The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration board approved the 2020 tentative Celebration class schedule at its meeting on Tuesday evening, January 28th. “The boards’ goal is to get the schedule out early to aid trainers and owners in their planning for the upcoming season.” 

The Celebration will review comments and suggestions after the 30-day comment period which ends March 3rd. Shortly after that deadline is when the final schedule will be released. As in the past few years the schedule committee reviews the results from the previous Celebration along with results dating back two and three years. The focus is on participation earmarked by how many horses enter the ring in each class, the length of each session, and trends within the industry that effect interest in particular classes and divisions.  

This analysis along with recommendations are then presented to the full Celebration board for discussion and final determination. A summary of the changes proposed for 2020 include: 
1. Classes 21E and 22E  (in 2019) are combined to form 1 class in 2020
2. Class 102 (in 2019) AOT Lite Shod WH, NPT in 90 days has been removed
3.  Class 92 (in 2019) O/A Riders on Western Train Pleasure WH will move to Monday morning and will be class 100 in 2020
4.  Class 93 (in 2019) Elite O/A Gentleman Riders on walking M & G will move to Monday evening and become class 108 in 2020
5.  Class 151 (in 2019) O/A riders on Show Pleasure WGC will move from Friday evening to Thursday evening class 137 in 2020

If you would like to make a comment or suggestion please call the Celebration office at 931-684-5915 or go to www.twhnc.com and send your comment to us via email.

2020 TENTATIVE CELEBRATION® CLASS SCHEDULE for comment through March 3

The Tunica Fall Classic, scheduled for Oct. 31–Nov. 2, 2019 at the Paul Battle Jr. Arena, has released its final class schedule.

Judges have also been announced, the always-anticipated exhibitor’s party is lined up for Wednesday, Oct. 30 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and Celebration CEO Mike Inman believes anyone who attends this fall staple will hit the jack pot in terms of having a fun time.

Inman explained the thought process behind some of the schedule changes, which are listed at the bottom of this news release. Regarding the Novice flat shod class on Friday, that decision was made to allow both country and trail pleasure to compete together. Novice is defined as a rider who has never won a blue ribbon at the Tunica Fall Classic.

The  grooms and farriers class on Saturday evening is another change. 

“This is a great way to pay tribute to these hard working people that are so critical to every show throughout the year,” he said. “It’s a great way to say thanks and cheer them on.”

Perhaps the icing on the cake, there has been another interesting change that’s sure to draw lots of attention. The Walking Horse Championship and Any Adkins Memorial Youth Riders Championship have been reversed in order on the last night.  

“This year the youth riders will close out the show in what is always an exciting and roof raising class,” Inman said. “It’s a fitting way to celebrate Andy Adkins and the youth of our industry.”

More information about Tunica, such as entry deadlines, hotel information forms, and more can be found at twhnc.com. 

The following class changes are as follows:  

• Novice Flat Shod class on Friday
• Grooms Class on Saturday
• SPECIAL NOTE: The Walking Horse Championship and Andy Adkins Memorial Youth Riders Championship have been reversed in order on the last night. This year the youth riders will close out the show.

The Celebration is pleased to announce the host hotel for this years’ Tunica Fall Classic October 31st through November 2nd  will be the Gold Strike Casino and Resort. This MGM property is the premier destination facility in Tunica. The special horse show rates will again be $49 on weekdays and $95 Friday and Saturday plus fees. To secure these rates call 888-245-7829 and ask for Tunica Fall Classic or promotion code #90093. If you have any problem contact the Celebration office at 931-684-5915 for assistance. 

There will be a special exhibitor party on Wednesday evening at the resort that everyone is invited to. We look forward to seeing you at the Tunica Fall Classic!

The Celebration has just announced the classes it will split for the upcoming Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, which kicks off Aug. 21 and runs through Aug. 31. Ten classes have been split with A and B divisions and one class, the Two-Year-Old Walking Stallions, will have three sections. 

“Not only do we have large classes that required splits we also had quite a few right on the cusp,” said Celebration CEO Mike Inman, who also announced yesterday that entry totals are up slightly from last year. “This speaks to the incredible talent we’re going to be seeing at this year’s show.” 

