The Walking Horse Trainers’ Auxiliary is comprised of a group of dedicated, hard working women that strive to better the walking horse industry for all involved. The Auxiliary members set yearly projects for themselves and put a lot of effort into seeing these projects through completion with as much style, class and self-involvement as possible.
On of the Auxiliary’s largest projects will be the annual MONEYTREE CLASSIC HORSE SHOW. THE MONEYTREE CLASSIC will return to Columbia, Tennessee for its 2002 show. This year’s Moneytree Classic will be held on Thursday, May 30, 2002, prior to the Columbia Spring Jubilee. The judges for this year’s show are Link Webb of Lewisburg, Tennessee and Mickey McCormick, of Shelbyville, Tennessee. The Auxiliary is looking forward to having the best MONEYTREE CLASSIC HORSE SHOW yet. If anyone has any questions regarding this years’ show, please contact Beth Young or Beth Thomas. More details will become available closer to show time.
Another worthwhile project is the AUXILIARY SCHOLARSHIP FUND for deserving students. The Auxiliary provides three different levels of scholarship funding for qualified students. This project has aided many young people the financial opportunity to further their educations. Please contact Beth Thomas for additional information regarding the Auxiliary Scholarship Fund.
A heartwarming project that the Auxiliary takes great pride is in the WHOO program (WALKING HORSES OVERCOMING OBSTACLES). This program donates both horses and money to aid in handicap riding programs across America. The Auxiliary maintains a breeding program to seven time World Champion and five time World Grand Championship Pony Mud Slide Slim. Mud Slide Slim was retired officially at the 1990 Celebration. Don and Lucky Collins generously donated him to the Auxiliary. The auxiliary, in turn, donates the stud fees generated by Mud Slide Slim to the Walking Horses Overcoming Obstacles program. Mud Slide Slim is standing at stud at Sand Creek Farm in Shelbyville, Tennessee where he is lovingly cared for by the Gray family. For information regarding breeding, contact Patti Gray, breeding manager at Sand Creek Farm at 931-684-0102. For more information regarding the WHOO program, contact Beverly Greenup.
The Auxiliary also works diligently on other projects such as the SUNSHINE COMMITTEE, GREAT STRIDES, GET THE HABIT, CELEBRATION DOG SHOW, TRAIL RIDES and the GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY at the December Trainers’ Banquet, just to mention a few.
With the limited financial resources of the Auxiliary, the completion of many of the projects these women accomplish is quite astounding. The long hours that many of the women give of themselves is a testamentary of the goodwill the Auxiliary extends at every
opportunity.
Many of the Auxiliary members have been involved in the Walking Horse Trainers’ Auxiliary since it was founded in 1971. These members are still as dedicated to further expanding the broad spectrum of service provided by the Auxiliary, as they were 31 years ago when as founding members they were simply trying to aid the Walking Horse Trainers’ Association. With that goal still in mind, the Walking Horse Trainers’ Auxiliary continues on in its quest to assist and serve the walking horse community as a whole.
Watch for next month’s Women At Work, when we will meet some of the founding members and past presidents of the Walking Horse Trainers’ Auxiliary.