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468:, during the singing of the American national anthem. The same flag horse often serves for years and is not allowed to compete in the Celebration itself or any other horse show during their tenure. Over the course of the Celebration, over $ 650,000 in prizes is given out. The Celebration also includes attractions such as a dog show, barbecue cookout, and barn decorating contest.
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Line Ponies World
Championship, Park Performance, Four-Year-Old, Three-Year-Old, Two-Year-Old, Weanling, Trail Pleasure, Show Pleasure, and Lite Shod. The most anticipated class, however, is the World Grand Championship, the largest honor in the Tennessee Walking Horse breed. Competition at the Celebration is traditionally opened each night by a
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The World Grand
Championship, also known as the "Big Stake" or "Rider's Cup, Canter" is the final class of the Celebration. It is held late on the Saturday night before Labor Day, or more often, very early Sunday morning. To compete in the stake, horses must qualify by showing in a class on the first
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to detect signs of horses being sored. In 2006, the concerns escalated between trainers and inspectors from APHIS. Initially, trainers refused to submit their horses for inspection, creating a stand-off that required law enforcement intervention. Then, prior to the World Grand
Championship finals,
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associations as well. Double registration does not affect a horse's ability to enter the
Celebration. The only exception to this rule are ponies competing in lead line classes. Over 20 World Championships are awarded in different classes throughout the course of the Celebration, including the Lead
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inspectors disqualified all but three of the finalists. A group of approximately 150 people gathered, demanding that the disqualified horses be allowed to show. However, citing safety concerns, the show management cancelled the class altogether and no World Grand
Champion was crowned that year.
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The modern
Celebration spans 11 days in late August and early September prior to Labor Day every year, and finishes with the crowning of the World Grand Champion Tennessee Walking Horse on the Saturday night before Labor Day. The TWHNC draws an estimated 2,000 horses, 250,000 spectators and
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Saturday night of the show. Previous World Grand
Champions are automatically eligible to compete again. The competing horses enter the arena to the song "Flat Walk Boogie" which was composed and is played by official TWHNC organist Larry Bright. Horses are required to perform the flat walk,
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in 1966. Sain had previously competed in the four-year-old age division and was expected to win the World
Championship in that division, but she bypassed the class in favor of the World Grand Championship. The oldest rider to win was 81-year-old
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and while there observed the
Crimson Clover Festival being held. He felt that Wartrace should have a similar festival, and proposed the idea to a group of fellow horsemen, who accepted it. The first Celebration was held in 1939. It began with a
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since its inception in 1939. The
Celebration was conceived by Henry Davis, a horse trainer who along with several other horsemen, felt the Shelbyville area should have a festival or annual event. Although the Celebration was originally held in
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and two arenas, with warm-up areas. The outdoor arena has seating for 30,000, including box seats, and is the one used for most classes. The indoor arena has seating for 4,500 and is used for small classes, or in case of rain.
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and performance, including divisions for youth, amateurs, and professionals. Horses may be shod with keg shoes or performance stacks; flat-shod classes are particularly popular among amateur owners who train their own horses.
340:, was known for producing the most desirable Tennessee Walker conformation type in his offspring, as well as his "duel" with Midnight Sun when he tried to defeat the older horse in 1946. The stake is traditionally a
229:, a few years later. The Celebration spans 11 days and nights in late August and early September annually, and finishes with the crowning of the World Grand Champion Tennessee Walker on the Saturday night before
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393:. The sponsors of the Celebration have consistently denied the allegations. Every horse entered in the Celebration must undergo an inspection designed to detect sored horses conducted by an
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497:. The winner is announced while a spotlight sweeps back and forth along the line-up of horses and then settles on the World Grand Champion. The winner is awarded $ 15,000 in prize money.
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in 1992, at the age of 74. Although there have been six horses who won the stake two years consecutively, there have been only two three-time winners in the history of the Celebration:
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and Henry Davis, and was only three years old at the time of his win. Although Strolling Jim was a gelding,many World Grand Champions were stallions who became notable sires.