Serving as the headliner in the news regarding the splits of course is the breakdown of entries for the aged stallions on the first Saturday night of the show. Entries in the aged stallions preliminary, class 79 sec. A are as follows: Jose’s Power Broker and Keith Blackburn for Dan and Susan Erwin, Jose’s Thunderstruck and Scott Beaty for Barron Witherspoon, Star Of Ritz and Casey Wright for Herb Murrath, He’s Unleashed and Chad Williams for Virginia Stewart, Hey, Tomcat and Jamie Lawrence for Roy and Joan Wester, Bourban Street I and Chad Way for Duke Ingram, A Cowboy Casanova and Nick Price for Sarah Coffee Burks, Putt For Dough and Bill Cantrell for Cantrell and Powell, I’m Mayhem and Rodney Dick for JoAnn Dowell, and Jose’s Cold Chills and Jimmy McConnell for LaRue, Ann and Bart McWaters.

Sec. B for class 79 also features 10 entries, includes the following: Woodford and Justin Harris for the Andrew Family, Master’s Razzle & Jazz and Herbert Derickson for the Alan Riddley Family, The Darkest Hour and Tyler Baucom for Teresa Kincaid, The Iron Door and Alan Price for Sarah Coffee Burks, Jose’s Red Rock and Chris Helton for JimBo Conner, Gus Malzahn and Rodney Dick for JoAnn Dowell, Border Run and John Allan Callaway for Gayle Holcomb, Fly Dragonfly and Jimmy McConnell for Barnes & Farris, My Shockwave and Jimmy McConnell for Bill and Karen Bean, and I’m Lombardi and Gary Edwards for Henry and Peggy Metcalf.

The complete list of splits are as follows: 
• Class 26 — O/A Two-Year-Old Walking Stallions
• Class 30 — O/A Novice Lady Riders on Novice Walking Mares or Geldings
• Class 51 — Three-Year-Old Walking Stallions
• Class 70 — Three-Year-Old Walking Mares
• Class 73 — Two-Year-Old Walking Mares
• Class 79 — Walking Stallions, Five Years and Over (Canter)
• Class 91 — O/A Four-Year-Old Walking Mares or Geldings
• Class 109 — Two-Year-Old Walking Stallions (A,B,C)
• Class 117 — O/A Two-Year-Old Walking Mares or Geldings
• Class 122 — O/A Three-Year-Old Walking Stallions
• Class 126 — Three-Year-Old Walking Mares or Geldings

The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, which kicks off Aug. 21 and runs through Aug. 31, has added a class to its Wednesday slate of classes. Class number 7A Wednesday morning, Aug. 21, will be the O/A Riders on Three-Year-Old Country Pleasure Walking Horses, Optional Tack.

The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration has selected Jamie Bradshaw, Nathan Clark, Jamie Hankins, Kenny Smith and Robbie Spiller to judge the 81^st Annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration.  The 81^st Celebration will be August 21^st – August 31^st on the historic show grounds in Shelbyville.

The panel once again is a blend of experienced judges with new faces to the Celebration.  Both Smith and Spiller will be making their first appearance at The Celebration.  “Last year’s panel included two new faces and we felt like the mix of three experienced judges along with two new ones was a good mix and produced great results last year.  In addition, The Celebration is committed to expanding the judging pool and giving more of our licensed judges an opportunity to work our shows,” said Celebration CEO Mike Inman.

Clark and Bradshaw will return for the fifth time to mark the cards.  Clark previously judged in 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2016.  Bradshaw last judged the Celebration in 2013 but also marked the cards in 2006, 2009, and 2011.

Hankins will be returning to center ring at The Celebration for the first time since 2011 and will be marking the cards for the seventh time.  Hankins judged in 1994, 1996, 2001, 2003 and 2008.  Hankins judged with Clark in 2008 and with Bradshaw in 2011.  The Celebration has been committed to diversifying its panels and this year’s panel only includes one judge who has marked the cards at The Celebration in the last five years.

“We are excited for this year’s show and appreciate these five judges for agreeing to take on one of the most prestigious jobs and responsibilities in our industry.  Judging the Celebration is the most important job our judges can accept and we expect this year’s panel to do an excellent job.  These five individuals have judged at most all of our industry’s major venues and continue to judge prestigious shows even in the time periods that they have not judged our shows.  The confidence the industry has placed in selecting these individuals for their shows was a major factor in our committee’s decision to select them for this year’s assignment,” concluded Inman.

August 21-31, 2019

Start Making Plans for the 2019 Celebration!!!

Per its April Board meeting, the Celebration class schedule that is currently online at the Walking Horse Report and posted below on this site is the horse show’s final schedule.

Click Here for Final 2019 Class Schedule

Entry Deadline is Tuesday, August 6 at 5:00 pm. All entries must be received by 5:00 pm on that date. Late entries will not be accepted.

Click Here for Entry Information

The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration released its tentative class schedule for its 2019 edition, which is scheduled to take place Aug. 21-31 in Shelbyville, Tennessee. A few changes to the schedule were made following a comment period where trainers, owners and exhibitors could express their input to the committee overseeing the schedule.

