Summer Local Living 2024

Summer Local Living May 2024— 13 ZOËWATKINS Contributor T his year is the 118 th anniver- sary of the annual Wartrace Horse Show. The event will take place on Jernigan Field on August 3 and begin at 6 p.m. All proceeds benefit the Cascade Schools. The judge will be Joe Fleming. Box seats are $60. History Wartrace is known as the “cra- dle” of the Walking Horse. That’s because the town, which was in- corporated in 1858, served as the breeding center. Frances Bates, from the Ten- nessee Walking Horse Museum, said, “We didn’t give birth to the baby, but we raised him.” “I believe we have the oldest one-night horse show in Tennes- see,” she said. The Walking Horse was first bred right before the turn on the 20 th century. “What they were looking for is they need three thing in Middle Tennessee. They needed a horse that could work—plow a field, pull logs out of the woods. They needed a horse that they could saddle up and ride around the farm. They also needed a horse they could hook up to a buggy or wagon to go to town on the weekend. This horse fit the bill,” Bates explained. In fact, walking horses were first known as “plantation horses,” until 1935, indicating their original intent. Bates explained that when the horses were first bred, from the sire horse Allen F-1 (a Tennessee Pacer), only about 60% of them had the Walking Horse gait. That changed as more and more breeders focused on supply- ing people with mares and sires who had the best, smoothest gait. “This surrounding area is where it all took place,” said Bates. “And then when the Walking Horse Hotel opened--it was built and opened in 1917--everybody could come to Wartrace, and there was a couple barns around that could work your horse for you.” The fact Wartrace had a rail- road system running right through town made it the “hub” for breed- ers and trainers as people had easy access to the town from places like Nashville and Chattanooga. “That’s howwe became the cra- dle,” said Bates. And now the horse show is one way to carry on the history and tradition of Wartrace’s tie to Ten- nessee’s original horse breed. Class schedule for August 3: 1. Model Open RIDERS CUP 2. Weanling Fillies or Geldings RIDERS CUP 3. Two Year Old Mares or Geld- ings RIDERS CUP 4. Little Champs: Stick Horse 5. Amateur Trail Pleasure, Opt. Tack 6. Yearling Fillies or Geldings RIDERS CUP 7. Amateur Riders on Two Year Old Mares or Geldings 8. Youth Riders 11 & Under on Mares or Geldings 9. Two Year Old Stallions RID- ERS CUP 10. Amateur Park Pleasure 11. Weanling Stallions RIDERS CUP 12. Amateur Riders on Three Year Old Mares or Geldings 13. Country Pleasure RIDERS CUP 14. Amateur Show Pleasure 15. Amateur Riders on Walking Ponies 16. Yearling Stallions RIDERS CUP 17. Youth Riders 12-17 on Mares or Geldings 18. Walking Horse Trainers Aux- iliary on Pleasure Horses (Shoes not to exceed 3/8 x 3/4) 19. Three Year Old Mares or Geldings RIDERS CUP 20. All Day Pleasure 21. Amateur Riders on Two Year Old Stallions 22. Open S h o w Pleasure RID- ERS CUP 23. Amateur Riders on Five Year Old Mares or Geldings 24. Three Year Old Stallions RIDERS CUP 25. Walking Horse Trainers Aux- iliary on Performance Horses 26. Amateur Park Performance 27. Amateur Riders on Three Year Old Stallions 28. Four Year Old Open, RID- ERS CUP 29. Amateur Riders on Mares or Geldings 30. Amateur Country Pleasure, Opt. Tack 31. Amateur Riders on Four Year Old Mares or Geldings 32. Amateur Riders on Four Year Old Stallions 33. Trail Pleasure RIDERS CUP 34. Open Specialty RIDERS CUP 35. Amateur Riders on Five Year Old Stallions 36. Amateur Riders on Stallions 37. Walking Horse Champion- ship, RIDERS CUP History continues to ‘walk on’