Pleasure Trainers’ class on Wednesday. He is owned by Camille Akin and had won Germantown blues in 2005 and 2006 with Sarah Akin directing.

Opal Moody, 93 years young, and her two daughters enjoyed watching their horses win blues at Germantown, as well as enjoying all the food and festivities and staying until the conclusion of the show each evening. Their first blue was on Wednesday when Wilsene Moody captured the Amateur Stallion title with Escalade. They returned Friday and added the Amateur Specialty Grand Championship tricolor with a tremendous show.

The Floyd Sherman family always brings their top string of horses to Germantown and this year was no exception. Beverly Sherman claimed the Riders 50 and Over class on Wednesday with World Grand Champion I’m Silver Too under the Whitter Stables banner. Thursday Kelly Sherman and A Lady Santana captured the Amateur Two-Year-Old Mare and Gelding division. Sherman enjoyed the cheers of victory once again on Friday night with It’s Electric. They won the Two-Year-Old Amateur Grand Championship. The Sherman family’s horses earned eight Germantown blues under their various trainers.

A Formula One with Jackie McConnell in the irons earned the blue in the competitive 15.2 and Under class for Stan Wilcoxen. This completed the extensive list of Whitter Stables’s Germantown blue ribbons.

Todd Claborn’s three Germantown blues began with Papa’s Smokin’ Pusher and Claborn in the Aged Mare and Gelding class for Floyd Sherman on Tuesday. This exciting horse’s next blue came with Kelly Sherman in the Amateur Mare and Gelding class. On Thursday, Beverly Sherman and Worth A Buck pleased the crowd with their blue ribbon performance in the Four-Year-Old Amateur Mare and Gelding class.

Watch Delight won the first of two blues for Edgar Abernathy Stables. Elizabeth Umburger claimed the Youth Walking Pony Specialty title aboard Watch Delight for Dr. Tommy and Pat Vinson. Lynn Brady then claimed the victory in the Three-Year-Old Amateur Grand Championship with Major Show Time on Saturday for Abernathy and Vinson.

Kelly Sherman made two appearances at Germantown that many will remember for a long time. Under the Steve Aymett Stables banner, Sherman directed Tex’s Dinero to victory in the 11-entry 15.2 and Under Amateur Mare and Gelding class Wednesday. The team put on another strong and impressive performance Friday to win the Amateur 15.2 and Under Specialty Championship.

 Southern Serenity Ranch’s two wins began Tuesday with Regal’s Delight Lady and Rebecca Reynold’s Park Amateur Pleasure victory for Jill and Rebecca Reynolds. Thursday night Patrick Thomas directed Numero Uno to the Park Pleasure Trainers victory.

Circle T Stables’s first blue was Tuesday night when Evan Morgan claimed the 10-entry County Pleasure title aboard Dollar Generator for Dr. Kent and Ann Jameson. Friday, another Jameson owned entry, Mr. Jessie James and Laurie Toone won the Western Lite-Shod title.

Hunter Fikes and Ebony’s A Red Man won the Yearling title for Len Wilson. Judy Stanfill directed The Major Flair to the blue in the Owner Amateur Trained class for Jerald and Stephanie Cagle under the Stanfill Stables banner.

Casey Wright made an excellent ride aboard Dollars & Sense to win the Park Performance class for Clyde and Grace Robertson. Olympic’s Godfather carried Stephanie Carter to victory in the Amateur Ladies Mare and Gelding class under the guidance of Donnie Jones for the Barry Carter family.

A talked about team of the show was 1-800-Collect and Joe R. Clift. They captured a very competitive Amateur Park Performance class for Saundra Pippin Clift. Jackie McKnight and I’m Rose Walker captured a Germantown blue in the Trail Pleasure Specialty class for Jackie and Sims McKnight.

Kristopher Asburn and Dark Illusion won the 14-entry Amateur Show Pleasure title Thursday for trainer George Vine and owners Red and Dot Strickland. This is the third consecutive year for Dark Illusion to win a show pleasure class at Germantown.

      Jeff Sanderson and A Jazz Symphony captured a very competitive Two-Year-Old Amateur Stallion class for Dr. Billy and Maribeth Haire. Trainer Rodney Spencer was extremely proud. Karla Massey directed A Fairy Tale to a superb performance and was rewarded with the victory pass in the 11-entry Amateur Country Pleasure for James Nichols.

      Dustin Smith and A Major Uprising claimed the win in the Three-Year-Old Amateur Stallion class on Thursday for Mr. and Mrs. Larry Rea.

      Complete results follow and may be viewed, searched and printed at www.walkinghorsereport.com.