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2021 Celebration Events

To receive updates, reminders and announcements on your cell phone, text TWHNC to 77948.

History – The Tennessee Walking Horse National Museum is a quick 15 minute trip to Wartrace, the “Cradle of the Tennessee Walking Horse.” It’s open every day of The Celebration from 10am-4pm, except on Sunday when it’s open from 1-4pm. Admission is free, but donations are accepted.

 

Shopping – Great shopping awaits you when you visit this year’s Celebration. We’ve assembled over 75 specialty vendors, almost three times as many as last year! You’ll find tack, gifts, jewelry, art, crafts, clothing, and so much more. During the day you’ll want to visit the vendors in Calsonic Arena and the barn area. When you return at night, you’ll find even more in Celebration Arena.


Food – For 83 years Bedford County and the local civic clubs have been the backbone of The Celebration. When you come to the show, the Jaycees will help you park, members of the Lions Club will greet you at the entrance and sell you a program, and hundreds of other volunteers will be manning the concession stands to support their clubs. Our community organizations take great pride in the food they offer to guests and have helped to give The Celebration the reputation of having some of the best eats of any event you’ll attend. You’ll find country ham sandwiches, ribeye steak sandwiches, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, cotton candy, fried oreos, donuts and more served up by the Kiwanis Club, Band Boosters, Community Lions Club, VFW, East Bedford Civic Club, and Optimist Club. There’s also Prater’s BBQ, Sir Pizza,  and Alfonso’s Mexican Food. If you’re planning to join us at the show, don’t eat before you come!

9am Morning Performance (Calsonic Arena)

5pm TWHBEA National Futurity (Calsonic Arena)

Presented by the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ & Exhibitors’ Association, this year’s show has added two and three-year-old “Rookie” classes for horses that have never shown in a driving or under saddle class. For more information, contact TWHBEA at 931-359-1574.

>> Click Here for More Info

9am Morning Performance (Calsonic Arena)

7pm Evening Performance (Celebration Arena) Ticketed Event

Opening Night – A solid white Tennessee Walking Horse will enter Celebration Arena promptly at 7pm carrying our nation’s colors to kick off our first night in the Big Oval. Get your whittling stick and pull up a chair with your friends to enjoy our opening night under the lights. As is tradition, the first class will showcase our young riders 6-11 years of age.

Deadline for Celebration Art Contest

Open to everyone! Work will be displayed in Calsonic Arena during the show and prizes will be awarded. For more information, call or text Dee Foster at 931-205-2098.

 

>> More Info

9am Morning Performance (Calsonic Arena)

Lunch Food Truck Fair (Farmers Market Pavilion)

Enjoy lunch at a variety of food trucks. To be a food truck vendor, contact Warren Wells, wwells@twhnc.com

7pm Evening Performance (Celebration Arena) Ticketed Event

9am Morning Performance (Calsonic Arena)

Lunch Food Truck Fair (Farmers Market Pavilion)

Enjoy lunch at a variety of food trucks. To be a food truck vendor, contact Warren Wells, wwells@twhnc.com

Noon Entry Deadline for Lead Line WGC

5pm Entry Deadline for Yearling WGC

7pm Evening Performance (Celebration Arena) Ticketed Event

Hat Night – Wear your favorite Kentucky Derby styled hat and join us as we crown the first two World Grand Champions of 2021 from the Lead Line and Yearling divisions, plus get our first glance at some of the contenders for the ultimate WGC title in the Aged Stallions classes.

8am Community Worship Service (Celebration Arena, North Turn)

The Bedford County Ministerial Association invites you to join them for a time of worship and music in the Big Oval. In the event of rain, the service will be moved to Calsonic Arena.

9am Celebration Shootout Golf Tournament (Riverbend Country Club)

This event is sure to sell out. To register or sponsor, contact Jessica Wells at 931-212-3791 or jessicastinsonwells@gmail.com 

>> More Info: shorturl.at/mtEP1

Lunch Food Truck Fair (Farmers Market Pavilion)

Enjoy lunch at a variety of food trucks. To be a food truck vendor, contact Warren Wells, wwells@twhnc.com

1pm Walking Horse Trainers’ Auxiliary Dog Show (Champions Arena)

This annual tradition is a fun event for locals, visitors, and students. Bring your 4-legged friend and join the fun. For more information contact Candy Green at 931-580-8378 or Sarah Smith at 931-580-5085.

1pm Stable Decorating Contest Judging

Representatives from the Shelbyville-Bedford County Chamber of Commerce and The Celebration will be on the grounds from 1-3pm to judge the annual Stable Decorating Contest. While you’re at the show, be sure to stroll through the grounds and admire the beautifully decorated stables that are the home-away-from-home of our show’s stars. Anyone who would like their stable to be judged should enter my Noon on Saturday 8/28.

7pm Evening Performance (Celebration Arena) Ticketed Event

9am Morning Performance (Calsonic Arena)

7pm Evening Performance (Celebration Arena) Ticketed Event

Fan Appreciation Dollar Night – We say “thank you” to the world’s greatest horse show fans with $1 general admission tickets and select $1 items at the concession stands.

