Racking Horse World Celebration

Last updated
Racking Horse World Celebration
Sanctioning body Racking Horse Breeders' Association of America
Location Celebration Arena, Priceville, Alabama
HeldAnnually
Length9 days
Inaugurated1972
Breeds shown Racking Horse
Largest honorWorld Grand Championship
ClassesOver 170
Number of entries1,000
Attendance70,000
Website www.rackinghorse.org

The Racking Horse World Celebration is the largest show for the Racking Horse breed. It is held annually in late September at the Celebration Arena in Priceville, Alabama, a few miles outside Decatur. The Celebration encompasses over a week of nightly shows, and includes approximately 170 classes. Over 1,000 horses compete there each year, and spectator attendance is roughly 70,000. The World Celebration's counterpart is the Spring Celebration, held in April at the same location.

Contents

History

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Map of Alabama showing location of the Racking Horse World Celebration.
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Racking Horse World Celebration (the United States)

The Celebration was started in 1972, not long after the formation of the Racking Horse Breeders' Association of America (RHBAA). [1] Although most of the organizers were from Birmingham it was decided to hold the show in Priceville, which is in Morgan County, northern Alabama, because the horse center there was the best in the state at the time. The first Celebration lasted one day and included 23 classes. A total of 257 horses were shown. Many of the exhibitors and horses were from the Muscle Shoals area. The competition was patterned after the larger and to some extent, more widely known Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, with a World Grand Championship as the largest honor. [1] The first World Grand Champion Racking Horse was Go Boy's Road Runner in 1972. [2] The trainer with the most World Grand Championships was Kenny Ailshie, who won the honor six times; in 1987 on Oil Stock, 1991 and 1992 on Oil Stock's Delight, 1998 on The Finalizer, 2002 on Unreal, and 2006 on Score at Halftime. [3] The first female rider to win the World Grand Championship was Barbara Agnich riding the horse Tragedy in 2005. [4] In a twist, Agnich competed against her boyfriend Rick Parish to win. [5] In 1986, the Racking Horse World and Spring Celebrations were named by the Southeast Tourism Society as being among the top 20 attractions in the Southeastern United States. [6]

Winners

This is a list of World Grand Championship winning horses, trainers, and owners at the Racking Horse World Celebration.

Racking Horse World Grand Champions [4]
YearHorseTrainerOwner
1972Go Boy's Road RunnerMorris DennyW. P. Smith
1973The Bounty HunterRalton BakerRalton Baker & Athel Hargett
1974The GodfatherJimmie WehuntJimmie Wehunt
1975Bentley's AceGary BeamBentley Beam Stables
1976Sunset JubileeLarry TaylorKenneth Helton
1977Eternal FlameLarry ThomasDoug McCosh
1978Mc's Rambling ManJeff JohnstonJohnston Stables
1979The Great GatsbyKeith BradfordBuck Island Stables
1980Ace's High RollerLarry TaylorW. L. Cox
1981The Bold MasterRoger LewisEd Smith
1982Intruder's Night HawkJackie BarronDiana Floyd
1983Broadway Joe CJimmy YeagerGordon Smith
1984Bourbon Street Bum IILarry TaylorAlice Mullins
1985Powerful ThreatJoe SpiveyPI Unlimited
1986Oil StockJackie BarronTri-State Distributors
1987Oil Stock Kenny Ailshie Tri-State Distributors
1988Patent's Black PoisonJohn GraingerHenry & Diane Bell
1989Sunset Pure DelightHarley TaylorWillis & Mackie
1990The Generator JJimmy YeagerRobert & Janice Dabbs
1991Oil Stock's DelightKenny AilshieClyde Creech family
1992Oil Stock's DelightKenny AilshieClyde Creech family
1993Professional ImageDale WattsGene Stokley
1994Choice's First CutRobert StiversClyde & Grace Robertson
1995Flashy DazzleJimmy YeagerWillard & Linda Townson
1996Master's Easy MoneyJohn GraingerMaxis Strickland
1997Guaranteed PerfectRick ParishCVF Partners
1998The FinalizerKenny AilshieClyde Creech family
1999Papa's ChoiceMark TaylorRobert & Vivian Watkins
2000Pursuing PerfectionLarry LathamMuguerza & Harris
2001The PushovertureKeith AilshieClyde Creech family
2002UnrealKenny AilshieTerry Dotson family
2003Gold Plated SD Casey Wright Joan & Amanda Hart
2004Fashion's PrideMark TaylorBill & Linda Cone
2005TragedyBarbara AgnichTommy & Sharon Vivian
2006Score at HalftimeKenny AilshieDenny Russell
2007The FinalizerLamar DennyJohn L. Denny
2008Jose's PushoverDwight DunnRobert & Tom Deaton
2009It's Me AgainRick ParishArvolle Brown
2010Jose's PushoverJamie LawrenceDenny Russell
2011Score at HalftimeJonathan BellamyHoward & Theresa Bellamy
2012Papa's Final ChoiceLarris MissildineRiley Fenn
2013Pusher's DollarJason CreechClyde Creech family
2014High SwordJamie LawrenceKimberley Coult
2015High SwordJamie LawrenceKimberley Coult
2016TearsJamie LawrenceKimberley Coult
2017Helter SkelterBrandon Ailshie [7] Angela Fields
2018Sy RobertsonJamie LawrenceDenny Russell
2019High SwordJamie LawrenceRoy Wester
2020High SwordJamie LawrenceRoy Wester
2021I’m McGregorChris ZahndBrain Rolen
2022I’m McGregorChris ZahndBrian Rolen
2023I’m McGregorChris ZahndBrian Rolen
2024He’s Slim SeveJamie LawrenceRoy Wester

