One … Two … Three … Four trips to victory lane for Ally Jo
Jacobs
By Britney Brown

SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. – Saturday Morning at the celebration opens the fourth day of showing, and it always denotes the youth pleasure and equitation classes. Starting promptly at 9AM, the 12 classes on the program for the morning session got underway. Parents and coaches cheered on their young contenders from the warmup ring and the stands alike. Travis Owen announced the ringmasters, judging panel and ringmaster Charles Cush’s birthday. Then the gate opened for the first class of the day. 

Class 78 was Youth Model Pleasure Mares & Geldings. Ten of 11 entries made the gate call. These young handlers proudly led their horses around the ring to line up on the north rail head-to-tail. After much deliberation, the judging panel unanimously chose Mystic Jazz and Ally Jo Jacobs, the owner and handler of Murfreesboro, to wear the blue streamer and neck ribbon. Sired by A Jazz King, Mystic Jazz is a three-time winner in this class and a six-time world champion. Mystic Jazz won at the FAST Spring Showcase, The Phoenix, Walking In The Smokies, WHOA Spring Extravaganza, TWHBEA World Versatility Championship and The International during the 2025 season. Taking reserve in the class was 2020 Yearling World Grand Champion, and 2021 and 2022 Model Mares World Champion, Catherine Zeta-Jones, led by Madeline Gannon for Ed Lukacevic of Crittenden, Kentucky. Catherine Zeta-Jones won this year at the WHOA Spring Extravaganza and the Shelbyville Tennis Club. In the third-place spot was Loose In The Outfield with owner and exhibitor Finley Reed.

Class 79, Owner-Amateur Youth 12-17 English Trail Pleasure, was welcomed into the ring next. Judge Sisk called the class of nine entries. These young riders took to the rail and stepped their horses up to a flat walk. The competition was heated, but in the end, Jazz & Everything and Shane Smith were called out of the lineup. Three-time World Champion Jazz & Everything is owned by Rose and Collins of Harrodsburg and Broadhead, Kentucky, and has had wins at the Eastern Kentucky Walking And Racking Celebration, KWHA Juvenile Auxiliary, Walking For Youth and CKRHA Kentucky State Championship. This is the second year in a row winning in this division. I’m Thunderstruck NDR, a two-time world grand champion and three-time world champion, and Ava Simons wore the crimson streamer out for Wayne and Debbie Simons of Shelbyville. They are also champions this year at the WHOA Spring Extravaganza and Germantown Charity show. Earning third-place honors in the class was the team of Revival E.G. and Ella Grace Healon, the owner and up.

The TWHBEA Youth Medallion Performance Mares & Geldings class, 80 in the program, stepped through the entry gate next. Chris Bobo was the call judge. Of the two entries, it was El’s Predicted Storm and Ally Jo Jacobs, the owner and up of Murfreesboro, who unanimously took home the blue. This follows a year of wins at the FAST Spring Showcase, Upper Cumberland, Columbia Spring Jubilee and Christmas In July. This was the first Celebration blue ribbon for El’s Predicted Storm. Second award in the good class went to Cash Reaction and Finley Reed the owner/rider of Petersburg.

Up next to the ring was another youth class, Weanlings with Youth Handlers. Class 81 was full of young handlers and young horses. They were truly an example of the next generation of walking horses and riders. Fourteen of 19 entries answered the gate call where Judge Campbell directed them to line up head-to-tail along the south rail. Amid the whinnies of the colts and fillies, the judges’ cards were tallied. Bit Of Honey and Hadley Thomas came out of the lineup to a world champion finish. Bit Of Honey is a successful weanling already, winning at the Owningsville Lions Club and walking to a world championship Wednesday night in the Fall Weanlings division. Sired by Walk Time Charlie and out of A Greater Generator mare, Bit Of Honey is the entry of Claire Hankins-Kincade of Paris, Kentucky. The Heir Apparent, with Emery Sims at the head, earned the reserve award in the big class. The entry of Bobby Jones and Dr. Roger Richards of Manchester and Bell Buckle, The Heir Apparent is sired by Justified Honors and out of an I Am Jose’ mare. With four championships at The International and a reserve world championship Wednesday night, it is apparent that The Heir Apparent is already making a name. Walking to third place was the team of Teaspoon and Levi Warren for the Dotson Bros.

