1969 Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1969 August Voice RS | Page 21

Nine days, 216 hours, 12,960 minutes or 777,600 seconds . . . not a lifetime by any stretch of the imag­ ination except in the Walking Horse business . . . and it comes once a year. This year will mark the 31st renewal for the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration. The dates have been set as August 29 through September 6 at the Celebration Grounds in the Walking Horse tradition-filled city of Shelbyville, Tennessee. August, 1969 It is difficult to sum up exactly what the Celebration means to the Walking Horse breed but everyone is agreed that it means "the most.” It is the World Ser­ ies, the Kentucky Derby and the Super Bowl all rolled into nine days. It is an endurance test for horse and exhibitor that marks the termination of a year’s effort to achieve the "unreachable goal.” Unfortunately there will be only one blue in each of 62 classes to be divided among nearly 1,700 entries, so there will be many who never reach that goal ... at least, not in 1969. As can be said every year, 1969 looks like a record­ setting effort in about every conceivable way a show can set records. Attendance should reach 125,000 af­ ter suffering a drop of close to 12,000 last year to 110,857. The entry sheet should show near 1,700 names, following last year’s record entry of 1,662 horses. The flags of all the states of the union fly proudly over the Celebration grounds and horses and exhibitors from all of these states will be making a bid to take a coveted blue home. A degree of the Celebration’s success is due to their continuing improvements in the facilities with the best interest of exhibitors and spectators in mind. This year there have been no dramatic changes, but sev­ eral improvements have been made. Two new warm­ up rings have constructed, with one scheduled to be used as a paddock. There will be no new boxes this year, but the wooden seats are being covered with aluminum. Also, for the first time in recent years, no new stalls have been added. The officials of the Celebration perform a labor of love in putting on this annual "endurance test” and they certainly deserve the thanks of all those who en­ joy the show yearly. Show manager Sam Gibbons of Athens, Alabama is, without question, doing a great job. The Celebration Executive Committee has more work and responsibility than imaginable and receives little credit. The Committee is made up of President W. C. Tune, Jr.; Vice President W. L. Parker; Secre­ tary-Treasurer P. J. Scudder; and Directors E. L. Adamson, Ben D. Kingree III, H. J. Thompson, and ■ H. C. Tilford, Jr. The office staff at the Celebration is without peer in the show horse industry and is headed up by Mrs. Katherine D. Potts. One of the most difficult and important jobs that faces the Celebration every year is the selection of the judges. No single piece of news is more widely rumored and discussed in the horse business. This year the announcement of the judges was greeted enthusiastically in most quarters in the horse busi­ ness. The three-man team for Walking Horse saddle classes is: Steve Hill, Beech Grove, Tennessee; Bob Lindsey, Little Rock, Arkansas; and Richard Mary, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The colt classes will be judged by Benvis Beachboard, Bell Buckle, Tennes­ see; J. T. Nelms, Nashville, Tennessee; and Joe Urqu- hart, Columbia, Tennessee. (Complete details about the judges are in another story in this issue.) (Continued on page 102) 21