My Best Friend . . . a Tennessee Walking Horse

For more information visit twhbea.com Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ and Exhibitors’ Association PHOTO BY MICHAEL GOMEZ PHOTO BY MICHAEL GOMEZ A collection of stories about Tennessee Walking Horse lovers and their best friends. C1 Friends Extra.indd 1 3/31/23 2:13 PM

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When Ally Jo Jacobs made her Celebration victory pass last year as the youngest-ever winner of an Equitation World Championship -- impeccably styled, perfectly poised and impossibly tiny – the overwhelming cuteness of it all looked like something straight out of a princess movie. The only detail that may have belied that impression was a cast on her little arm, barely visible beneath a riding suit hastily altered to fit over it. But a recently broken arm wasn’t the only setback she’d had to overcome to earn her historic victory. The backstory of her fairytale involves enough obstacles and heartbreaks to give a full-grown adult pause on pursuing their Celebration goals – much less a child who turned six years old just a month and a half before the show. After winning the 2020 Leadline World Championship on Little Red Wagon with her dad at the lead, Ally Jo had her sights set on riding solo in the 2021 Celebration. Her parents, Amanda and Jake Jacobs, knew exactly which riding instructor they wanted to get Ally Jo started, so they approached Leigh Stuart in January of last year about giving her lessons. They didn’t get the response they were expecting. “It was an immediate ‘no way’ from me,” says Leigh. “And it was nothing personal – I just have a rule against accepting children that young because I find that they lack the attention span required to properly absorb all the minute details involved with equitation and to take practice seriously.” But the Jacobs would not be deterred. Ally Jo believed she had what it takes to train and compete, and she was determined to prove it to Leigh. “We begged her, ‘Just let us come over and show you!’” says Amanda. Leigh agreed to give Ally Jo a chance to come to the barn for a test ride aboard I’m A Hustler, a 21-year-old reigning equitation World Champion mount who’d gone undefeated in 2020. The moment Ally Jo swung a leg over the gelding, Leigh was convinced. “It was one of those moments when you just KNOW,” says Leigh. “She and the horse clicked immediately, and I decided on the spot to accept her as a student.” Under Leigh’s tutelage, Ally Jo blossomed. Her mother says the transformation in her riding ability in just the first few months was astonishing. Everything was going exactly to plan -- until it Ally Jo Jacobs: Smile of an Angel, Heart of a WarriorBy Kristi Payne wasn’t.

In late April, Hustler tragically died of colic, leaving Ally Jo devastated at the loss of her partner and, it seemed, of her dream. Leigh didn’t have a suitable replacement in the barn, so she went on a frantic hunt for something to fill Hustler’s shoes. Over the course of a month, they tried numerous horses to no avail and Leigh was losing hope when she received a timely reminder from Suzanne Moore that her wildly successful Park Performance horse, WGC Ain’t He Grande, was for sale. “Ideally, we needed a padded gelding with an equitation show record,” says Leigh. “Grande was a park performance stallion who had no experience whatsoever with the discipline, but we were running out of options, and something told me to just give him a shot.” Trusting that “something” resulted in a match so obviously perfect that just an hour after Ally Jo’s 9 a.m. test ride, the purchase was finalized and Grande was gelded by noon on the same day. As soon as he’d healed, Leigh put him in training to teach him the equitation pattern and Ally Jo set about learning to pilot her new mount, her confidence on him growing by the ride. Not that confidence has ever been much of a struggle for Ally Jo. Leigh laughs as she remembers giving her a pep talk before a class that was shaping up to be particularly tough, encouraging her to just go in there, give 100% and have a great time. “She smiled back in my face and said ‘No, Ms. Leigh, we’re gonna go in there and win!” Then, in late July, Little Red Wagon broke his leg

and had to be euthanized, dealing Ally Jo another emotional blow. One might wonder how much loss and heartbreak in a short period is “too much” for a child so young to process and still be able to devote adequate energy to a discipline as rigorous as equitation, but Ally Jo, who’d just celebrated her sixth birthday on July 3rd, wasn’t given the nickname “little firecracker” by her mother for nothing. Once again, she exhibited the mental toughness of someone decades older, opting to keep her back straight, her head high and her focus on preparing for the upcoming Celebration. Nothing was going to stand in her way -- not even that broken arm she suffered in a playground tumble just two weeks before she was set to compete in the Big Oval, or the doctors’ strict orders to abstain from all horse-related activities as it healed. Another incident that could have brought her dream to a halt had done nothing but steel Ally Jo’s resolve. But it did make things a lot more difficult. “Ally Jo only weighed 52 pounds at the time,” said Leigh. “So that cast was terribly heavy on her and we worried about whether she’d be able to maintain her form with it pulling her arm forward.” Right away, Ally Jo stepped up her riding schedule to spend as much time strengthening the arm as possible, and she spent every evening until Celebration sitting on a saddle stand in her bedroom, practicing holding her arm in place as she mimicked the cues she’d need to give her horse in the ring. When asked how she felt during that period, Ally Jo’s emphatic response was “All I knew is that a broken arm wasn’t about to stop me from winning a World Championship!” Not only was she right about winning that Youth 6-11 Equitation World Championship, but she went ahead and followed it up with a second World Championship in the Owner Amateur Novice Youth 6-11 Mares and Geldings division aboard Cole Haan, making her the youngest person in Celebration history to win both an Equitation World Championship and a Performance World Championship in the same year. So, to the casual observer, the 2021 show season may have seemed like a fairytale for Ally Jo Jacobs, but the truth is that behind her beaming smile is the determination of a warrior princess.

FROM BACKYARD GAMES TO TRI-COLOR FAME: ANDY STOOKSBERRY’S TIME TO SHINE By Kristi Payne There are some people for whom the Celebration is interwoven with almost every core memory they possess and who have never lived a life in which they weren’t in Shelbyville on the Saturday before Labor Day to witness the crowning of a new World Grand Champion Tennessee Walking Horse. Andy Stooksberry is one of them. His father, the late W.J. Stooksberry, had shown Walking Horses as a young man, and Andy has been attending the Celebration since he was a newborn. He says that some of the earliest childhood experiences he can recall are of sitting with his family in the West Grandstands, feeling as though he were on top of the world as he watched countless champions make spotlight rides around the Big Oval. And winning a floral horseshoe of his own was never just a dream for him – it was a goal. “I’m not sure at what exact point the desire to win a World Grand Championship took hold for me,” says Andy. “I was exposed to it at such a young age that I can’t really remember a time when it WASN’T something I wanted to accomplish.” Little Andy didn’t have a Walking Horse of his own yet. What he did have, by age four, was a grey pony mare named Ladybug, who taught him to ride, packed him around in barrel racing and Western Pleasure at horse shows and served as the perfect partner for a variety of horse-related adventures. “Ladybug was the best pony,” says Andy. “She would do absolutely anything I asked of her.” And that’s no exaggeration. Andy vividly remembers a period of childhood where he became obsessed with the Black Stallion book series and, having read every volume, he decided it was time

for Ladybug to help prepare him for his inevitable career as a racehorse jockey. ”I’d pull my black cowboy boots over ‘breeches’ that were actually baseball pants, then put on a black satin Members Only jacket as my silks with a purple hardhat for a helmet and welding glasses as goggles,” laughs Andy. “I’d take up the stirrups up on my western saddle as high as they would go and race Ladybug around and around the perimeter of the family hayfield – even in the dead of summer! In hindsight, it’s a miracle that neither of us died.” It wasn’t long, however, before those makeshift racing habits were replaced by floral horseshoes that Andy fashioned from scraps of his mother’s old Christmas garland and faux flowers. He’d lay them over Ladybug’s back and they’d practice World Grand Championship victory rides across the same hayfield around which they used to sprint. And despite having gone on to spend several years showing Western Pleasure Quarter Horses with his brother, Michael, who remains heavily involved with them to this day, it only took one ride aboard a performance Tennessee Walking Horse to spark within Andy a determination to make that early childhood roleplay a reality. “When I was 15, my dad took me to his longtime friend Wayne Tharp’s barn, where I got to ride a padded horse for the first time,” says Andy. “I was immediately hooked and knew that it was the end of Quarter Horses for me!” Andy started spending all his free time hanging out at Walking Horse show barns, soaking up knowledge and riding anything they’d let him throw a leg over. Always a talented rider, it wasn’t long until he was invited to make his first-ever showring appearance on a performance Walking Horse at the 1994 Red Carpet Show of the South in Pulaski. And, in what is no surprise to anyone who knows Andy, he made quite the scene. “Entering the ring, I ran into the gate and gouged my leg to the bone,” recalls Andy. “But I was determined to finish the class, and I did, although I passed out as soon as I dismounted. The paramedics were called and I ended up at the hospital, where I received tons of stitches that left me with a big scar to this day!” That experience didn’t hamper his enthusiasm in the slightest, though, and he kept showing as often as he could, earning his first victory in 1996 at the Crossroads of Dixie horse show in Lawrenceburg aboard a keen chestnut stallion named Choice Cut’s Bandit. “There was a World Champion in the class that night who seemed unbeatable, so I didn’t believe we had a shot,” says Andy. “And they worked us for so long that on the reverse, I remember thinking the class was never going to end!” Andy on Ladybug. Andy with Choice Cut’s Bandit and Chad Thompson. But when it did, Andy and “Bandit” emerged victorious, and