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twice each in two separate workouts. Between workouts, riders dismount and unsaddle their horses so the judges can evaluate their
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The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration is held in Shelbyville at the 105-acre Celebration Grounds, which encompasses
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of horses at the event, an abusive practice designed to make horses step higher and illegal under federal law by the
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and elaborate pageant that depicted the evolution of the Tennessee Walking Horse breed from its original use as a
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934:"Shelbyville Times-Gazette: Local News: Triple play: I Am Jose earns third World Grand Championship (09/06/15)"
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in 2013, 2014, and 2015. I Am Jose was also notable for being the first four-year-old winner since 1966.
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classes, for children under six, are a crowd favorite. All horses entered must be registered with the
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Bud Dunn and RPM competing in the World Grand Championship, the Celebration's final class.
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762:"1963 World Grand Champion Tennessee Walking horse, Sun's Delight D. home page"
720:"Tennessee Walking horse – Talk Of The Town #473791, home page by Walkers West"
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1013:"Shelbyville Times-Gazette: Local News: Inspecting the inspections (09/04/15)"
734:"Tennessee Walking horse – Sun's Jet Parade #510676 home page by Walkers West"
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748:"Tennessee Walking horse – Midnight Merry #461829 home page by Walkers West"
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703:"Tennessee Walking Horse – Midnight Sun #410751, home page by Walkers West"
689:"Tennessee Walking horse – Strolling Jim #410315 home page by Walkers West"
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America's Horses: A Celebration of the Horse Breeds Born in the U. S. A.
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The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration was founded in 1939. A
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in 1939. Strolling Jim was a former plow horse retrained for show by
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1182:"Horses come second at Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration"
1207:"Destinations and Diversions:It's Celebration time in Shelbyville"
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I Am Jose immediately after the World Grand Championship in 2013
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in 1999. Dunn had previously been the oldest winning rider with
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The Celebration has often been criticized with allegations of
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991:"Hoof testers: A valuable diagnostic tool when properly used"
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Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' and Exhibitors' Association
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Midnight Sun, two-time winner of the World Grand Championship
832:"e Walking Horse National Celebration – Ask the Celebration"
1258:"I Am José becomes first repeat grand champion since 1956"
965:"It's Walking Horse Celebration Vs. Humane Society again"
1306:"Making Sure Those Walking Horses Aren't Hurting Horses"
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1,000 Places to See in the USA and Canada Before You Die
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1,000 Places to See in the USA and Canada Before You Die
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1039:"Horse Show Ends in Uproar Over U.S.D.A. Inspections"
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The TWHNC features a wide variety of classes in both
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The first horse to be named World Grand Champion was
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List of World Grand Champion Tennessee Walking Horses
1232:"I Am Jose Three-peats at Walking Horse Celebration"
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Equestrian sports competitions in the United States
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1134:Harris, Moira C.; Langrish, Bob (1 January 2006).
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464:Tennessee Walking Horse and rider carrying the
1163:"Celebration flag horse shines like a diamond"
664:"Annual TN Walking Horse National Celebration"
636:Beisel, Perky; Dehart, Rob (1 January 2007).
336:. The World Grand Champion in 1947 and 1948,
216:breed, and has been held annually in or near
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668:The Soundtrack of America, Made in Tennessee
202:Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration
33:Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration
32:
1367:Video of the first night of the Celebration
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274:and utility horse, to its present use as a
27:Annual horse show in Shelbyville, Tennessee
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882:"Betty Sain shook the Walking Horse World"
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555:TENNESSEE CURIOSITIES: QUIRKY CHARACTERS
305:For a complete list of all winners, see
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225:, it moved to Shelbyville, the seat of
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297:in revenue to Shelbyville every year.
857:"Museum holds walking horse memories"
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152:
7:
582:Schultz, Patricia (1 January 2007).
53:Walking Horse Trainers' Association
44:The main arena at the TWHNC grounds
1063:Schultz, Patricia (January 2007).
807:. Associated Press. 27 August 1974
552:Luna, Kristin (23 November 2010).
25:
615:. Random House Children's Books.
1400:1939 establishments in Tennessee
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1037:Emery, Theo (4 September 2006).
