From Staff Reports
The 54th Annual Spring Fun Show will be held May 23–25 in the newly renovated Cooper Steel Arena on the historic show grounds of the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration.
Judging the Spring Fun Show will be Jamie Bradshaw, Mike Hilley, and Dickie Scrivner.
Bradshaw has been a regular at Celebration events having marked the cards at The Celebration six times. His most recent assignment was in 2022. Bradshaw also judged the Spring Fun Show in 2022 and has judged most every major show in the industry during his career.
Hilley will be judging the Spring Fun Show for the first time, however he has also previously judged The Celebration. Hilley marked the cards at The Celebration in 2018 and 2020. Hilley has been in center ring at some major venues since his last Celebration role. He has judged the National Trainers’ Show, Pulaski, Columbia Spring Jubilee and Money Tree, among others since 2020.
Scrivner will be considered the rookie of the panel as he will be the only one that has not previously judged The Celebration. But Scrivner is no rookie and has worked for The Celebration previously at the 2020 Spring Fun Show. His resume includes judging the National Trainers’ Show, North Carolina Championships, Columbia Spring Jubilee and Alabama Jubilee.
The Spring Fun Show will feature 72 classes across the three evening performances with an addition of two crowd favorite Pick Your Partner classes to help raise money for the legal fund. Each performance starts at 6 p.m.
Class Schedule
Judges: Jamie Bradshaw, Mike Hilley, Dickie Scrivner
Online Entries can be made at entermywalkinghorse.com starting May 19 until 1 pm each day of the show. Entries will be taken at the Show Office inside Cooper Steel Arena from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. each evening.
Entry deadline for the first four classes is 5 p.m. each evening of the show. All classes to be held in Cooper Steel Arena.
THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 23, 6 p.m.
- *Model Pleasure Walking Horses
- Fine Harness
- *Two-Year-Old Walking Mares or Geldings
- Amateur Riders on Western Country Pleasure Walking Horses
- Amateur Riders on Show Pleasure Walking Horses
- *Lite Shod Walking Horses, Optional Tack
- *Four-Year-Old Mares or Geldings
- WHTA Families & WHTA Auxiliary Members
- Amateur Riders on Lite Shod Walking Horses, Five Years and Under, Optional Tack
- Amateur Riders on Three-Year-Old Walking Mares or Geldings
- *Four-Year-Old Walking Stallions (Canter)
- Amateur Riders on English Country Pleasure Walking Horses
- Amateur Riders on Five-Year-Old Walking Mares or Geldings
- *Two-Year-Old Walking Stallions
- Amateur Riders on Walking Stallions, 15.2 and Under
- *Experienced Trainers, 36 Years and Over, on Walking Horses
- Amateur Riders on Western Trail Pleasure Walking Horses
- Amateur Novice Riders on Novice Walking Horses (No blue Celebration)
- *Four-Year-Old Walking Mares or Geldings (Canter)
- Amateur Riders on Park Pleasure Walking Horses, Optional Tack
- Amateur Riders on Walking Horses, Classic Horses, Fifteen Years and Over
- *Three-Year-Old Walking Mares or Geldings
- *Trail Pleasure Walking Horses, Three Years and Under, Optional Tack
- Amateur Riders on Park Performance Walking Horses, Five Years and Under
- *Four-Year-Old Stallions
FRIDAY EVENING, MAY 24, 6 p.m.