Andy says that was the moment he knew showing Walking Horses was something he was going to do for the rest of his life. He went on to buy Bandit with the money he received from family and friends for his high school graduation, against the advice of those who said the 59” pony was too small for a 6’4” tall Andy. His decision turned out to be a great one, as the pair earned many notable victories, including a win in a huge class in Gallatin at the height of that show’s popularity. And in 1997, emboldened by their success together, Andy finally made his first trip to the Celebration as an exhibitor rather than a spectator. His class was on the first Saturday night of the show and there was a record-breaking crowd in attendance because He’s Puttin’ on the Ritz had entered the Aged Stallions preliminary after having won the Big Stake the previous year. “I remember making a pass in the warmup and noticing everyone had stopped what they were doing and were staring,” says Andy. “I thought, ‘Man, my horse must be really good!’ But then Ritz came blowing up from behind me and when I realized he was what they were looking at, all I could do was stop and stare, myself.” Andy and Bandit didn’t win that night, but the experience only solidified his resolve to earn roses of his own one day. He owned several more performance horses over the next few years, but eventually transitioned to pleasure horses, where he acknowledges he’s seen the most success. In 2011, a bright sabino mare named Freakshow carried Andy to a Spotted Saddle Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association World Grand Championship in the Amateur Riders on Three-Year-Old Trail Pleasure Horses division, under the direction of trainer Tim Craft. He went on to enjoy additional SSHBEA World Championship victories with “Fifi,” as well as numerous wins at some of the industry’s most prestigious Walking Horse shows, as an amateur owned and trained entry. In 2017, he bought The Vaquero – a huge bay gelding who had as much personality as he had talent – and, under the direction of Joe Lester Stables, Andy and “Danner” won every significant show on the Walking Horse circuit for the next two years, including an International Grand Championship in 2019. Danner also carried Andy to a 2018 National Spotted Saddle Horse Association World Grand Championship in the solid-colored horses division but fell just shy of the TWHNC victory Andy was hungry for. Then, in May of 2020, Andy met a gangly, black two-yearold Jose Jose colt at Joe’s barn and saw something truly special in him. That win was represented a lifetime of effort finally paying off, and it was a bit overwhelming. All the emotions hit at once and I was kind of a hot mess when I came out of the class. Andy and Choice Cut’s Bandit. The Vaquero making a victory pass.

“He was obviously super talented, but he was so gigantic and awkward, I knew it was going to take him a while to get it together,” says Andy. “I just kept my eye on him as he developed for a few months, then Phyllis Langley and I decided to purchase him together in September.” Over the winter of 2020, the colt they named Sabotage, aka “Lionel,” grew stronger and more confident with every ride, but it was months yet until Andy fully realized he might be “the one.” “Once he got it together, he REALLY got it together,” says Andy. “The moment it really clicked for everyone that he was a legitimate contender was when we won the Christmas in July show. Until then, I don’t think anyone really thought we had a chance at winning the Celebration.” Just six weeks later, Andy and Lionel entered the TWHNC Owner-Amateur Three-Year-Old Country Pleasure World Championship – and won, unanimously. “That win was the culmination of 24 years of entering the Celebration and never placing higher than third,” says Andy. “I was confident to be riding one of the best horses I’d ever owned, but you just never know how it’s going to go. So that win was represented a lifetime of effort finally paying off, and it was a bit overwhelming. All the emotions hit at once and I was kind of a hot mess when I came out of the class.” He wasn’t the only one. It was a touching moment for everyone who’s grown to know and love Andy over his decades of industry participation and his fanbase was in full support as championship night approached. When Andy rode down the chute for his championship class, he had to his name World Grand Championships in SSHBEA and NSSHA, along with a World Championship at the 2020 Racking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association Celebration. He’d also just won a second TWHNC World Championship a few nights earlier on I’m Guns N Roses. “After the World Championship on Lionel, I got my first win in The Big Oval on ‘Ruger’ in the Novice Amateur Western Trail Pleasure class,” says Andy. “I was completely shocked that I had gone from 24 winless years of showing at the CeleSabotage and I’m Guns N Roses

bration to suddenly winning two World Championships on two different horses in a period of four days.” But this was the moment he’d been building toward since the days of parading Ladybug around the hayfield. And even he was surprised at how calm he felt as they took to the rail to compete for championship honors. “Lionel had a flawless ride, and in the lineup, when the lights were out and the spotlight was scanning over us as the announcer built up to calling the winning entry, I remember thinking that if it was ever going to happen for me, this would be the night,” says Andy. “Still, the rush of excitement I got when Mark Farrar skipped announcing my number and just called ‘Sabotage & Andy Stooksberry’ to the unanimous win will never be equaled.” During his spotlight ride to the tricolor ribbon and floral horseshoe, Andy recalls thinking that he’d always wondered if the light was blinding, and it was nice to finally know that the answer was no. Andy’s face, however, was beaming, especially when he heard his trainer, Joe Lester, in his earpiece telling him he couldn’t see his face yet, but that Andy had better be smiling or crying when he met Joe and Bailey Momb in the winners circle. Andy was doing both, and Bailey was also in tears by the time he pulled up to receive his awards. After the class, Andy was met by a throng of friends who were just as exuberant to have been able to witness such a big moment for the person who’s been everyone else’s biggest cheerleader for so many years. But it was in the quiet moments later that the magnitude of the moment really impacted him. “I had a really hard time going to sleep that night even though I was exhausted,” says Andy. “There are just so many emotions when something that you’ve dreamed of and wanted since you were a little kid finally happens. I think two weeks went by before I stopped watching the video of my spotlight ride and victory pass every single day.” With the pressure of earning the World Grand Championship title he’d always coveted now lifted, Andy says he’s found showing in 2022 a lot more fun, but he hasn’t taken his foot off the gas. He would love to earn two World Grand Championships this year and knows he has the right horses for the task. Despite having surgery in February of this year and taking a few months off, Sabotage went right back to his winning ways this season, defending last year’s Christmas in July title unanimously and backing it up with a win at the TWHBEA Summer Sizzler horse show. “This year is a step up in age division for Lionel, but he doesn’t seem to notice,” says Andy. “There are two, maybe three, horses I could see winning the World Grand Championship in our division and he’s definitely one of them.” As for I’m Guns N Roses, Andy would be the first to tell you that despite his World Championship win last year, he was not the easiest horse to show. That’s changed now, and Ruger has won the 2022 WHOA Spring Jubilee, the Cornersville Lions Club show and the TWHBEA Summer Sizzler, along with a reserve at the Spring Fun Show. “Ruger has really come around and become a solid citizen,” he says. ”He’s become one of the most fun horses to ride and I absolutely love to show him, now.” It would be difficult to name anyone who’s deserved to graduate out of the Celebration’s novice category more than Andy. He has built his life around the industry and devoted most of it to the pursuit of those Celebration victories, to championing the Tennessee Walking Horse breed and to supporting all the friends he’s made along the way. He’s worked for TWHBEA, shown in almost every division offered in the show circuit and even made his home just across the street from the Big Oval, where he can see the lights and hear the announcer from his back porch. And every year, he says it feels like Christmas when they start testing the lights in the Celebration arena in mid-August. “To me, a year has never been measured from January 1 to December 31; it’s always been based on the beginning and end of The Celebration,” he says. ”I honestly can’t imagine my life without this breed and the people in the industry with whom I have developed lifelong relationships. I can’t even begin to tell you how many people I’ve met who now like family to me because of it.” The good news for Andy is that the “new year” begins now, and all of those friends are eager to see him back under the spotlight once more. ©Shane Shiflet

Benjamin Bowen’s equestrian journey has been more than just a dream come true -- it’s been a sequence of dreams realized by a determination and devotion to achieving one goal after another that began when Benjamin was just a small child. Born and raised on a working farm owned by his parents, Mike and Terrie Bowen, there was never a shortage of mounts available for both work and play, and his uncle, well-known Spotted Saddle Horse trainer Britt Huffstatler, had a string of show horses on which he was happy to help teach Benjamin to ride. But it was his grandparents, Pam and Larry Russell, who were responsible for introducing him to the performance Tennessee Walking Horse and setting in motion a legacy of success that has spanned more than 15 years, with no end in sight. Benjamin remembers incessantly asking his grandparents to take him to every show they attended, and they were happy to comply. “Benjamin always wanted to go; it was the most important thing to him,” says Pam. “And he was never that typical kid at horse shows who wanted to run around and play behind the grandstands. He was there to watch the show, period.” Steadfastly declining offers to play with the other children, Benjamin opted instead to sit with the adults and soak up all the stories, facts and strategies that he overheard them discussing. “This was a very young child who knew every rider and every horse on sight, as well as what they had accomplished – it was remarkable,” says Pam. “And he made it clear that he wanted to show a padded horse as soon as he was able.” Not just any padded horse, mind you. Benjamin had chosen his mount. Sanman was a handsome sorrel gelding that Pam and Larry had purchased when Benjamin was just six years old, and the two had fallen in love with one another on sight. But Sanman was a youngster, and still had work to do in the junior horse and amateur ranks. Over the next few years, he went on to win World Championships in both the Three-Year Old Mares and Geldings and Four-Year Old Mares and Geldings divisions with Link Webb. But on a Saturday night in Forrest, MS, Benjamin got a taste of what it would feel like to make a victory pass on Sanman, as Pam pulled him aboard with her to celebrate an amateur division win. “I’d taken three horses that night and already won on the first two,” says Pam. “But I couldn’t really be happy about that because I knew it meant the odds of winning on Sanman as well were pretty slim.” Sanman defied those odds and won anyway. After collecting her ribbon, Pam put Benjamin in front of her on the saddle and says she’ll never forget his smile as they sailed around the ring together with Sanman’s mane flying in Benjamin’s face. When she asked him afterwards how it felt, she says he exclaimed, “Mawmaw, the only thing that would have made it better is if I were on there by myself!” From that point on, Benjamin began to make a lot Benjamin Bowen and Sanman: The Dream Duo By Kristi Payne