612:Horse Diaries #9: Tennessee Rose
204:(TWHNC), sometimes known as the
38:
1281:"Hospitality before horse show"
1180:Mike Organ (6 September 2015).
639:Middle Tennessee Horse Breeding
609:Kendall, Jane (7 August 2012).
257:resident, Henry Davis, went to
963:Holly Meyer (28 August 2015).
1:
1161:Fowler, Sadie (14 May 2017).
558:. Rowman & Littlefield.
391:Horse Protection Act of 1970
373:in 1951, 1952 and 1953, and
122:Amateur, youth, professional
1260:. Shelbyville Times-Gazette
993:. American Farriers Journal
801:"Walking Horse Event Afoot"
426:. The facility contains 60
249:at the Celebration in 1947.
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1100:Manning, Russ (May 2002).
304:
1211:Shelbyville Times-Gazette
1167:Shelbyville Times-Gazette
1150:– via Google Books.
1017:Shelbyville Times-Gazette
938:Shelbyville Times-Gazette
884:. Mid-South Horse Review.
652:– via Google Books.
625:– via Google Books.
568:– via Google Books.
521:Compte tes sous, Mathieu!
37:
1103:Scenic Driving Tennessee
472:World Grand Championship
114:World Grand Championship
105:Tennessee Walking Horses
214:Tennessee Walking Horse
1390:Shelbyville, Tennessee
642:. Arcadia Publishing.
588:. Workman Publishing.
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218:Shelbyville, Tennessee
63:Shelbyville, Tennessee
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259:Winchester, Tennessee
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173:Tooltip Approximation
157:Tooltip Approximation
61:Celebration Grounds,
1345:United States portal
989:Gregory, C. (2011).
449:Spotted Saddle Horse
371:The Talk of the Town
1395:Sports in Tennessee
944:on 17 November 2015
367:Dark Spirit's Rebel
223:Wartrace, Tennessee
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1238:. 6 September 2015
861:timesfreepress.com
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410:Venue and classes
245:Merry Go Boy and
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487:running walk
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403:thermography
399:hoof testers
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338:Merry Go Boy
330:Midnight Sun
319:
284:
252:
205:
201:
199:
101:Breeds shown
29:
1285:Jackson Sun
1119:28 November
1082:28 November
1022:28 November
948:28 November
905:12 February
900:Times Daily
866:28 November
841:28 November
805:Times Daily
785:28 November
673:28 November
537:28 November
206:Celebration
135:Total purse
93:Inaugurated
1379:Categories
1216:1 December
1191:2 December
1048:21 October
974:2 December
501:References
350:Betty Sain
346:White Star
276:show horse
210:horse show
164:Attendance
127:Qualifying
836:twhnc.com
375:I Am Jose
342:stallions
280:Nashville
231:Labor Day
119:Divisions
441:Leadline
359:Bud Dunn
255:Wartrace
212:for the
85:Sponsors
72:Annually
58:Location
18:TWHNCWGC
1264:18 June
811:18 June
436:in-hand
295:million
261:to buy
237:History
180:Website
175:250,000
142:650,000
88:Various
80:11 days
1290:9 July
1242:18 May
1144:
1110:
1073:
997:6 June
646:
619:
592:
562:
528:
491:canter
387:soring
293:
268:parade
77:Length
458:white
428:barns
395:APHIS
159:2,000
1292:2014
1266:2016
1244:2016
1218:2015
1193:2015
1142:ISBN
1121:2015
1108:ISBN
1084:2015
1071:ISBN
1050:2015
1024:2015
999:2016
976:2015
950:2015
907:2016
868:2015
843:2015
813:2016
787:2015
675:2015
644:ISBN
617:ISBN
590:ISBN
560:ISBN
539:2015
526:ISBN
489:and
462:gray
451:and
289:US$
272:plow
200:The
140:US$
96:1939
69:Held
460:or
363:RPM
361:on
352:on
263:hay
1381::
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1106:.
1092:^
1069:.
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1015:.
967:.
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574:^
509:^
291:41
130:No
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169:≈
153:≈
20:)
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