By Nancy Brannon, photos by Marty & Jennifer Barr, Barr Studios
The Walking Horse Owners Association (WHOA) hosted their 42nd International Pleasure and Colt Grand Championship on August 11-17, 2020 at the Miller Coliseum in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The first International Championship Show was held in 1979 at the Old Fort Park in Murfreesboro. “This is the largest flat shod Walking Horse show in the country,” said Show Manager Tommy Hall. Judges for the show were Jimmy Black (South Carolina); Frankie Jo Bradley (Kentucky); Shannon Gibbs (North Carolina); Glenda Levin (Tennessee); and Dee Dee Miller (Tennessee). The show was dedicated to Charlie Howard, a long time Tennessee Walking Horse enthusiast who died in November 2019. Jennifer and Marty Barr were the official photographers for the show.
With 210 classes offered, there was something for everyone and plenty of activity all week at the Miller. There were numerous types of pleasure classes, as well as driving, trail and trail obstacle, a variety of lite shod classes, classes for spotted horses and racking horses, equitation, and in-hand classes like showmanship and halter. There were fun classes, too: costume, ride-a-buck, water glass, egg and spoon. Then there were speed classes of pole bending and barrel racing. There were Western classes of Western Gaited Dressage, reining, and Western riding. For English hunter riders there were hunter hack and TWH Over Fences. Total entries for the 2020 International were 1,479!
Show Manager Tommy Hall said he was “very, very pleased” with the turnout for the show. “We had good participation all the classes,” he said. The show had to be postponed from its original dates (end of July, first of August) because MTSU and The Miller were closed. “It was only ten days before the show date when we learned it would go. We had to downsize this year; we reduced the show from nine days to seven days and reduced the number of classes by 60. We didn’t offer Championship classes, but offered Best of Show instead. And we followed MTSU’s COVID-19 requirements. Hopefully, next year we can go back to our traditional date and offer Championship classes.”
Some highlights of the 42nd show:
Jose’s Twist Of Gin with rider BJ Richards was American National Insurance The Maiden winner (won $5000) for owner Patti Pollack. The preliminary splits had 35 total entries, with 19 vying for honors in the final. Over $16,000 prize money was given in the class. The winner also received a floral horse shoe, cooler, belt buckle, and owner’s trophy. The Maiden class is comprised of 2 year olds that have not to this date been shown.
David Mast won Best In Show – no canter aboard WGC I'm Thunderstruck NDR.
The team of World Grand Champion and five-time World Champion Eye On The Title and Lisa Baum were the unanimous choice of the judges in the Amateur Country Pleasure class.
Morgan Walden earned the blue ribbon ride aboard Jazzanova in the Classic Park Pleasure Amateur class.
Debbie Marbry rode Just Made Bail to his fourth International blue in the Country Pleasure Amateur Novice English class.
Amanda Manis won the Classic Trail Pleasure Amateur Western division aboard Sweet As Strawberry Wine, the fifth International blue for this horse.
Lindy Holt made her debut aboard I’m Charles Dickens to win in the Country Pleasure Amateur Two-Year-Old class.
Jose’s Valentine and Victoria Kalosis were the Lite-Shod Western Champions for owner James Tyree.
Firewitch and Rickey Ingle were Champions in Model Horses 15 Years & Over.
Loose In The Outfield presented by Bill Bobo, was the Model Geldings winner, Rushing Creek Walkers and Ronnie & Angela Rushing of Dickson, TN owners.
Rockin' At The Ritz & Sydney Klein, Youth Trail Pleasure 11 & Under winners, owned by Klein & Urad.
Read more about the show and its history at: http://www.walkinghorseowners.com/?page_id=96 and on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Walking-Horse-Owners-Association-331617650187038/
Full results of the show are posted at The Walking Horse Report: https://www.walkinghorsereport.com/
WHOA office: 615-494-8822; Tommy Hall show manager, 615-319-7062
The Walking Horse Owners Association (WHOA) hosted their 42nd International Pleasure and Colt Grand Championship on August 11-17, 2020 at the Miller Coliseum in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The first International Championship Show was held in 1979 at the Old Fort Park in Murfreesboro. “This is the largest flat shod Walking Horse show in the country,” said Show Manager Tommy Hall. Judges for the show were Jimmy Black (South Carolina); Frankie Jo Bradley (Kentucky); Shannon Gibbs (North Carolina); Glenda Levin (Tennessee); and Dee Dee Miller (Tennessee). The show was dedicated to Charlie Howard, a long time Tennessee Walking Horse enthusiast who died in November 2019. Jennifer and Marty Barr were the official photographers for the show.
With 210 classes offered, there was something for everyone and plenty of activity all week at the Miller. There were numerous types of pleasure classes, as well as driving, trail and trail obstacle, a variety of lite shod classes, classes for spotted horses and racking horses, equitation, and in-hand classes like showmanship and halter. There were fun classes, too: costume, ride-a-buck, water glass, egg and spoon. Then there were speed classes of pole bending and barrel racing. There were Western classes of Western Gaited Dressage, reining, and Western riding. For English hunter riders there were hunter hack and TWH Over Fences. Total entries for the 2020 International were 1,479!
Show Manager Tommy Hall said he was “very, very pleased” with the turnout for the show. “We had good participation all the classes,” he said. The show had to be postponed from its original dates (end of July, first of August) because MTSU and The Miller were closed. “It was only ten days before the show date when we learned it would go. We had to downsize this year; we reduced the show from nine days to seven days and reduced the number of classes by 60. We didn’t offer Championship classes, but offered Best of Show instead. And we followed MTSU’s COVID-19 requirements. Hopefully, next year we can go back to our traditional date and offer Championship classes.”
Some highlights of the 42nd show:
Jose’s Twist Of Gin with rider BJ Richards was American National Insurance The Maiden winner (won $5000) for owner Patti Pollack. The preliminary splits had 35 total entries, with 19 vying for honors in the final. Over $16,000 prize money was given in the class. The winner also received a floral horse shoe, cooler, belt buckle, and owner’s trophy. The Maiden class is comprised of 2 year olds that have not to this date been shown.
David Mast won Best In Show – no canter aboard WGC I'm Thunderstruck NDR.
The team of World Grand Champion and five-time World Champion Eye On The Title and Lisa Baum were the unanimous choice of the judges in the Amateur Country Pleasure class.
Morgan Walden earned the blue ribbon ride aboard Jazzanova in the Classic Park Pleasure Amateur class.
Debbie Marbry rode Just Made Bail to his fourth International blue in the Country Pleasure Amateur Novice English class.
Amanda Manis won the Classic Trail Pleasure Amateur Western division aboard Sweet As Strawberry Wine, the fifth International blue for this horse.
Lindy Holt made her debut aboard I’m Charles Dickens to win in the Country Pleasure Amateur Two-Year-Old class.
Jose’s Valentine and Victoria Kalosis were the Lite-Shod Western Champions for owner James Tyree.
Firewitch and Rickey Ingle were Champions in Model Horses 15 Years & Over.
Loose In The Outfield presented by Bill Bobo, was the Model Geldings winner, Rushing Creek Walkers and Ronnie & Angela Rushing of Dickson, TN owners.
Rockin' At The Ritz & Sydney Klein, Youth Trail Pleasure 11 & Under winners, owned by Klein & Urad.
Read more about the show and its history at: http://www.walkinghorseowners.com/?page_id=96 and on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Walking-Horse-Owners-Association-331617650187038/
Full results of the show are posted at The Walking Horse Report: https://www.walkinghorsereport.com/
WHOA office: 615-494-8822; Tommy Hall show manager, 615-319-7062