of noise about riding Sanman solo, and his grandparents eventually agreed it might be time to let him try. The first rides took place at the barn, where Pam remembers Link running “a million miles” alongside a seven-year-old Benjamin as he learned to pilot Sanman. And that’s when the unique connection between a young boy and the hotshot show horse he loved truly revealed itself. “It really was a special thing to witness,” says Pam. “Sanman was a fiery horse and not always easy to ride, but it was immediately apparent that he adored Benjamin and was devoted to taking care of him.” While Sanman was continuing to dominate as a junior horse, a smaller, more easygoing horse named Hotline was drafted to teach Benjamin how to show. On Benjamin’s ninth birthday, he made his first solo show in Starkville, MS, where Hotline gifted him with what Pam describes as the best show the horse had ever made – and the victory. The pair were the talk of the show. “Hotline gave his all that night,“ says Benjamin. “It was a moment I had looked forward to for years and everyone – especially me -- was just overwhelmed with excitement.” That experience only solidified Benjamin’s determination to show Sanman, and he finally got his chance the following year. The pair made their showring debut in Jackson, MS, in 2004, and made their first blue ribbon ride on a rainy night in Summertown, TN. There was no looking back from there. Their first season together culminated in winning the 11 & Under Geldings World Championship at the 2004 Celebration. “To this day, if I were given the option to show at just one show a year, it would be the Celebration,” says Benjamin. “So to make my first-ever pass down the chute and ride in the Big Oval and actually win was the most incredible feeling.” Just two years later, after an unbelievable streak of 15 wins in a row during the show season leading up to the Celebration, they sought roses in a huge field of notable horse and rider teams in the 2006 11 & Under World Grand Championship. “It was just an incredible year for them,” says Pam. “Sanman was his best the more often you showed him, and Benjamin always wanted to show him. So we did, and they just kept winning.” After a run like that, Benjamin says that he never had doubts that Sanman could win it all. But the field was deep and the gelding could be a bit unpredictable, so Benjamin knew his work as a rider would be cut out for him. “Sanman sometimes liked to pull to the middle of the ring,” says Benjanim. “So my only real concern was that he might try to park in during the class. But in watching videos back over the years since that night, I realized that what he was trying to do was get off the rail and inside the pack to make sure he was literally the center of attention and that everyone was looking at him!” And they were. Benjamin and Sanman received the call from the lineup to what was, for each of them, their first-ever spotlight ride and Celebration floral horseshoe. “That was really the ultimate dream – to accomplish such a massive goal with a horse who meant that much to me,” says Benjamin. “It was all kind of a blur at the time, and after all these years, the only thing I can say with confidence about the night is that it was completely overwhelming.” As Benjamin moved into the 12-17 division the following year, his show string grew and diversified, and the family began to talk about retiring Sanman. Not surprisingly, Benjamin had thoughts on the matter. “I always knew I eventually wanted to have Sanman at home, where I could look out my window and see him,” says Benjamin. That’s exactly what happened. Sanman was moved to the family farm in Randolph, MS, where Benjamin was able to spend a lot more time with him. He began to trail ride him, and, over the years, the once-fiery gelding became the horse that Benjamin’s nieces and nephews learned to ride on and an ambassador for the breed to countless of Benjamin’s college friends. “When I had Sanman at home, he taught me how to really communicate and connect with a horse,” says Benjamin. “He always knew exactly how I felt before I even walked out to where he was, and he opened my eyes to the true versatility of the Tennessee Walking Horse.” And while Benjamin has gone on to see great showring success, including numerous Celebration wins, with subsequent mounts like Tommy Lee Jones, The Landshark and Jose It Ain’t So, he’s never quite developed a connection with any other horse to equal that with Sanman. “Sanman was a once in lifetime horse,” says Benjamin. “He wasn’t just the horse I hopped on and won with – he was part of the family.” Just last year, Benjamin lost his equine soulmate to illness. He spent the last several days of Sanman’s life living and sleeping in the barn with him, comforting his friend as the end neared. Every time he tried to give the gelding some space, for concern that his presence may be too stressful, Sanman would muster up the energy to move closer to him and let him know he was needed, so Benjamin spent many hours cradling Sanman’s head in his lap until he transitioned. And, in tribute to a horse like no other, Benjamin wrote the following to announce Sanman’s passing:

“The past few days have been some tough ones. Tuesday, I said goodbye to one of my best friends, one of my greatest blessings, and my family said goodbye to a family member: our horse, Sanman. He was a constant in our family from the time I was 6 years old. He taught me how to win and how to lose. He taught me how to work hard, how to love hard, how to be content and how to set goals larger than life. He gave us all just as much joy in our backyard during his retired years as he did in the winners’ circle during his many World Championship wins. There’s nothing that compares to the peace I felt by being with him out at the barn on an early morning before a show in Tennessee or an early morning before work or school when I would go out to see him. It was almost like he knew how I felt before I even got there. He could comfort me better than anyone without saying a word. I spent his last morning with him watching the sunrise over the lake next to our barn, and I couldn’t help but be reminded of the many mornings we spent together and think of the incredible gift the Lord gave me in Sanman. He gave his all until the last second, and I’ll always be changed by having him in my life. Because of Sanman, I built relationships and have made memories I would have never experienced otherwise. Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with a once in a lifetime horse in Sanman. Rest easy man. I’ll miss you forever.” Lifelong partnerships like Benjamin and Sanman’s are what every horse-crazy kid longs for, and it’s likely that their relationship inspired countless other children to set big goals and devote their energy to achieving them so that they, too, could live their dreams.

Morgan Hodge had already earned two Youth Superior Championships in the TWHBEA versatility program, so it was no surprise that she would want to tackle the Adult Supreme Championship when she left the youth division behind. Pistol Packin’ Annie was just the horse to do it. A twelve-year-old grey mare by Lined with Cash and out of Sunny D Stride, Annie became Morgan’s mount in the fall of 2015, and in 2017, they started on the road to Supreme Champion. Hodge, who lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been riding since around 2006. Her first horse was a Christmas present in 2008 and she began showing in 2009. She earned Youth Superior Championships with She’s Doubly Delightful and Count on Spirit O’ Three. “It’s fun to be able to do the different events and try different things with your horse,” Hodge says. “It’s good to push yourself out of your comfort zone.” The most challenging part of the versatility program was mastering the canter, since so many of the classes require a three-gaited horse. The easiest part was equitation and showmanship. “Annie is really good at showmanship,” Hodge explains. “It’s one of our favorite events.” Morgan was the Overall High Point Adult for the Plantation Pleasure Walking Horse Association of North Carolina in 2022. Annie was the WHOA Pleasure Horse of the Year and All Day Pleasure Horse of the Year in 2021. Next up for Annie? The mare is expecting a colt in the fall of 2023. A future versatility champion, perhaps? MorganHodge Pistol Packin’ Annie & Morgan Hodge SUPREME VERSATILITY CHAMPION: by Mary Beth Pruett

FREDA DEAN EARNS HER MOMENT Freda Dean’s 2021 Celebration World Championship was decades in the making. Her childhood was shaped by early mornings and late nights spent doing barn chores and assisting her father, Valton Rummage, as he spent the 1960’s establishing himself as one of the most prominent exhibitors of halter mares and colts in the Tennessee Walking Horse industry. Over those formative years, the effort she put into helping her dad breed for, train and show some of the era’s best mares and colts developed within Freda a solid and abiding work ethic, as well as dream of earning her own place in Walking Horse history. But Freda wanted to ride – not lead – a horse to the title of World Champion, and Valton’s show string offered little in the way of rideable stock. In 1981, fate intervened in the form of Wayne Dean, a skilled young horse trainer who caught Freda’s eye. “Or maybe,” Freda laughs, “it was the other way around!” Either way, the two became inseparable and they wed the following year. Wayne, who had a barn full of top performance horses, was instrumental in developing Freda’s riding skills and preparing her to show. She was a natural, drawing upon the solid horsemanship foundation her father had instilled in her – and the kind of resilience one can only learn from handling mares and colts. “I showed for the first time at the Summertown Saddle and Bridle Club in 1982.” says Freda. “It was an extra memorable experience because I fell off during warmup, then got right back on the horse, went in the class and won it!” SECOND TO NONE: By Kristi Payne While winning is wonderful and there’s nowhere I’d rather be than riding down that chute, the people God has placed in my life via this community are what really keep me coming back year after year.

That kind of determination, coupled with their combined talents, quickly established Freda and Wayne as an industry “power couple” and set into development what has become a legacy of breeding and showing to rival that of any other family operation. In the mid-1980’s, the Deans owned an exceptional young colt named Pride’s Challenger, with whom Freda developed a special connection. “Challenger had a big, square walk that was thrilling to ride, but he was such a spirited stallion and a real handful for Wayne,” says Freda. “He would barely allow him to mount him for his warmup, but he would stand perfectly still for me to get on.” At one point, they had a deal pending to sell Challenger for what was an astronomical price for the time, but neither Freda nor Wayne’s father, Jimmy, could go through with it and Wayne acquiesced. They backed out of the sale and Freda went on to earn a Ladies Auxiliary Reserve World Championship with him at the 1986 Celebration. Challenger was bred to one of Freda and Wayne’s best mares and the resulting filly – I Love a Challenge – carried Freda to another Reserve World Championship in the Two-Year-Old Amateur division in 1994. “Most girls are only lucky enough to have one horse of a lifetime,” says Freda. “I was blessed with two.” Challenger passed shortly after Freda’s Reserve World Championship on “Love,” and was buried next to the riding ring where he spent so much time. Following her RWC, Love was sold for a premium, but Freda and Wayne later bought back and eventually retired her to breeding. When she passed, she was buried inside the riding ring at their farm. In 2010, the Deans’ journey would take them to Montverde Academy in Florida, where Kasey Kesselring hired Wayne as head trainer. Soon after, flatshod trainer Carrie Martin was brought on board to direct the Academy’s pleasure horses and she and Freda became fast friends – a relationship that would also prove significant to Freda’s goal of winning a Celebration World Championship. Freda had only shown a pleasure horse once to date but was an accomplished rider and eager to adapt the skills she’d developed on performance horses to the elite trail and country pleasure mounts Carrie had under her direction. Carrie is quick to point out that it’s a difficult transition for anyone to go from thirty years of riding performance horses to being able to properly sit and cue a pleasure horse, but that Freda was more than willing to put in the time and the work. And, apparently, to take well-intentioned “critique” from her trusted friend and trainer. “I’d say she really had her breakthrough moment the night she won in Fayetteville on WGC Etta James in 2020,” says Wayne and Freda Dean and Carrie Martin DeJarnatte