* Riders Cup Class “Triple Points”
- *Yearlings
- Amateur Youth Riders 6-17 Years on Country Pleasure Walking Horses, Optional Tack
- *Walking Mares or Geldings, Five Years and Over (Canter)
- Amateur Youth Riders 6-17 Years on All Day Pleasure Walking Horses, Optional Tack
- *Trail Pleasure Four and Five-Year-Old Walking Horses, Optional Tack
- Amateur Riders on Park Pleasure Walking Horses, Five Years and Under, Optional Tack
- Amateur Riders on Two-Year-Old Walking Stallions
- Amateur Riders on Four and Five-Year-Old Trail Pleasure Walking Horses, Optional Tack
- Amateur Youth Riders 12-17 Years on Walking Mares or Geldings
- Amateur Riders on Country Pleasure Walking Horses, Three Years and Under, Optional Tack
- *Show Pleasure Walking Horses
- Amateur Riders on Two-Year-Old Walking Mares or Geldings
- Amateur Riders on Walking Horses, Five Years and Over (Canter)
- Pick Your Partner Pleasure, Optional Tack (Max 3/8 x 3/4 Shoe)
- Amateur Riders on Park Performance Walking Horses
- Amateur Riders on Walking Ponies, 60” and Under
- All Day Pleasure (TWH Registration is required)
- *Show Pleasure Walking Horses, Five Years and Under
- Amateur Riders on English Trail Pleasure Walking Horses
- Amateur Riders on Five-Year-Old Walking Stallions
- Amateur Riders on Four and Five-Year-Old Country Pleasure Walking Horses, Optional Tack
- Amateur Riders on Walking Mares or Geldings, 15.2 and Under
- Amateur Riders on Three-Year-Old Walking Stallions
- *Walking Stallions, Mares or Geldings
SATURDAY EVENING, MAY 25, 6 p.m.
* CLASSES ARE SPECIALTY UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED
- *Country Pleasure Walking Horses, Three Years and Under, Optional Tack
- Amateur Youth Riders 6-17 Years on Trail Pleasure Walking Horses, Optional Tack
- Amateur Riders on Four-Year-Old Walking Mares or Geldings
- Amateur Youth Riders 6-11 Years on Walking Mares or Geldings
- Amateur Riders on Walking Mares or Geldings
- 4-H Flat Shod Invitational, Optional Tack (horse registration not required –Inspection fee $5.00)
- *Park Performance Walking Horses, Five Years and Under
- Amateur Youth Riders 17 Years and Under on Show Pleasure Walking Horses
- Amateur Riders on Trail Pleasure Walking Horses, Three Years and Under, Optional Tack
- Amateur Riders on Four-Year-Old Walking Stallions
- Amateur Novice Riders on Novice Flat Shod Walking Horses, Opt Tack (Max 3/8 x 3/4 Shoe)(No blue Celebration)
- Amateur Riders on Walking Stallions
- Amateur Riders 50 Years and Over on Trail Pleasure Walking Horses, Optional Tack
- Pick Your Partner (Performance)
- *Park Pleasure Walking Horses, Optional Tack
- *Three-Year-Old Walking Stallions
- Amateur Youth Riders 17 Years and Under on Walking Ponies, 60″ and Under
- *Park Performance Walking Horses
- *Walking Horses, 15.2 and Under
- Amateur Riders on Lite Shod Walking Horses, Optional Tack
- *Young Trainers 35 Years and Under on Walking Horses
- Amateur Riders 50 Years and Over on Walking Horses
- *Walking Stallions, Five Years and Over (Canter)
Sponsorship
Below is the sponsorship information for this year’s show if you are interested in sponsoring. If you are interested in sponsoring the Fun Show please contact Warren Wells at wwells@twhnc.com.
GOLD – $2,500 and above
5 Class Sponsorships including: Stake Class, Membership to the Hall of Fame (4 passes) & Exhibitor Parking Pass, Invitation to the Fun Show Sponsors’ Party (4)
SILVER – $1,500
5 Class Sponsorships, Membership to the Hall of Fame (2 passes) & Exhibitor Parking Pass, Invitation to the Fun Show Sponsors’ Party (2)
BRONZE – $300
1 Class Sponsorship
The top two levels include passes to the newly renovated Hall of Fame Club, and an invitation to the Sponsors’ Party that will be held in the center-ring of The Big Oval (Celebration Arena).
If you are interested in a vendor spot for The Fun Show or any show owned by The Celebration, please contact Josh Cole at: twhncvendors@gmail.com.