Some of the highlights being implemented to this year’s class schedule as a result of that comment period include revisions or additions regarding the flat shod division, the junior horse division and the pony division.
“The committee implemented several of the comments received and feel this schedule is better as a result of that stakeholder input,” said Celebration CEO Mike Inman.

In the flat shod division, an Amateur Three and Under Country Pleasure World Grand Championship as well as a Trail Pleasure World Grand Championship have been added. 

“As these divisions have grown the committee felt the numbers are now there to support world grand championship classes,” Inman said. “We look forward to seeing how this opportunity unfolds in 2019.”

The new schedule also reflects the official change to the junior horse division, with the exception of Rider’s Cup classes in the padded/performance divisions, where the age for a junior contender remains four and under. Otherwise, junior horses are now considered to be ages five and under. 

Exhibitors should also note the Celebration’s plans regarding the Amateur Pony World Grand Championship. Regarding the ponies, preliminary classes will be held for amateur pony stallions and amateur pony mares and geldings, respectively. Following the preliminaries, if 10 or more horses are entered for the Amateur Pony World Grand Championship, that world grand championship will take place — it will be class number 142. 

In the case where fewer than 10 ponies are entered for the world grand championship, class 142 will not take place. Rather, ponies will instead show in class 146, which is the Amateur 15.2 and Under World Grand Championship. This is the same set of guidelines the Celebration followed regarding this division last year. 

“Last year, the entries in the Amateur Pony World Grand Championship fell just short of the number needed to be a stand- alone championship,” Inman said. “With the number of entries just shy of the 10-horse threshold in 2018, the committee thought it would be good to offer the same opportunity this year in hopes of increased participation.”

Click here for the tentative schedule

The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration has selected Rollie Beard, Brent Grider and Kenny Smith to adjudicate the 49th annual Spring Fun Show, scheduled for May 23-25 at the Calsonic Arena in Shelbyville, Tennessee. Each night’s performances begin at 6 p.m.

“This group has the desired blend of experience and freshness that The Celebration likes to incorporate into any judging panel,” said Celebration CEO Mike Inman. “They are more than capable of handing the judging duties of what is certain to be a collection of the best horses in the industry.”

Beard is one of the most experienced judges in the industry and has previously judged The Celebration eight times, most recent in 2014. In addition to The Celebration, Beard has judged most all major shows in the industry including Mississippi Charity, Gulf Coast Charity, the International, Tunica, the Red Carpet show in Pulaski, Columbia Spring Jubilee and Belfast.

Grider has also judged at The Celebration, marking the cards in 2012. Grider also has a wealth of experience at other major shows including the Kentucky Celebration, Alabama Jubilee, Columbia Spring Jubilee, Gulf Coast Charity, Lewisburg and the National Trainers’ Show, which Grider did for the second time this year.

A new face to the Celebration series of shows is Kenny Smith. Smith has previously judged the 2017 and 2018 Alabama Jubilee and also judged the National Trainers’ Show in 2018.  Smith has been a long-time horse owner and exhibitor as well as shown in the Amateur Owned & Trained divisions.

In 2018, The Celebration began “associate judges” for the Spring Fun Show in an effort to help continue to grow the judging pool and as a way to evaluate additional judges in the heat of battle during the Fun Show.  Last year, Ross Campbell and Grant Holt were the associate judges and Campbell went on to judge The Celebration later that same year.

“We are happy to build on the tremendous success of the associate judge system that began last year,” Inman said. “This initiative dramatically accelerates the process of expanding the pool of judges with Celebration experience. Three of the five judges at this year’s Fun Show will be making their Celebration-event debut in either the official or associate judge capacity.”

This year, Jason Hughes and Becky Barnes will fill out the associate judge roles and mark their cards on Thursday and Friday night of the Spring Fun Show.  Hughes has previously judged the Alabama Jubilee three times as well as Woodbury, National Trainers’ Show and North Carolina Championships.  Barnes has judged the 2018 WHTA Thanksgiving Classic, Marshall, Texas and other shows in the Kentucky circuit.

The Celebration will also conduct a trial run of electronic judging equipment at this year’s Fun Show. The Celebration hopes to speed the process of tying the classes and announcement of the results so as to reduce the time of the show and significantly decrease the amount of dead time at the show.  

“The use of electronic judging is eagerly anticipated and we are truly excited to evaluate its impact, both within center ring and for the spectator experience,” Inman said. 

If the program is successful, the hope is to have the program used at this year’s Celebration.