Carrie. “Mostly because I yelled at her so much! I knew she was on the verge of taking her riding to the next level and I wanted that to happen for her that night, in that moment.” It did, and Freda took the momentum from that night into the 2020 Celebration, where she rode A Rain Delay to not one, but two Reserve World Championships in Owner Amateur English Trail Pleasure and Elite Owner Amateur Trail Pleasure. She’d also won a Reserve World Championship aboard A Gun Show in the Novice English Trail Pleasure division in 2018, and while she was appreciative of her growing number of Reserve World Championships, the old always-a-bridesmaid adage kept running through her mind and Freda was more than ready to “catch the bouquet.” “I was thrilled to see my husband and my father reach milestones in their careers by winning World Championships, and especially dad’s World Grand Championship under the lights,” says Freda. “But I also wanted that for myself.” As the 2021 show season drew near, Carrie and Freda had partnered on a promising Gen’s Black Gin colt that they’d sold to a customer but bought back together a few months later. They named him Hannibal because he liked to destroy things, but he had a heart of gold and Carrie says what she witnessed upon Hannibal and Freda’s first meeting was nothing short of instant love. “He’s a real sweetheart,” says Freda. “Like most Black Gins, he can be a bit sullen if you don’t ask him for what you want in the ‘right’ way, but he has this huge desire to please and Carrie told me that he was going to be the horse to retire me from the novice division.” The pair showed twice leading up to the 2021 Celebration and came into it with a win at Cornersville under their belt. But Freda almost withdrew from the class. Her daughter had called with some troubling results from a mammogram she’d just received and was being sent for followup testing, and Freda was prepared to scratch her entry and leave to be with her. But just before the class, in what Carrie calls a Godsend,

an update arrived that Freda’s daughter had been given the all-clear. So, for Freda, the day was already a win, no matter what happened in the ring. Still, Hannibal and Freda had a destiny to fulfill, and fulfill it, they did. “He was just perfect the day of the show,” recalls Freda. “I knew when they called the class to line up that we had performed well enough to win, and, really, that was good enough for me.” In that moment, Freda remembers stopping near the gate, where Carrie and Wayne stood together, and mouthing “I love you” to them both. And there wasn’t a dry eye among the trio when Freda was called to claim her first ever World Championship. “Both Wayne and Carrie met me at the blue ribbon presentation, which was really the most special part of it all,” says Freda. “They’d each worked so hard for me to be able to show and see me finally become a World Champion rider, which is something that still sounds a bit surreal to me!” Carrie recalls Freda being in shock immediately following the class, as pictures were taken and congratulations were issued. “But when we got outside and the reality set in,” says Carrie, “she screamed as loud as she could and scared everyone within earshot half to death!” It was the triumphant shout of a woman who’d spent the better part of her life supporting and witnessing the fulfillment of dreams of everyone she loved, finally having her moment. At the time of publishing, Freda isn’t sure yet whether she will ride at this year’s Celebration. Hannibal went on to earn a Reserve World Grand Championship last year and was sold the moment he exited the ring. And although she does still have a few contenders up her sleeve, she may take the opportunity this time around to simply be among friends and enjoy the Celebration experience from the other side of the rail. “While winning is wonderful and there’s nowhere I’d rather be than riding down that chute, the people God has placed in my life via this community are what really keep me coming back year after year,” says Freda. “The Celebration and the Tennessee Walking Horse industry truly are ALL about the relationships you make because of them.” Paul, Monica and Lake Lamb, Freda, Landon Lamb, Wayne Dean and Carson Carter.

CRIMSON PLAYMATE: A RENAISSANCE MARE “I love the look on people’s faces when I tell them she’s a Tennessee Walking Horse,” says 16-year-old Claire Winstead of Leasburg, North Carolina. By Kristi Payne She’s talking about Crimson Playmate, her five-year-old Tennessee Walking Horse mare. Because in addition to having been undefeated in barrel racing at TWHBEA shows over the past three years, “Lola,” as the mare is known, is also proving unbeatable at local, open-breed shows and holding the current record time for Nationals. Claire purchased Lola as a two-year-old by Crimson Classic and out of Teddy’s Playmate and initially employed some timed event training with her as a way to encourage the filly to engage her backend. By the time Claire had been introduced to Walking Horses by friends in her early teens, she already had ample experience in barrel racing on Quarter Horses, as well as in various other disciplines like hunter jumper competitions and even polo. And she’d seen the benefits of applying the training and skills necessary for those disciplines to the Walking Horses she was developing. “Originally, I started doing versatility exercises like flat walking around the barrels, jumping over one-foot jumps and performing rollbacks to strengthen my Walking Horses,” says Claire. “But along with that strengthening, we began to see improvement in their movement and timing as the exercises helped them lift their shoulders and shift weight to their hind legs, as well as become softer in the bridle and more flexible.” With that in mind, she started Lola lightly on the barrel pattern when the filly was three years old -- and got more than she bargained for. “Not only did it help her gait,” says Claire, “She LOVED it! I have never seen a horse more passionate about running.” And this year, in their second year of competition at the TWHBEA World Versatility Championship (WVC), Lola proved that passion by logging the fastest time in any barrel racing division and earning Claire her second consecutive

WVC Youth High Point Award – all after having shown throughout the day in other classes. “I was incredibly proud of her for still having the energy to run that way,” says Claire. “We had actually taken a break from barrel racing this year to focus on cow work and reining, but as soon as the gate was open and Lola saw the barrels, she knew exactly what to do!” In addition to their barrel racing domination at the WVC, Claire and Lola have gone undefeated in Hunter Hack and TWH Over Fences in both years at the show. “The World Versatility Championship has quickly become my favorite event,” says Claire. “I enjoy seeing the many talents of this breed and watching people do other things with their walking horses.” In addition to barrels and hunter jumper competition, Lola also does dressage, helps work cows on the family farm and Claire has toyed with her in polo and mounted archery. Claire’s other two show horses – My Ravina and Limelight and Roses – are competitive in rail classes at the International and the Celebration, but also do timed events. And Claire credits their success on the rail to their versatile foundation. “I believe that all walking horses can benefit from some versatility work,” she says. “Even trail obstacle or just flat walking around the barrel pattern – anything other than just going in a circle -- helps them mentally by keeping their minds busy and teaches them to use their bodies more effectively.” Claire hopes that other Tennessee Walking Horse owners young and old will be inspired and encouraged by seeing all the things their horses are capable of at shows like the WVC. And that perhaps seeing what Walking Horses are capable of will bring more interest to the breed. “I was always told that Tennessee Walkers were not capable of both doing versatility and being good on the rail,” says Claire. “But I don’t find that to be true at all. They’re not all built to run 16 second barrel patterns, but that does not mean they’re only built for rail work.” Claire is doing her part to bring as much awareness to that fact as possible, and she’s racking up some pretty big accolades in the process. I am so grateful for all the great opportunities and incentives TWHBEA has to offer. They truly help exhibitors demonstrate how versatile and amazing our breed is!

Since 1935, TWHBEA has registered Tennessee Walking Horses with registered Tennessee Walking Horses alive today. 538,901 240,745 Tennessee Walking Horses The Tennessee Walking Horse is responsible for 20,000 jobs TRAIL PHOTO ABOVE BY MICHAEL GOMEZ; HEAD SHOT AT RIGHT BY SHANE SHIFLET. Since 1935, TWHBEA has registered Tennessee Walking Horses with registered Tennessee Walking Horses alive today. 538,901 240,745 Tennessee Walking Horses The Tennessee Walking Horse is responsible for 20,000 jobs TRAIL PHOTO ABOVE BY MICHAEL GOMEZ; HEAD SHOT AT RIGHT BY SHANE SHIFLET.