Noon Entry Deadline for Thursday Night WGC Classes

5pm Entry Deadline for Weanling WGC

7pm Evening Performance (Celebration Arena) Ticketed Event

Fan Appreciation Dollar Night – We say “thank you” to the world’s greatest horse show fans with $1 general admission tickets and select $1 items at the concession stands.

Noon Entry Deadline for Friday Night WGC Classes

7pm Evening Performance (Celebration Arena) Ticketed Event

Lunch Food Truck Fair (Farmers Market Pavilion)

With championship entries required to be stabled on the grounds 48 hours prior to competing, this will be a happening place. Come early to watch the morning workouts of our championship contenders, do some shopping in Calsonic Arena and enjoy lunch at a variety of food trucks. To be a food truck vendor, contact Warren Wells, wwells@twhnc.com

Noon Entry Deadline for Saturday Night WGC Classes

7pm Evening Performance (Celebration Arena) Ticketed Event

Lunch Food Truck Fair (Farmers Market Pavilion)

With championship entries required to be stabled on the grounds 48 hours prior to competing, this will be a happening place. Come early to watch the morning workouts of our championship contenders, do some shopping in Calsonic Arena and enjoy lunch at a variety of food trucks. To be a food truck vendor, contact Warren Wells, wwells@twhnc.com

7pm Evening Performance (Celebration Arena) Ticketed Event

Military and First Responders Appreciation Night – Wear your red, white and blue and join us as we recognize the courage and sacrifice made by the members of our nation’s military and first responders. Riders competing on Military Appreciation Night will be riding in memory of a Fallen Hero and we’ve teamed up with the Woody Williams Foundation to welcome Gold Star Families as our special guests. The Celebration is offering free tickets, parking and drink tickets to all veterans and first responders. Those tickets can be reserved by calling 931-684-5915 or picked up at the Celebration office during regular business hours.

Lunch Food Truck Fair (Farmers Market Pavilion)

With championship entries required to be stabled on the grounds 48 hours prior to competing, this will be a happening place. Come early to watch the morning workouts of our championship contenders, do some shopping in Calsonic Arena and enjoy lunch at a variety of food trucks. To be a food truck vendor, contact Warren Wells, wwells@twhnc.com

7pm Evening Performance (Celebration Arena) Ticketed Event

Witness twelve World Grand Championship events, culminating with the crowning of the Tennessee Walking Horse Champion of the World!

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Equitation Patterns

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Celebration releases splits

Celebration releases splits

The 83rd Annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration® will be held August 25-September 4, 2021.  The class sheet was revamped for 2021, with several changes made per recommendations by a committee formed by the board of directors.

In total, 11 classes were split and for the first time in several years there will be no three-way splits in 2021.  “We are tremendously excited to have competitive classes that pit many of our industry’s most talented horses against one another in both preliminary and championship classes,” said CEO Warren Wells.

For the first time in years, the Two-Year-Old Stallions will be split only into an A and B division.  The total numbers of entries were down significantly in the division which warranted only a two-way split. 

Although the Walking Stallions, Five Years and Over (Canter) only had 11 entries, The Celebration® kept with tradition and split the class into two divisions.

“It was a tough call with only one trainer having multiple entries and the total number of entries not warranting a split.  I know our fans would love to see all 11 horses in the ring at the same time, and it would make for great theatre. But I chose to keep with tradition in my first year on the job,” said Wells.

The A division will feature:

Walk For Roses and Russ Thompson

Joe Pa and Winky Groover

Mach 1 and Jimmy McConnell

Hey, Tomcat and Jamie Lawrence

Really Coach and Rodney Dick

The B division will feature:

Jose’s Power Broker and Keith Blackburn

A Big Honor and Ryan Blackburn

Minor Ordeal and Tyler Baucom

Jose’s Revival and Casey Wright

Gin’s Shadow and Jimmy McConnell

He’s Unleashed and Jeff Green

2021 CELEBRATION® CLASS SCHEDULE-SPLITS

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Celebration entries remain steady

After a 10% increase in entries in 2020, The Celebration® announced a total of 2,262 pre-show entries for the upcoming 83rd Annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration®.  The 2,262 total is up 10 entries from last year.  “We are extremely pleased with the entries for our upcoming show.  With such a large increase last year, the ability for us to continue to add entries year over year continues the positive trends we are seeing in the industry,” said Celebration CEO Warren Wells.

The number of unique horses that make up the 2,262 entries also increased from last year.  In 2020, 1,311 different horses were entered at The Celebration®.  In 2021 that number jumped to 1,320 horses.  “Being the world championship horse show, we want to host as many horses as we possibly can, and we look forward to continuing to grow this number over the next several years,” said Wells.

The 1,320 horses competing is a jump of 120 horses over two years ago.  This number has been continually rising and this year’s increase is another positive sign.  The 83rd Annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration will be held August 25th through September 4th

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