Sixtieth Germantown Charity Horse Show Opens June 10 by Nancy Brannon The week of June 10-14, 2008 marks the 60th anniversary of the Germantown Charity Horse Show in Germantown, Tennessee, one of the largest multi-breed, multi-discipline horse shows in the nation. To “commemorate the Diamond Jubilee,” President Lynda Smith reported the Shops of Saddle Creek are sponsoring a Painted Horses Public Arts Community Event. Local artists are colorfully painting 21 life-sized fiberglass horses from their own designs. The statues are on display from mid-May through October at various locations throughout Germantown. After six months on display, organizers will auction off the horses, with most of the money going to charity. The fiberglass horses, each weighing about one hundred pounds, come in four body styles: Arabian, standing Thoroughbred, grazing Thoroughbred, and walking Thoroughbred. The process of designing and painting one of the horses, “Mariposa” covered in butterflies and flowers, can be seen at Andrea Makai’s web site: http://pearlandrea.home.mchsi.com. Another special feature of the 60th celebration is the sale of commemorative bricks, which will be installed on the horse show grounds in front of the Tanner Pavilion and the barn stalls. Proceeds from the sale of the bricks will to toward capital improvements on the show grounds. For information about the bricks or to order, call Joy Nichols at (901) 737-7444. Festivities begin with the Exhibitor’s Welcome Reception Monday evening, June 9th. The first full day of Hunter classes begins at 8:00 a.m. Tuesday morning and Jumper classes begin at 10:00 a.m. The evening’s classes begin at 5:30 p.m., with Hackney Ponies, Pleasure Driving, Three-Gaited Horses, Fine Harness, and Walking Horses. The Costume Event, in which children and their ponies and horses turn out dressed in a wide variety of costumes and themes, will also be on Tuesday evening. Turn on your “cute meters” for this class. Wednesday evening’s opening class is the Welcome Stake Open Jumper, followed by the Lead Line class. Spectators will need to turn on their “cute meters” again for that class. The schedule repeats on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings at 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., evenings at 5:30 p.m., and Saturday at 5:00 p.m. The grand finale on Saturday evening is the $25,000 Grand Prix of Germantown, followed by the Stick Horse finals and championship classes in several divisions. Presentation of the 2008 Germantown Charity Horse Show Queen, Audrey Sloan Tate, and her Princesses will also be on Saturday evening. The 2008 GCHS Princesses are: Alexandra Claire Russell, Alexandria Ragland Turner, Ashton Christine Alford, Caitlin Rose Rohde, Catherine Elizabeth McDermott, Catherine Gertrude Kennedy, Christa Hunter Lesko, Ellen Virginia Shapiro, Haylie Gail Burch, Julian Zoë Glassman, Kelsey Kemp Goodman, Lauren Elizabeth Cowles, Lindsay Danielle Strafuss, Martha Elizabeth Howle, Patricia Ann Dorian, Rebecca Duke Ruleman, Rebecca Sims Godman, Sloane Hamilton Trezevant, Meagan Paige McIvor, Tenley Whitaker Struhs, and Victoria Morgan Lee.The featured entertainment during each evening’s performance is the Peruvian Pasobilities Drill Team. Ten to twelve riders will perform on their Peruvian Paso Horses to music choreographed to fit their every maneuver. The River City Jack Russell Terrier Club hosts the “terrier races” on Saturday afternoon from 1:00 n 3:00 p.m., inviting Jack Russell terriers and all breeds of dogs to run for the dog biscuits! For detailed information about the Germantown Charity Horse show, visit their web site at http://www.gchs.org. The Horse Show grounds are on 7745 Old Poplar Pike about a half mile east of Germantown Road. Tickets are $5 at the door, $3 for children.