Founded in 1935, the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ & Exhibitors’ Association (TWHBEA) is the oldest breed association dedicated to the Tennessee Walking Horse—the official horse of the State of Tennessee. TWHBEA maintains the official breed registry and records the pedigrees of Tennessee Walking Horses around the world. They also promote the diverse qualities and uses of the smooth-riding breed and help assure the general welfare of all Tennessee Walking Horses. The association headquarters, located in Lewisburg, Tennessee, is governed by an International Board of Directors. 15% are Show Horses: Average Age of a TWH: Oldest Competing TWH: Average Competing Age: 19yo 31yo 8yo 35,915 (2022) (2022) New Foals Registered: Transfers of Ownership: Total Mares Bred: Individual Stallions Bred: Total TWHBEA Members: 4,347 4,671 650 5,757 2,918(2022) (2022) (2022) (2022) (2022) TODAY you’ll find registered Tennessee Walking Horses in all 50 states and 29 foreign countries. e with an economic impact nationwide of $3.2 billion Every Horse, Every Time: Tennessee Walking Horse shows are the most regulated equestrian sport in the country. 100% of all horses shown are inspected by organizations approved by the USDA. Horses are inspected every time they show and many are inspected additional times if they win their class or through random inspections. 2021 Compliance Rate: 98% Founded in 1935, the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ & Exhibitors’ Association (TWHBEA) is the oldest breed association dedicated to the Tennessee Walking Horse—the official horse of the State of Tennessee. TWHBEA maintains the official breed registry and records the pedigrees of Tennessee Walking Horses around the world. They also promote the diverse qualities and uses of the smooth-riding breed and help assure the general welfare of all Tennessee Walking Horses. The association headquarters, located in Lewisburg, Tennessee, is governed by an International Board of Directors. 15% are Show Horses: Average Age of a TWH: Oldest Competing TWH: Average Competing Age: 19yo 31yo 8yo 35,915 (2022) (2022) New Foals Registered: Transfers of Ownership: Total Mares Bred: Individual Stallions Bred: Total TWHBEA Members: 4,347 4,671 650 5,757 2,918(2022) (2022) (2022) (2022) (2022) TODAY you’ll find registered Tennessee Walking Horses in all 50 states and 29 foreign countries. e with an economic impact nationwide of $3.2 billion Every Horse, Every Time: Tennessee Walking Horse shows are the most regulated equestrian sport in the country. 100% of all horses shown are inspected by organizations approved by the USDA. Horses are inspected every time they show and many are inspected additional times if they win their class or through random inspections. 2022 Compliance Rate: 98%

Trail Riding in Glacier and Grand Teton National Parks by Amanda Wright 2022 TWHBEA Pleasure Horse Vice President

Like many of you I have an ever-growing bucket list, this fall I was fortunate to mark trail riding in Glacier and Grand Teton National Parks off that list. It took years of plan - ning and researching to make this bucket list dream a reality. I had previously planned to go three other times, but either weather or extreme smoke curtailed those plans. Fall weather in the northern Rockies can be fickle, and the chance of sig - nificant snow fall increases with each passing day. The group of ladies I was traveling with, were blessed with great weather and only a few smoky days. We traveled thru 10 states totally nearly 6,000 miles including daily trips to various trailheads. You may be won - dering how we managed to get 5 head safely from middle Ten - nessee to within miles of the Canadian border? I try to travel between 650-720 miles per day, which usually takes twelve hours with stops. I know my horses can handle hauling twelve hours without issues. When selecting an overnight location, I try to ensure the horses have access to a paddock or run so they can exercise. Movement decreases the risk of colic and in - creases circulation, thus lessening the retention of fluid in their legs. Horsemotel.com is a great resource for overnight facilities as are fairgrounds along the route. Glacier National Park consists of one million acres and was established in 1910. Over three million visitors each year can take advantage of its 734 miles of established trails. Most of those trails are open to stock. However, parking is extremely limited. A 2-3 horse stock trailer is recommended along with arriving at the trailheads at sunrise. Regulations and additional information on Glacier National Park can be found at nps.gov/ glac. We focused on exploring the east side of the park and were based out of St. Mary on the Blackfeet reservation. Restaurants and supplies are scarce, so it is best to bring what you need with you. Just north of St. Mary you will find the Many Glacier valley. Many Glacier is not to be missed and where we spent the majority of our time. Cracker, Poia, Grin - nell, Bullhead, and Iceberg Lake trails all begin in the Many Glacier valley. This area has the highest concentration of griz - zly bears within the park, so we stayed bear aware and made plenty of noise each day. Tuna salad is not a good choice for lunch! Additional trails we enjoyed on the east side include: Lee Ridge, Red Eagle Lake, and Firebrand Pass. These trails should not be attempted by green or inexperienced horses or riders. Please practice “leave no trace” principles when visiting the backcountry. After a glorious ten days in St. Mary, we headed south to Driggs, Idaho. Driggs has the small mountain town feel and

somewhere I feel extremely comfortable as this was my third visit. By taking a short drive, we were able to access 100’s of miles of trails in Caribou-Targhee National Forest and Grand Teton National Park. Caribou-Targhee National Forest covers three million acres within Idaho, Wyoming, and northern Utah. Grand Teton National Park consists of roughly 300,000 acres and was established in 1929. Nearly four million visitors each year have access to 250 miles of established and maintained trails within Grand Teton National Park. Most trails are open to stock and similar to Glacier N.P. parking is extremely limited. Additional information can be found at nps.gov/grte and enjoyyourparks.com. We rode to Palisades Lake, Wind Cave, and Alaska Basin within the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. Our rides in Grand Teton National Park included Taggart Lake loop, String/Leigh Lake loop, and the incredible north fork of Cascade Canyon. Taggart and String Lake loops are less technical and not strenuous. However, Cascade Canyon is for conditioned and experienced equines and riders only! Our Tennessee Walking and Spotted Saddle Horses carried us roughly 170 miles on mountain trails in three different states through breathtakingly beautiful country. I am truly thankful for the gentle and mountain savvy Tennessee Walking Horse and for great friends who made this journey possible!

Over and Around: One Mare’s Unlikely Odyssey of Success “Get real – there’s no way this little thing can compete with Quarter Horses!” That was Hallie Pollard’s response to her grandfather when he suggested giving TWHBEA mare Shadow’s Fancy Cindy a try in barrel racing and pole bending. Hallie, in high school at the time, had just lost her rodeo mount. After an unsuccessful search for a suitable replacement, she decided to give the gritty 14.2 hh mare a go. And go, she did. Cindy turned out to be a solid 2D pole horse and open barrel horse, competing and routinely earning checks at pro rodeos, as well as qualifying for the NBHA Illinois State Finals in 2019, where she finished in the top ten – at age 28! “She made a liar out of me!” says Hallie. “The worse the ground, the harder she’d run. We always joked that she could turn barrels in a WalMart parking lot!” But that wasn’t the first time that Cindy had surprised the family, who were lifelong Thoroughbred breeders. After Hallie’s grandfather purchased the mare, who was three years old at the time, bred her and weaned the baby, he decided it was time for her to “get a job.” Young Cindy demonstrated the ability to trot as well as gait, so rather than developing her for more traditional walking horse disciplines, he asked renowned eventing trainer Marnie Braun to work with her to find out if she had any aptitude for the sport. Marnie’s response was that there was likely no way she could get a gaited horse to do “real” dressage and jumping, but Hallie’s grandfather saw something special in the young mare and convinced Marnie to just give it a try. Three months later, the family got an upBy Kristi Payne

date: the little TWH mare was thriving in training and, according to Marnie, was the best natural jumper in the entire barn. Over the next several years, Cindy was campaigned in eventing and pony club rallies at iconic venues like the Kentucky Horse Park and excelled at every turn. But it wasn’t until Hallie’s mother accidentally entered her into a prelim course in 2001 that they realized just how high she could fly. “When I was walking the course on foot and came up to that first jump, my stomach was in my throat,” says Hallie. “But Cindy charged up to it like it was nothing and attacked the entire course. It was the biggest rush I’ve ever had.” It was two years later that Hallie and Cindy moved into barrel racing and pole bending. Over the span of her career in the various disciplines, Cindy has earned more than $60,000 in prize money, and she isn’t done yet! “We’ve tried to retire her four times since she turned 25 – it just doesn’t work,” says Hallie. “All she does is stand at the fence watching us work other horses and refuses to eat for days on end.” But, she says the minute the mare returns to work, she becomes herself again and starts cleaning her feed pan as soon as it’s filled. The most recent attempt to retire Cindy followed an accident in which she was struck by a car after leading the farm’s “geriatric ward” into the road through a gate left open during barn construction. She suffered only a minor stifle injury, but Hallie thought it would surely end the mare’s competitive career. Once again, she was wrong. And if her grandfather had taught her anything over the years, it was to believe in Cindy. “She bounced back like it was nothing,” says Hallie. “She’s the boss of the farm and rules the roost, so if she says she wants to work, we work.” In continuing to campaign at age 30 last year, Cindy became the oldest TWH in current competition. Hallie is a lot more selective now about where they run, focusing on local NBHA events rather than rodeos to make sure she’s on good ground. That helps to keep her sound and make sure she’s still at the top of her game – right where she likes to be. “She’s always been known as ‘that gaited wonder pony,” says Hallie. “Every event we’ve ever gone to, we’ve heard people whispering about her, wondering what she’s doing there trying to run with the stock horses. Then we go in and blow them out of the water!” Hallie believes that Cindy’s success and longevity are a testament to the character and ability of the Tennessee Walking Horse, as well as to Cindy’s exceptionally competitive nature. “One thing about Cindy is that no matter what she does, she does it with fierceness and attitude,” she says. “But she’s also very kind. She has come out of a winning pole pattern and turned right back around to pack a seven-year-old beginner safely around the barrels in a pee-wee class.” Shadow’s Fancy Cindy has led a remarkable life and built timeless memories for Hallie, with whom she’s worked in partnership to make their mark on equestrian history. All anyone had to do was believe in her.

