By Mark McGee

With no day classes, everyone was ready to go at 7 p.m. for the Sunday session of the 2024 Celebration. Dan Reed of New Vision Baptist Church in Unionville, Tennessee, presented the invocation. With Ronnie Spears and White Diamond Dollar presenting the Stars and Stripes, Shelbyville’s Micah Doak Wilson presented a wonderful a cappella rendition of the “National Anthem”. 

It was church and family night, and organist J. Brantley played a selection of hymns.

A strong class of 13 horse and rider duos kicked off the night in hopes of walking out of the novice division. He’s A Knight Rider and co-owner-rider Jacie Booth were the lucky team earning the Owner-Amateur Novice Western Trail Pleasure world championship. He’s A Knight Rider has eight blues and two reserves in 12 classes in 2024. Martha Divine was ridden to second by owner-rider Lore Patterson. The Serengeti and co-owner Kendra White rode out with a yellow ribbon for Jennifer Stanley.

Jannie Chapman from Red Banks, Mississippi, and A Touche’ had no problems finding the winner’s circle in the Owner-Amateur Park Performance Stallions class that hosted 13 entries. It was their fifth time in a row to win the class dating back to 2020. They are unbeaten with wins in three classes this year. Shanghai RTF and owner-rider Lisa Baum were reserve, with Drop A Line with Jordan Golden riding to the third place honor for Gay Dempsey.
Happily Ever After and rider Nathan Oliver were happy to hear their number called in Section A of the Owner-Amateur Two-Year-Old Mares & Geldings class for owner Danny Oliver of Alvaton, Kentucky. Twelve of the 28 listed entries were in “The Big Oval”. They have four blues and a reserve in six classes this year. Commanding The Legacy and Caryl Sherman were reserve for Floyd Sherman. One Bad Witch JC and owner-rider Lisa Baum placed third.

For the second year in a row, co-owner Emma Wright from Reagan, Tennessee, and Extra Special Jose were the top tie in the Owner-Amateur Youth 12-14 Mares & Geldings class for co-owner Gayle Cagle from Lexington, Tennessee. They were the unanimous selection of the five-judge panel, the first of the night. The Longmire and Carson Sells rode out with a red streamer for owners Tara and John Sells. Charlie’s Ritzy Lady and owner-rider Johnathon Lawwell were third in the class that saw seven of 13 planned entries making it down the chute.
Sixteen of 26 anticipated entries made it into the ring to compete for the B division split of the Owner-Amateur Two-Year-Old Mares & Geldings class. Ultra Pink Pistol and co-owner-rider Jennifer Bingham were the blue ribbon winners. Kilburn, Cox and Bingham are the owners from Salt Lick and London, Kentucky. It was their third blue in a row this season. Over The Moon 4G was the second place tie for co-owners Star Catcher Farms-Missy and Tim Johnson and Olivia and Buie Williams. Walking out with the yellow streamer was Master’s Makin’ Mischief, with Amanda Wright aboard, for Link and Wright.

Watch For Honor and Jordan Golden can no longer be classified as Celebration novices after a blue ribbon performance in the Owner-Amateur Novice Show Pleasure class for owner Charles Gleghorn from Petersburg, Tennessee. It was their third blue in five shows this year. The White Hawk hunted down a red ribbon with owner-rider Barkley Bowling in the irons. Black Lined and Kourtney Tyra rode to a third place finish for Conley Tyra. Twenty of 29 listed entries competed in the class.

Southern Attitude and owner-rider Levi Parker from Killen, Alabama, also rode out of the Celebration novice division in the Owner-Amateur Novice Youth 6-11 class. They have four top finishes and a reserve this year in six classes. Schofield and owner-rider Elizabeth Thomas rode out with a red streamer, while G-Ride and owner-rider Gracyn Cloninger placed third. Sixteen of 19 entries answered the gate call. 

Up next on the agenda was the Elite Owner-Amateur Ladies on Mares & Geldings, which hosted 17 of the 28 programmed entries in the ring. Miss Stone’s Cash was ridden to the first tie by Lynda Botsch for Noel Botsch from Shelbyville, Tennessee. It is their second blue ribbon in a row this show season. Command On Parole, a “Classic” horse, was reserve with Sheryl Crawford in the irons, while Me And Pocahontas and Allyson Armstrong took home a yellow ribbon.

I Am Big Enough was also good enough for a unanimous win in the Owner-Amateur Youth 15-17 Ponies class. Co-owner Frank Clark was riding for Maxine Beasley of Athens, Alabama. I Am Big Enough has won three blues and three reserves. A Classic Action and owner-rider Harper Grider rode to the reserve finish, while Skywalk’s Threat and owner-rider Alex Luttrell were third. Seven of 10 listed entries participated in the class.

Nine Owner-Amateur Stallions teams took to “The Big Oval” next. It was the team of Lisa Baum and Dixie Road who were called from the lineup to accept the unanimous blue ribbon. Dixie Road and Baum are four-for-four in 2024. Baum won this class with A Bruce Pearl in 2017 and 2016. With her third win in the class, she retired the Middle Tennessee Association of Realtors Challenge Trophy. Rounding out the top three ties in what was a very competitive class were owner-rider Sarah Coffee Burks with The Iron Door in reserve, and Zorro Jr. and owner-rider Beth Beasley in third.

Joe Pa, with Tanner Burks in the irons for Shane Porterfield of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, made the winning ride in the Young Trainers on Mares & Geldings class that hosted 11 of the 26 scheduled entries. Joe Pa has three blues and two reserves in five classes. Honor And Salute and Kayla Baucom rode to a second place ribbon for Kerry DeArmond, while My Tanqueray rode out with a yellow streamer with Macy Woody Norwood aboard for Beth Tucker.

Ten of 17 programmed entries competed in the Four-Year-Old Stallions (Canter) class to close out the 12-class schedule. Honky Tonk and John Allan Callaway were the first place tie for Alan Riddley of Kings Mountain, North Carolina. Jura THF and Michael Wright were second for Darrell Oliver. I’m Choobacca and Sam Martin picked up a yellow ribbon for Floyd Sherman. 

The Two-Year-Old Stallions classes won’t be in “The Big Oval” until Monday night. It is a three-way split and a win in one of them is all John Allan Callaway needs to run the stallion table after riding Honky Tonk to the Four-Year-Old Stallions win. This win is added to the Five & Over class with Justified Honors in Section B Saturday night, along with the Three-Year-Old Stallions, Section A victory he and Ohtani had on Friday night.