State 4-H and Celebration Impact Local Economy
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

4-H Members Relax at State 4-H Horse Show
Since 1984, the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration has been the home of the Tennessee State 4-H Horse Championships. The annual event ended this past Saturday with youth participating in over 2,000 entries, 409 4-H members and 577 horses representing 60 Tennessee counties. One of the most significant things about the 4-H Championships is that the Celebration® has provided the entire event since its inception at no charge to the 4-H Horse Program, a division of the University of Tennessee College of Agriculture Extension Service. The Celebration’s contribution allows the Tennessee 4-H families to travel to Shelbyville and participate at their Championship show at much reduced costs.
Although the Celebration® provided their facility at no charge, the Shelbyville-Bedford County area are large benefactors of the championship show. Approximately $750,000 in direct spending was infused into the local economy. The “Big Three” – food, fuel and lodging, account for the significant expenditures of the 4-H members and their families during the 7 days and 6 nights of the state 4-H home show.
This family oriented event provides opportunity for the 4-H youth to exhibit virtually every breed of horse and pony as well as participate in educational activities such as clinics and horse judging contests. Dr. Bridget McIntosh, University of Tennessee Extension Horse Specialist and director of the event said, “We salute the Celebration® for allowing us the opportunity to provide a quality event at a fantastic facility at extremely low entry fees and family costs. The number of stalls and overall size of the grounds makes having multiple divisions competing at the same time much easier.” Dr. Doyle Meadows, Celebration CEO and former University of Tennessee Horse Specialist has been on both sides of the Celebration® community contributions for 4-H. “It is a great event and a tremendous economic boost for our community. The Celebration® is proud to support these 4-H activities,” says Meadows. The event has been held the fourth week of June for several years, and Shelbyville has always been the home of the Tennessee State 4-H Horse Championships.
More Stories |
-
Read More
-
The Walking Horse Owners’ Association is proud to announce the following candidates were elected to the WHOA Board of Directors by the WHOA Membership...
Read More
-
It is with great sadness that we announce the loss of Watch It Now due to complications from colic...
Read More
-
The South Central Kentucky Walking Horse Association has canceled their annual banquet for 2021. The association hopes to host their banquet in 2022. For more information, contact Frankie Jo Bradley at 270-6460-7957.
Read More
-
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has posted their fiscal year 2020 enforcement activity summary...
Read More
-
The Walking Horse Report recently received a copy of a 1946 Blue Ribbon magazine. The copy was sent by a Report subscriber Robert Smith in Elma, Wash...
Read More
-
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NAS) released their report, “A Review of Methods for Detecting Soreness in Horses,” earlier today. The committee has been working on the report for over a year with their first meeting happening in October 2019...
Read More
-
The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services has informed the industry’s Horse Industry Organizations that it will host a virtual training this year due to ongoing conditions surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic.
Read More
-
The Kentucky HIO recently announced updates for the 2021 show season. The HIO will lower horse show affiliation fee to $50 and maintain the $6 inspection fee per horse this year...
Read More
-
It has been a year! The Walking Horse Industry remains strong and our supporters continue to dedicate their time and efforts to ensuring our future. Sales have seen record-high numbers and barns continue to bustle with the talk of the “next great one.”
Read More
|