Lexi Nelms, 15-year-old daughter of Michael and Brenda Nelms of Stem, North Carolina, is no stranger to hard work. She started riding lessons at six and started showing at seven. From that beginning, she progressed to caring for and training her own horses. She is an active member of the 4-H Club and her good grades have earned her a place in the school’s honor society. Lexi trains and shows Miss Sarah Allen and You Are Always on My Mind. Miss Sarah Allen was purchased from Jennifer Batts in 2018 and Lexi and her mother credit Batts with her success. “We were blessed to know Jennifer and to get such a fabulous mare from her. Jennifer put a great foundation on her and Lexi was able to continue to finish her out,” says Brenda. You might say that the eight-year-old mare is bred to be a champion. Sarah is by TWHBEA Sire of the Year, Allen All Around and out of TWHBEA Dam of the Year, Miss Annika. In 2022, Nelms not only earned her Youth Superior Championship with Miss Sarah Allen, but also TWHBEA’s International High Point Overall Youth Pleasure title, Overall Youth Halter High Point, and TWHBEA Super Flat Shod Mare in the Motivated Mares program. For her accomplishments in Youth Flat Shod Canter classes, she was awarded a $1000 Youth Medallion Scholarship from TWHBEA. Nine blue ribbons came her way at the 2022 TWHBEA World Versatility Show. Lexi Nelms, 15-year-old daughter of Michael and Brenda Nelms of Stem, North Carolina, is no stranger to hard work. She started riding lessons at six and started showing at seven. From that beginning, she progressed to caring for and training her own horses. She is an active member of the 4-H Club and her good grades have earned her a place in the school’s honor society. Lexi trains and shows Miss Sarah Allen and You Are Always on My Mind. Miss Sarah Allen was purchased from Jennifer Batts in 2018 and Lexi and her mother credit Batts with her success. “We were blessed to know Jennifer and to get such a fabulous mare from her. Jennifer put a great foundation on her and Lexi was able to continue to finish her out,” says Brenda. You might say that the eight-year-old mare is bred to be a champion. Sarah is by TWHBEA Sire of the Year, Allen All Around and out of TWHBEA Dam of the Year, Miss Annika. In 2022, Nelms not only earned her Youth Superior Championship with Miss Sarah Allen, but also TWHBEA’s International High Point Overall Youth Pleasure title, Overall Youth Halter High Point, and TWHBEA Super Flat Shod Mare in the Motivated Mares program. For her accomplishments in Youth Flat Shod Canter classes, she was awarded a $1000 Youth Medallion Scholarship from TWHBEA. Nine blue ribbons came her way at the 2022 TWHBEA World Versatility Show.

Lexi Nelms Secrets of Success: Determination, Hard Work, and Talent Pay Off for Lexi Nelms “She is such a naturally talented mare,” Lexi explains proudly. “She is levelheaded and willing to learn. She will try to do anything I ask her to do.” Her beautiful canter made the three-gaited events easy, and she has been successful in reining, Western riding, and dressage. Her good looks led to success in model classes and her smooth gaits and manners make her a dependable winner in the water glass class. “We just had to learn to work together; to develop a strong partnership,” her rider says. Lexi was the 2021 International Grand Championship Pleasure Walking Horse Show high point youth winner, and Miss Sarah Allen was 2021 WHOA Halter Horse of the Year. She has been active in the Granville County 4-H Club since she was old enough to join and has several 4-H championships from the North Carolina 4-H program. One of her goals is to win the 4-H High Point Award with her horses. Lexi is also the 2022 Youth Overall High Point Champion for the Plantation Pleasure Association of North Carolina. “Determination plays a key role for me,” Lexi says. “When I first started showing, I didn’t win much but I kept working hard and I got better and better.” Great mentors like Kevin Gilliam, Jennifer Batts and the rest of the North Carolina versatility community were a big part of Lexi’s success. Lexi gets up before school to feed and tend to the horses and comes home after school to ride, feed and clean stalls. “She does it herself,” says her mom. “I don’t do it for her.” One gets the feeling that Lexi likes doing things herself. “I want to continue to work hard and achieve what I can as a youth,” she says. “That’s my biggest goal right now.” Lexi also shows You are Always on My Mind, a 19-year-old mare who excels in dressage, equitation and trail. She was the 2021 WHOA Reserve Champion in Youth All Day Pleasure. “Our breed is so versatile,” she says. “You can just do anything with them.” A mare bred to be a champion and a young girl who is not afraid of hard work - that is a combination that is sure to succeed. by Mary Beth Pruett Lexi Nelms Secrets of Success: Determination, Hard Work, and Talent Pay Off for Lexi Nelms “She is such a naturally talented mare,” Lexi explains proudly. “She is levelheaded and willing to learn. She will try to do anything I ask her to do.” Her beautiful canter made the three-gaited events easy, and she has been successful in reining, Western riding, and dressage. Her good looks led to success in model classes and her smooth gaits and manners make her a dependable winner in the water glass class. “We just had to learn to work together; to develop a strong partnership,” her rider says. Lexi was the 2021 International Grand Championship Pleasure Walking Horse Show high point youth winner, and Miss Sarah Allen was 2021 WHOA Halter Horse of the Year. She has been active in the Granville County 4-H Club since she was old enough to join and has several 4-H championships from the North Carolina 4-H program. One of her goals is to win the 4-H High Point Award with her horses. Lexi is also the 2022 Youth Overall High Point Champion for the Plantation Pleasure Association of North Carolina. “Determination plays a key role for me,” Lexi says. “When I first started showing, I didn’t win much but I kept working hard and I got better and better.” Great mentors like Kevin Gilliam, Jennifer Batts and the rest of the North Carolina versatility community were a big part of Lexi’s success. Lexi gets up before school to feed and tend to the horses and comes home after school to ride, feed and clean stalls. “She does it herself,” says her mom. “I don’t do it for her.” One gets the feeling that Lexi likes doing things herself. “I want to continue to work hard and achieve what I can as a youth,” she says. “That’s my biggest goal right now.” Lexi also shows You are Always on My Mind, a 19-year-old mare who excels in dressage, equitation and trail. She was the 2021 WHOA Reserve Champion in Youth All Day Pleasure. “Our breed is so versatile,” she says. “You can just do anything with them.” A mare bred to be a champion and a young girl who is not afraid of hard work - that is a combination that is sure to succeed. by Mary Beth Pruett

Blue’s American Woman started her journey toward Elite Supreme Champion with Linda Starnes on October 13, 2018. Foaled in 2016 at Starnes Stables, the mare is out of Sweet Dixie Delight and by American Blue. It was a family undertaking, producing this foal. The mare is owned by Linda and Larry, while the stallion was owned by Dan Starnes’s mother-in-law, Cathy Simpson. The Starnes family are no strangers to the versatility program or the ins and outs of the journey to supreme status. Starnes gives credit to their involvement with PWHAT in its early years and the Parelli Natural Horsemanship program, along with Carol Coppinger and David Lichman. Starnes says that the easiest division for Blues was Obstacle Trail. The hardest points to earn were the three-gaited rail classes, not so much because of the difficulty but because entries are so low in those classes, points are scarce. The amber cream champagne tobiano mare is also registered with SSHBEA and was recently named Sport Horse of the Year in that organization. She is often called “Boo” because the young Starnes grandchildren at the time could not say “Blue” and called her “Boo.” “The best part about showing in the Versatility Program is the friends that become family along the way,” says Starnes.  “Without a doubt - the Versatility family helps each other - it just isn’t about the competition and the placing.  I feel like all of us just want the best performance for each other.  So many memories - some of the favorites are eating out after the shows and laughing until our sides hurt.  Friendship really is the key with Versatility.”  by Mary Beth Pruett ELITE SUPREME VERSATILITY CHAMPION: Blue’s American Woman & Linda Starnes

As a small child, Kailee Vallente dreamed of riding horses. When she was nine years old, she was introduced to the world of the Tennessee Walking Horse by family friend Kris Herman, veteran versatility supporter in the Northern California shows and across the country. She began at schooling shows, which led to her quest for a Youth Superior Championship in TWHBEA’s versatility program with I’m Billy the Kid. Billy was purchased by Kris and her mom Bonnie as a yearling from the Harlinsdale Farm sale and has been amateur trained his entire life. The 25-year-old chestnut gelding, already a Supreme Versatility Champion for Herman, became her partner in that goal. Billy was not the easiest horse to ride, according to both Herman and Vallente. But with a lot of help from his owner, they reached their goal in 2022. There were challenges along the way, but Herman says, “Through it all, Kailee maintained a positive attitude, even when classes didn’t go the way we often needed for points. When we were in a time crunch, she never got down or upset, even when one show we needed was canceled because the Fairgrounds was a staging location for a bad fire in the area. I am extremely proud of her. She has been a great ambassador and a true example of how a horse show competitor should be.” “It has been fun but challenging and sometimes even frustrating,” says Vallente. “It has all been worth it in the end, with all the awards and points I have earned. I am very appreciative of all the people that have supported me through my long journey and I’m very excited to see where the future takes me. I can say it can be challenging but you always have to remember to work hard for what you want and to always get back on your horse, even if you fall.” Kailee Vallente I’M BILLY THE KID & KAILEE VALLENTE Youth Superior Champion: by Mary Beth Pruett

Tami Steinbrecher of Talking Rock, Georgia has three quotes she believes embody horse training and horse showing: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better - do better.”  Maya Angelou “Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” Earl Nightingale “Winning is hard. Failing is hard. Pick your hard.” Author Unknown Her success with Tennessee Walking Horses, both on the rail and in the versatility division, seems to bear out her belief in those principles. Her success also bears out her opinion that the Tennessee Walking Horse can do anything any other horse can do. In January, Tami and her husband Wallace travelled to Lexington, Kentucky to attend the SmartPak/ United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Horse of the Year Awards Gala on behalf of The Wicked Wolf, a 12-year-old chestnut gelding. During the event, The Wicked Wolf, known as “Timber” to his owners and friends, was named the 2022 SmartPak/USEF Horse of the Year Western Dressage Level 2 Amateur National Champion, becoming the first Tennessee Walking Horse to be honored at the SmartPak/USEF Horse of the Year Awards Gala. As part of the journey to this award, Timber was shown by Tami at the 2022 Western Dressage World Championship Show in Guthrie, Oklahoma in Level 1 and Level 2 gaited classes. Timber was Upper Level Gaited Division Reserve Grand Champion and had the high score for the TWH breed. His rider was Reserve Overall Gaited Rider, and Timber was awarded his Silver Medal in the sport of Western Dressage. For those unfamiliar Western Dressage, it is governed by the Western Dressage Association of America (WDAA) and by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF). Steinbecher is a staunch supporter of the organization, saying, “Western dressage is for everybody. They have been very welcoming Wicked Good in Western Dressage by Mary Beth Pruett TAMI & TIMBER: Tami Steinbrecher of Talking Rock, Georgia has three quotes she believes embody horse training and horse showing: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better - do better.”  Maya Angelou “Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” Earl Nightingale “Winning is hard. Failing is hard. Pick your hard.” Author Unknown Her success with Tennessee Walking Horses, both on the rail and in the versatility division, seems to bear out her belief in those principles. Her success also bears out her opinion that the Tennessee Walking Horse can do anything any other horse can do. In January, Tami and her husband Wallace travelled to Lexington, Kentucky to attend the SmartPak/ United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Horse of the Year Awards Gala on behalf of The Wicked Wolf, a 12-year-old chestnut gelding. During the event, The Wicked Wolf, known as “Timber” to his owners and friends, was named the 2022 SmartPak/USEF Horse of the Year Western Dressage Level 2 Amateur National Champion, becoming the first Tennessee Walking Horse to be honored at the SmartPak/USEF Horse of the Year Awards Gala. As part of the journey to this award, Timber was shown by Tami at the 2022 Western Dressage World Championship Show in Guthrie, Oklahoma in Level 1 and Level 2 gaited classes. Timber was Upper Level Gaited Division Reserve Grand Champion and had the high score for the TWH breed. His rider was Reserve Overall Gaited Rider, and Timber was awarded his Silver Medal in the sport of Western Dressage. For those unfamiliar Western Dressage, it is governed by the Western Dressage Association of America (WDAA) and by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF). Steinbecher is a staunch supporter of the organization, saying, “Western dressage is for everybody. They have been very welcoming Wicked Good in Western Dressage by Mary Beth Pruett TAMI & TIMBER:

