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The view from the top of the grandstand on Sunday morning was somewhat depressing. Just a few hours before, a record breaking crowd of 23,284 paid spectators had jammed this tremendous arena to see the greatest Horse Show of them all... the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration. Sitting amid the mass of discarded programs, hot dog wrappers, drink bottles and cans, one could not help but ponder the grandeur of this show and its attraction. From our view atop the press box, we could see the complete facility. Fifty-five acres of property comprise, the Celebration grounds and what used to be wide open spaces is now crowded with new stables. Just behind the clump of trees on the north side of the grounds we could see a few of the remaining camper trailers. A whisp of smoke was rising in the still morning air as the aroma of country ham slowly drifted across the show grounds.
From time to time we could hear the angry commands of a trainer or groom trying to get a tired horse in a trailer or truck. We could hear the whinny of a horse from the east end as his feed was being put in the manger. His call was echoed from stall to stall in the near deserted bam area. From the back end of the show grounds we could hear the roar of a diesel engine as black smoke billowed toward the sky.“ Clop... clop... clop”, the echo of horses hooves on the gravel drive could be heard as a trainer headed toward the practice ring to make one last effort to sell a horse before he headed home.
A truck pulled up to the entrance gate and a crew of workmen began to gather. The clean-up appeared to be a gigantic task as debris was scattered far and near within the stadium. The chairs in the box seats had to be folded and stacked and put away for another year and a reluctant crew set about this task.
All of this was the aftermath of a Tennessee tradition. A tribute to one of the greatest breeds of American horsedom. A salute to the heritage of the Tennessee Walking ^0r5e '( Continued on page 18)