The first of the equitation classes was next. Class 82E was Auxiliary Equitation, Medal Class, Youth 6-11. The two young ladies in the class demonstrated finesse and poise as they guided their mounts around the ring and in front of the judging panel. Coming to a unanimous world champion honor in the division, however, was Ally Jo Jacobs. She has won this class in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and now she wins it again in 2025. In the reserve seat was Aubrey Singleton. Her equitation career includes wins at the WHOA Spring Extravaganza and The Southern Belle earlier this year.

Class 83 ushered in Owner-Amateur Youth 12-17 English Country Pleasure contenders. Judge Grider was the call judge, and 12 entries walked up and into the ring. As always with this class, the competition was stiff and sprits were high. The young riders took a deep seat and showed their horses at the flat walk and then the running walk. After going to the lineup, two-time World Grand Champion and two-time World Champion Mr. Bentley, with Lakelyn Mathews the owner and up of Clarksville, made the victory pass. This also follows the reserve world championship they captured Friday morning. In the second place spot was two-time World Champion Twenty Four Carrots ML with Abigail Taylor in the irons for Jim Leek, Abigail Taylor and Maggie Moore of Christiana, Tennessee and Rush, Kentucky. They have had a successful 2025 with wins at The Phoenix, The Southern Belle, PWHAT Fun Show (April), WHOA Spring Extravaganza, Germantown Charity Horse Show, Cornersville Lions Club and The International. Finally, World Grand Champion and two-time World Champion Shameless SF and Caroline Stanley earned third-place honors for Janet Howell, Jennifer Stanley and Amanda Manis.

Owner-Amateur Youth, 6-11 All Day Pleasure horses made up class 84. Many veteran equine champions carried these young riders around the ring. Judge Sisk called the class of nine. Deafening cheers for the small contenders went up around Cooper Steel Arena as they went into the lineup. Brian Peery played “Sweet Caroline” right up to the presentation of awards. Tied for first was Betrayal and Vivian Woodruff taking home a world championship for Emily Woodruff, Toone and Gassaway of Shelbyville. World Grand Champion and two-time World Champion Betrayal is a successful show horse, with wins just this year at the Spring Fun Show and Let Freedom Ring. In second place on the judges’ cards was the team of Failure To Appear and Walker Manis. They won at the TWHYA Summer Splash. Failure To Appear is the entry of Gary, Carolyn, Pope and Amanda Manis of Taylorsville, North Carolina and Shelbyville, Tennessee, and takes this blue ribbon to add to his 2021 Owner-Amateur Two-Year-Old Country Pleasure World Championship. Resurgence rode out with the yellow ribbon with Mackenzie Waddell in the irons for Beth and Sarah Beth Thomas, Dakoda Gardner and Mackenzie Waddell 

The next class, 85, switched gears. Owner-Amateur 2025 Weanlings was all about the youngest Tennessee Walking Horses in the industry, the equine youth if you will. Eleven of 23 entries showed in the ring, where Chris Bobo was the call judge. Lining up head-to-tail on the south side, these owner/handlers exhibited their young horses with grace. These weanlings are a testament to the versatility and great conformation of the breed. Honky Tonk Hissy Fit and Lisa Teel were called to wear the blue in the good class for Teel, Washburn and Noe of Fayetteville Sired by Holyfield and out of a Watch It Now mare, Honky Tonk Hissy Fit had wins this year at The Petersburg Colt Show. Taking home reserve to Mt Juliet was the duo of Time To Shine W and Amanda Wright, the handler for The George Wright Family. Time To Shine W had a reserve world championship on Wednesday night and is sired by Walk Time Charlie, and out of a Master Of Jazz mare. Third in the class went to Teaspoon and Jaron Dotson for the Dotson Bros.