to the gaited breeds and they focus on harmony and willing partnership between horse and rider. Western Dressage is one of the fastest growing horse sports, growing 30% in the last year.” In the 2022 championship show, fifty-five different breeds were represented and over 1000 tests were ridden. The Wicked Wolf was bred by Dr. Jana Anderson, by her stallion Wicked Gold and out of Sundrop’s Masterpiece. He was started as a colt by Hannah Myatt, who starts all of the Steinbrecher horses. Tami has continued to train the gelding on her own since his purchase about seven years ago. He is an allaround horse – showing on the rail, trail riding and competing in Western dressage. “What I love about the Wicked line,” says Steinbrecher, “is that they are smart, they like to work, and they are very easy to canter.” Timber is not the only dressage champion in the Steinbecher barn. I’m Orion is a 12-year-old chestnut gelding by Jose’ Jose’ and out of Gensmarquette IISP. Orion was purchased from Janet and Jordan Howell as a 2-year-old while in training with Hannah Myatt. He remained in training with Hannah for several years and under her guidance, won the Amateur Country Pleasure Four & Under World Championship class at the Celebration in 2015 with Tami Steinbrecher up. In 2016, he started competing in versatility classes and Western Dressage. At the 2022 Western Dressage World Championship, Wallace exhibited Orion in the Intro Amateur and Open Gaited divisions and were Lower Level Gaited Amateur Division Grand Champions and had the Veterans High Score Award for all breeds both gaited and trotting. Orion is the first horse to have won at the Celebration, the WHOA International and the WDAA World Championship show. According to Steinbrecher, the awards are special, but perhaps the biggest value of Western Dressage is that the training makes everything else better, from improvement in gait to a better, more willing partnership between the horse and rider. to the gaited breeds and they focus on harmony and willing partnership between horse and rider. Western Dressage is one of the fastest growing horse sports, growing 30% in the last year.” In the 2022 championship show, fifty-five different breeds were represented and over 1000 tests were ridden. The Wicked Wolf was bred by Dr. Jana Anderson, by her stallion Wicked Gold and out of Sundrop’s Masterpiece. He was started as a colt by Hannah Myatt, who starts all of the Steinbrecher horses. Tami has continued to train the gelding on her own since his purchase about seven years ago. He is an allaround horse – showing on the rail, trail riding and competing in Western dressage. “What I love about the Wicked line,” says Steinbrecher, “is that they are smart, they like to work, and they are very easy to canter.” Timber is not the only dressage champion in the Steinbecher barn. I’m Orion is a 12-year-old chestnut gelding by Jose’ Jose’ and out of Gensmarquette IISP. Orion was purchased from Janet and Jordan Howell as a 2-year-old while in training with Hannah Myatt. He remained in training with Hannah for several years and under her guidance, won the Amateur Country Pleasure Four & Under World Championship class at the Celebration in 2015 with Tami Steinbrecher up. In 2016, he started competing in versatility classes and Western Dressage. At the 2022 Western Dressage World Championship, Wallace exhibited Orion in the Intro Amateur and Open Gaited divisions and were Lower Level Gaited Amateur Division Grand Champions and had the Veterans High Score Award for all breeds both gaited and trotting. Orion is the first horse to have won at the Celebration, the WHOA International and the WDAA World Championship show. According to Steinbrecher, the awards are special, but perhaps the biggest value of Western Dressage is that the training makes everything else better, from improvement in gait to a better, more willing partnership between the horse and rider.

Sometimes the best things in our lives come by accident. That’s what happened with Via’s Sugarfoot and Glory Redmond when she and her son swapped horses three years ago. Now, Redmond cannot imagine life without the seven-year-old buckskin mare who is TWHBEA’s 2022 Trail Horse of the Year. Redmond grew up in the world of dressage and jumping. After 30 years, back surgery and retirement led to a desire for a different kind of equine activity. She was acquainted with the Tennessee Walking Horse through her husband’s horse, Joker, who she describes as “the coolest horse ever.” So, she set out to find a horse just like him. Via turned out to be all that and more. “She is an amazing horse,” says Redmond. “She will go anywhere you ask, straight up a mountain or up on a five-foot tall rock! Other than my husband Brian, she’s probably the single most important individual in my life. I know I spend more time with her than anyone.” “Via spends so much time in the trailer, she loads and unloads herself,” says Redmond. Most of the trail riding miles come during multi-day camping trips. Ten to twelve days is normal, with most days involving fifteen to twenty miles of saddle time. Redmond has to trailer somewhere to ride anyway, so she tries to make each trip count. Most riding is done in her home state of Indiana, and in Missouri, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Her son is a willing companion on the rides and sometimes they ride in a group. At seven, Via’s Sugarfoot is just getting started. Redmond is already planning rides in Arkansas and Tennessee for 2023. There are always new pathways to explore and this pair exemplifies the motto, “Happy Trails.” For more information on how to participate in the TWHBEA Trails Program, visit www.TWHBEA.com or email programs@twhbea. com. Every member can now select one program each year for free participation! by Mary Beth Pruett Happy Trails for Via’s Sugarfoot, 2022 TRAIL HORSE OF THE YEAR

There is something special about all Supreme Versatility Champions, even when you have six of them. Attaining the award with a home-bred horse is especially satisfying and attaining a championship with a home-bred horse foaled from a supreme champion adds another dimension. Allen’s Danni Delight is a second-generation Supreme Versatility Champion, the offspring of multi-champion mare She’s Doubly Delightful and Allen All Around. The seven-year-old mare, just like her dam, was bred and owned by Jennifer Batts of Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Batts has been riding since she was 12 years old. She started her journey with the Tennessee Walking Horse in 1984 and discovered the versatility program a couple years later. She’s Doubly Delightful was the horse that hooked her owner on the variety of events. “I’ve had six Supreme Versatility Champions,” says Batts. “I bred and raised four of them, and we did all the training. “  With many shows in the area offering versatility classes, it took only two and a half years for the splashy chestnut roan to finish her supreme championship. According to her owner/rider, the hardest part was having enough entries to obtain points in Reining and Western Riding. In addition to finishing her Supreme Championship, Danni carried eight different riders to blue ribbons in the 2022 horse show season, several of them youth riders. “I am proud that Danni has carried on her dam’s legacy,” says Batts. “They both were awarded the TWHBEA Supreme Versatility Championship along with numerous rail class championships and high point awards. She is an amazing mare.” by Mary Beth Pruett SUPREME VERSATILITY CHAMPION: Allen’s Danni Delight & Jennifer Batts

DARING TO

Known, true to his name, to be a “wild child” in everyday life, five-year-old Wylder Way finds a place of peace every time he sits astride a horse. Wylder is a fifth-generation equestrian -- son of champion Tennessee Walking Horse riders Chad and Jacquelyn Way and grandson of current TWHBEA President Jack Heffington and the late Nancy Elliott, who operated Ballentine Farms Riding Academy. So there was really no question about whether or not Wylder would show Tennessee Walking Horses; there was only the question of when. And the answer was: at three years old. That’s when Wylder made his leadline debut at the 2020 Racking Horse and Spotted Saddle Horse Celebrations aboard a pony handed down from his sister, Jayden Jackson. As any parent, trainer or riding instructor can attest, it can be difficult to teach a child so young to sit still and focus on his posture, his hands and his horse for more than a few minutes at a time, especially in a boisterous arena full of cheering fans, other ponies and the competition of their peers. Add to that, Wylder is diagnosed with autism, which heightens his sensitivity to visual and auditory stimuli, so his remarkable poise in the show ring is exceptionally impressive. His family and riding instructors have always worked closely with his therapists to ensure they protect him from becoming overwhelmed by employing creative solutions like earplugs, which Wylder wears to help drown out the noise. But one thing he hears every show is Jacquelyn being his biggest fan. Wylder Way and Tin Man Too Take the Yellow Brick Road to Victory Dream by Kristi Payne Known, true to his name, to be a “wild child” in everyday life, five-year-old Wylder Way finds a place of peace every time he sits astride a horse. Wylder is a fifth-generation equestrian -- son of champion Tennessee Walking Horse riders Chad and Jacquelyn Way and grandson of current TWHBEA President Jack Heffington and the late Nancy Elliott, who operated Ballentine Farms Riding Academy. So there was really no question about whether or not Wylder would show Tennessee Walking Horses; there was only the question of when. And the answer was: at three years old. That’s when Wylder made his leadline debut at the 2020 Racking Horse and Spotted Saddle Horse Celebrations aboard a pony handed down from his sister, Jayden Jackson. As any parent, trainer or riding instructor can attest, it can be difficult to teach a child so young to sit still and focus on his posture, his hands and his horse for more than a few minutes at a time, especially in a boisterous arena full of cheering fans, other ponies and the competition of their peers. Add to that, Wylder is diagnosed with autism, which heightens his sensitivity to visual and auditory stimuli, so his remarkable poise in the show ring is exceptionally impressive. His family and riding instructors have always worked closely with his therapists to ensure they protect him from becoming overwhelmed by employing creative solutions like earplugs, which Wylder wears to help drown out the noise. But one thing he hears every show is Jacquelyn being his biggest fan. Wylder Way and Tin Man Too Take the Yellow Brick Road to Victory Dream by Kristi Payne

