by Maggi Painter

SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. – The WHTA Youth Council held its fourth annual Trainers’ vs. Trainers’ Basketball Game on Feb. 20, 2009, at the Shelbyville Recreation Center. This year, the Youth Council raised $5,000 to give to the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.

Again this year there were four teams: the red team, coached by Rollie Beard; the blue team, coached by Carlyle Johnson; the white team, coached by Jeff Willis and Bill Callaway; and the black team, coached by Justin Jenné and Chad Williams.

Rollie Beard and his red team fought hard to beat the blue team in a close and thrilling game of 47-43. Casey Wright was the most valuable player for the red team. The MVP for the blue team was Jimmy Evans, Jonathan Allen for the white team and Derek Price for the black team.

For the fourth year, the Walking Horse Report has been the sponsor of this event. The halftime show featured 25 youth trying to shoot as many free throws in 30 seconds to win a gift certificate to World Champion Horse Equipment. Once all the kids had completed their free throws, there was a three-way tie with Haley Puckett, Branson Popp and Nick Rippy. Haley Puckett won the shoot-out with five free throws. Also, the Report gave someone in the audience a chance to win a back cover. Taylor Evans’s name was drawn to shoot from half court for that chance at the back cover. Evans came up slightly short so Publisher Jeffrey Howard awarded him a black and white page for his effort.

Instead of the silent auction that has been held in the past years, a live auction was held with many nice items being auctioned by auctioneer Woody Woodruff Jr. Buddy Stasney of Buddy Stasney Buick Pontiac GMC also held a halftime event for a chance to win a 2009 GMC Sierra Pickup truck. Harvey Williams, Mike Anasis and Andrea Zahnd were the lucky ones to try to shoot two baskets and win the truck, but unfortunately they all fell short.