Class 86 called the Owner-Amateur Youth 6-11 Trail Pleasure participants to the ring. Six of six entries answered the gate call and Judge Campbell called the gaits in the class. These talented show horses walked and shook their way around the ring. In the end, it was Sweet Walking Matilda and Ally Jo Jacobs of Murfreesboro who were chosen unanimously to wear the blue streamer and neck ribbon for the victory pass. Sweet Walking Matilda is a two-time world grand champion and a five-time world champion, and one of those world championships was won on Thursday morning with Laurie Toone in the irons for Ally Jo Jacobs. This year, Sweet Walking Matilda is undefeated with blues at the WHTA National Trainers’ Show, Walking In The Smokies and Let Freedom Ring. Reserve on the judges’ cards was the team of World Champion Diva By Daddy and Nathan Thomas for Maddie McMorrow of Georgetown, Kentucky. Diva By Daddy won this year at The Phoenix, Slick Connor Memorial, Derby Classic, WHOA Spring Fling, KWHA Juvenile Auxiliary, BPWHA Brodhead, Bourbon County Fair, Owingsville Lions Club and The International. Walking to the third-place award was Daddy’s Dreamcatcher with Aubrey Singleton in the irons for LeAnn Werner Osborn.

Next on the program was Class 87, Owner-Amateur Youth Park Pleasure. Four of five entries answered the gate call and vied for the world championship title as they strutted around the ring. Once Judge Cortner finished calling the class, the cards were tallied. Walking out of the lineup for the second year in a row by unanimous decision was Boston Bay, ridden by Jocelyn Laughlin for Anne Evans and Jocelyn Laughlin of Johnson City and Shelbyville. Sired by Cash’s Blackjack, Boston Bay adds this to his seven world championships in the park pleasure division. He also won at Walking For The Angels this year. The reserve world championship was presented to Just Jose’ It and Jacelyn Gardner for Pat and Jamie Gardner of Culleoka. Just Jose’ It won a world championship in Owner-Amateur Youth Park Pleasure in 2022. Earning the third-place spot was He’s A Dixieland Delight with Julianne Laughlin in the irons for Jannie Chapman and Julianne Laughlin.

Class 88, Owner-Amateur Youth 6-11 Country Pleasure contenders came up the chute next. Judge Grider called the good class of nine entries. Thunderstorm In Dixie and Sterling Woodruff dominated the competitive class and were ultimately called to the winner’s circle. Thunderstorm In Dixie is the entry of Emily Woodruff of Shelbyville. Sired by The Dixie Lineman and out of a Jose’ Jose’ mare, Thunderstorm In Dixie already has two world championships from 2024. This year, Sterling Woodruff and Thunderstorm In Dixie made winning rides at The Phoenix, Let Freedom Ring and the Woodbury Lions Club shows. Making an admirable second-place ride was World Grand Champion and two-time World Champion Shameless SF with Walker Manis for Janet Howell, Jennifer Stanley and Amanda Manis of Murfreesboro, Cynthiana, Kentucky and Shelbyville. First Knight Out and Ally Jo Jacobs took the third-place award.

The last class of the morning was 89E, Auxiliary Equitation, Youth Medal World Grand Championship (Canter). This class saw four extremely skilled riders enter the ring with Sisk as the call judge. Each performed the pattern with a balanced seat and soft hands. Each flat walked and cantered their horses around the ring with excellent posture. But, by unanimous choice, it was John Burton of Bowling Green, Kentucky, who wore the roses in the first World Grand Championship class of the 2025 Celebration. Burton adds this to a world championship in the Youth Equitation 12-17 division on Wednesday morning and a world championship in the 12-14 division from 2022. Burton added this world grand championship to his other one that he captured in 2023. Reserve world grand championship status went to Rylee Eilerman of Cottontown, and wearing the yellow streamer out of the ring was Ruth Collins of Maysville, Kentucky.

As the Saturday morning classes concluded, everyone took pictures in the winner’s circle. Later, they prepared for Hat Night in the Big Oval. Derby-style hats would be judged and later displayed by the winners. The tiny tots on their Lead Line Ponies would compete for a world grand championship, and the World Grand Champion Weanling would also be crowned. And, of course, the aged stallions qualifier would wow the crowd at the end of the night. All in all, it would make for an exciting first Saturday evening at the horse show.