“His momma will always be on the rail telling him how wonderful he is doing at what they practice so hard on,” says Jacquelyn. “Wylder really listens for assurance that he’s doing well because he loves to please so much!” Not only did those early shows seal Wylder’s determination to compete more often and work toward a Walking Horse Celebration appearance, but his therapists began to see a marked improvement in his demeanor and behavior. “I began to see Wylder grow so much and become more mature and relaxed as a result of working with the horses,” says Amaya Estelle, registered Behavior Technician. “Participating in horse shows and being around the animals has been a great motivation and hobby through which Wylder is able to express himself.” With the blessing of Amaya and his other panel of therapists, Wylder began taking riding lessons with instructor Whitlei Green to polish his leadline equitation and prepare for his first Walking Horse shows. And, in 2021, his family leased the reigning WGC leadline pony, My Little Red Wagon, from the Jacobs Family for Wylder to campaign. The team saw immediate success, earning the blue ribbon in their charter show together, going undefeated in 2021 and being voted Readers’ Choice and Walking Horse Trainers Association Reserve Horse of the Year before a tragic accident necessitated Wagon’s euthanasia, bringing Wylder’s journey to the Celebration with him to an unexpected halt. A few months later, however, Santa healed Wylder’s heart with a special delivery in the form of a sharp grey pony named Tin Man Too. Wylder was eager to put his dream of competing at the Celebration back into motion, and he worked hard all winter with Kim Bailey of Creek View Stables to learn his new mount and perfect their presentation. “They practiced multiple times a week,” says Jacquelyn. “He has a drive no one could understand. He runs nonstop on the ground, but he’s a statue on a horse, listening carefully to all the instruction that he knows will help make him a champion.” And to maintain Wylder’s courage and confidence, the entire family attended each lesson. It became what Jacquelyn describes as a “family project” that has spanned the past two years. “So many people had discouraged us from getting Wylder’s hopes up that he could ride and compete at this level,” says Jacquelyn. “But we didn’t want him to be limited or miss out just because of his autism. We wanted to show him that he could overcome all obstacles.” Wylder and Tin Man proved all the doubters wrong as they began the 2022 show season by picking up right where Wylder’s winning ways on Wagon had left off. Not only did they debut to a unanimous victory at the Trainers show in March, but they also went on to rack up an entire unanimous season, with a first-place tie from every single judge who saw them on their journey to the Big Oval in 2022. Team Wylder and Tin Man Too capitalized on their momentum with some inventive Wizard of Oz-themed promotional campaigns during the Celebration, including a cleverly decorated golf cart, photo shoots and meet-and-greet sessions with the entire cast of Wizard pf Oz characters, which

thrilled horse show fans of all ages. Amidst the Celebration fun, however, Wylder and his sister Jayden continued to practice every day for their Big Oval performance. Jayden is a World Champion equitation rider and an experienced and successful handler, so she was prepared to present her brother and his beloved pony to polished perfection. She was also prepared to be his rock in the ring, having educated herself on autism since his diagnosis and going so far as to apply and be accepted for a position as an Autism Speaks Advocate. “I thank Wylder for that honor,” says Jayden. “When we started his show career, the first thing I did was report on it at our monthly advocacy community. Everyone in the group is so proud of Wylder and they’re all still invested in his show career.” Wylder’s therapists were also invited to come watch him practice for the Celebration. “One of them told me she has never seen anything so magical as the change in his behavior as soon as he was aboard his pony,” says Jacquelyn. “She said if we could just keep him on a horse all the time, that would be great!” And when the time finally came to compete for the championship, all of the practice, the promotion and the support came together and paid off as Wylder and Tin Man Too made another in a series of flawless exhibitions and were rewarded with a unanimous World Grand Championship to finish out a season in which no judge who looked upon them thought they were anything less than the best. For that, Jacquelyn gives Kim Bailey a tremendous amount of credit. “Kim and her family and crew are the best,” she says. “She truly sacrificed more than most would to get Wylder to the top, and he has a bond with her that’s indescribable.” The rest is owed to the relentless encouragement and impeccable care Wylder has received from everyone who loves him. And, of course, to Tin Man Too, who not only carried Wylder safely to a dream show season and World Grand Championship but instilled in him skills and confidence that will benefit him far beyond the show ring. “Wylder has learned a sense of responsibility from showing horses that carries over into therapy, school and home,” says Occupational Therapist Danielle Kissane, MsOTR/L. “He has demonstrated great success in improving the fine motor, gross motor, sensory and eye-hand coordination skills needed to be independent in all areas of life.” With those benefits and the pride of realizing such a monumental dream, Wylder is looking forward to a future of riding in the 11-Under division. Until then, he’ll be watching his new horse, WC The Megalodon, compete. Jacquelyn says Wylder will likely coach the rider to “look between his ears and put your heels down!” as he stands ready to jump the rail to meet them in the winner’s circle. “Horses have changed Wylder’s life,” says Jacquelyn. “Not only by carrying him to a unanimous world grand championship and the ribbon, roses and trophies that go with it, but by introducing him to the many friends and fans who have congratulated him, encouraged him on social media and given him high fives at the horse shows. Each and every one of those people have made Wylder feel special and extremely proud of himself.”

MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMS As a member of TWHBEA, you have access to programs that are designed to recognize achievers who enjoy their Tennessee Walking Horses in a variety of ways. Whether you enjoy a peaceful stroll down a wooded trail, the exhilaration of rounding the third barrel or making a blue-ribbon ride in the show ring – we have a program for you! New in 2023, we are offering ONE FREE PROGRAM with your membership. And, it’s easier than ever to enroll in our programs online! Our program year runs through September 30, so there’s still plenty of time to sign-up and earn points/ hours for your achievements. Take a look at the offering of member programs and let us know if you have any questions. You can find more information at twhbea.com, by emailing [email protected], or calling 931-359-1574. Don’t forget, your membership also entitles you to discounts from Sherwin Williams, Office Depot, John Deere, Toro, New Holland, tenda, FarmPaint.com, and more. 250 N. Ellington Pkwy, Lewisburg, TN 37091 (931) 359-1574 | twhbea.com MOTIVATED MARES This program is open to all registered mares regardless of age. Once you pay the nomination fee, you start earning points immediately every time you show. The program is broken down into four categories - Junior Mare (5 & under) and Senior Mare (6 & over) for both performance and pleasure divisions. There will be payouts to the top mares in each category. GELDING OPPORTUNITY This program is open to all registered TWHBEA geldings regardless of age. Once you pay the nomination fee, you start earning points immediately every time you show. The program is broken down into four categories - Junior Gelding (5 & under) and Senior Gelding (6 & over) for both performance and pleasure divisions. There will be payouts to the top geldings in each category. VERSATILITY The Versatility Program is a showcase for the flat-shod Tennessee Walking Horse. With as many as 21 different events from which to choose, you and your horse have a variety of ways to participate. You can enter one event or compete in them all! Visit our website for complete information on eligibility and rules. TRAILS The TWHBEA Trails (Distance) Program is designed to recognize trail riding enthusiasts who enjoy spending time on the trail and competing in trail events. Horse/rider teams climb the achievement ladder and receive awards based on how many hours they spend on the trail. You can learn more about the awards on our website. YOUTH Several programs and competitions are available to our youth members, including scholarships, scout patches, creative contests, and special achievement awards for participating in 4-H and/or FFA. INTERNATIONAL HIGH POINT Horses owned by TWHBEA members automatically earn points at affiliated shows toward year-end high point awards. Horses compete against other horses Regionally and Nationally. High point results are included in iPEDs and owners of winning horses receive recognition. CERTIFIED RIDING INSTRUCTOR TWHBEA promotes consistent, prepared, and educated instructors in the Tennessee Walking Horse field through the Certified Riding Instructor (CRI) and Trail Riding Instructor (TRI) programs. Individuals who complete the certification receive the CRI and/or TRI designation and are listed on the TWHBEA website. tendahorse.com • 888-836-3213 Learn more at TendaHeal.com BORATE-BASED BIOACTIVE GLASS TECHNOLOGY FOR SUPERIOR WOUND CARE New Product! NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS | LEG & MUSCLE CARE HEALING SALVES | WOUND & SKIN CARE | HO OF CARE POULTICE | TOPICAL COMMODITIES | GROOMING TENDAGROOM® PET SHAMPOOS AND CONDITIONERS Serving the performance horse industry more than 45 years.

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my best friend . . . a T ennessee Walking Horse. © COPYRIGHT 2022 TENNESSEE WALKING HORSE BREEDERS’ AND EXHIBITORS’ ASSOCIATION • PHOTO CREDITS: BILL ERICKSON, MICHAEL GOMEZ, SHANE SHIFLET Learn more about owning, riding or showing a Tennessee Walking Horse at MYBESTFRIENDTWH.COM Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ and Exhibitors’ Association Cover 4.indd 1 4/4/23 9:15 AM