Classes

The Celebration lasts 9 days and nights and includes over 170 classes to accommodate a variety of disciplines, including saddle seat, trail, English pleasure, western riding, driving, speed classes, and even stick horse riding for young children. [8] [9] All horses entered must be registered with the RHBAA, and the trainer, owner and rider of each horse must also be Association members. All horses entered must have a negative Coggins test and currently be vaccinated against the equine herpes virus. [10] Multiple World Championships and one World Grand Championship are awarded during the course of the Celebration. [10] [11] One specialty class, called "Racking for the Roses" is designed to showcase the abilities of horses that may not enter the World Grand Championship. Riders in the class must be professional trainers who have been training for at least 5 years and have never won the World Grand Championship. The World Grand Championship is the most significant and the final class in the Celebration, held on the last Saturday night of the show. It has a cash prize of $3,000 and a silver tea set for first place. [10] [12] In addition to regular competition, the show includes a horse sale, trainers' association meeting, and youth activities. [10]

The Celebration has average attendance of around 70,000 people annually. [13] It includes about 1,000 horses from 25 US states. [14]

Spring Celebration

The Spring Celebration, formerly known as the Spring Warm-Up [15] is held in mid-to-late April and begins the Racking Horse show season each year. It is very similar in style and level of competition to the World Show, but only lasts four days. It is the second-largest Racking Horse show in the United States. [13]

References

  1. 1 2 "Racking Horse Celebration continues tremendous growth". Times Daily. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  2. "Daily News - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  3. "Kenny Lee Ailshie" . Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  4. 1 2 Unknown [ permanent dead link ]
  5. "Tragedy claims victory at show". archive.decaturdaily.com. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  6. "Gadsden Times - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  7. "Young trainer racks to the roses | the Walking Horse Report".
  8. "Racking Horse World Celebration". Alabamatravel.com. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  9. "Racking Horse Spring and World Celebrations". Decatur Convention and Visitors Bureau. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Unknown [ permanent dead link ]
  11. "Cherokee County Herald - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  12. "If Only still among contenders for racking horse championship". legacy.decaturdaily.com. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  13. 1 2 "Racking Horse Spring Celebration". Event Crazy. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  14. "Racking Horse Spring Celebration kicks off in Decatur". Waff.com. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  15. "The Free Lance-Star - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 17 September 2017.