Middle Tennessee/Celebration Memories

One of my fondest memories of my summers spent in Middle Tennessee was the Saturday night horse shows.
Every weekend from May till the Celebration there were several one or two night horse shows within an hours
drive of Shelbyville. Its seems that every town in Middle Tennessee is only 20 or 30 miles from the next town.
I thought it was interesting that the recent article posted by Smitty made reference to these shows and the fact
that in the old days exhibitors used to ride their horses to the shows. Many of these shows were part of a county
fair. It is my opinioin that the one night horse show is one of the reasons that the Tennessee
Walking Horse flourished in Middle Tennessee as opposed to other parts of the state and country. Any place big
enough to have a school yard with lights could have a horse show. Most were fund raisers for some local charity.
All you needed to have fun on a Saturday night was a car, couple of bucks for a ticket, and your trusty lawn chair.
Since I no longer attend any horse shows except the Celebration and do not subscribe to any Walking Horse paper
or magazine, I have no was of knowing how many of these shows still exist. But my suspicion is that many have fallen
by the wayside due to varying reasons. If this is the case it may be one of the reasons for the gradual decline in
attendance at the Celebration.
Below is a list of my favorite Middle Tennesse Horse Shows. Please feel free to add your favorites.
This list is in no particular order and does include some multi-night shows.

Columbia Spring Jubilee Lewisburg Pulaski
Murfreesboro Lynchburg Wartrace
Winchester McMinnville Manchester
Lebanon Woodbury Chapel Hill
Eagleville Gallatin Fayetteville
Lynnville Cornersville Tullahoma
Petersburg Bethesda Lawrenceburg
Belfast Ardmore Nashville

I with you Razor,some of my fondest memories was haulin to these shows and sometimes not getting home till the wee hours of the morn or sometimes by dawn!Spent many a hour coolin horses out after the show was over.

Smitty,
Another great article. It answers my question. My hunch was correct. Prior to moving to the current location the Celebration was at
Shelbyville High School like the PTA show.

Moonglow Jr. & the Daugette family

I may have posted this one before several years back (?) Can't remember. Anyhow, here it is again, by popular demand.

Smitty, this picture is from the Amateur Championship in 1969. This was the night of the Big Rain Storm.
I am submitting an original which is a lot clearer than your copy.

Left to Right: Col. C.W. Daugette. John Martin,Burt Daugette, Moonglow Jr.,Florence Daugette, Clarence Daugette

Heres one from '69 of just Moongolw Jr. and Burt.
There were a lot of pictures that night because there
was a 30 or 40 minute rain delay before the big stake.

Was the Nehi machine in Vics barn on the grounds ?

Yep! While you Were cooling off from your
Championship ride you could sip on a big
Nehi Orange or grape right at Vic's Celebration barn!

Razor,Where was Vics barn on the grounds?

Vic's barn on the celebration grounds was the
2nd or 3rd barn up from the barn office.maybe the
Barn that Larry & Gary Edwards are in now.

Rock-A-Bye Lady and Anne Daugette win the 1969 Ladies Mare Class at The Celebration

The 1969 Ladies Mare Class Trophy won by
Rock-A-Bye Lady and Anne Daugette

The trophies now a days don't compare.

Burt Hugs Moonglow Jr. after they win the 1969
amateur Stallion class at the Celebration

Here's an "oldie but goodie" I pulled out of the archive:


Moonglow Jr.'s retirement ceremony

Oops! you jumped the gun!
I've got them in living color to
Come.

1969. Moonglow Jr & Burt Daugette win the Celebration Amateur stake for the 3rd time
and retire the Arnolt Challenge trophy which was first put up for challenge in 1950.

Celebration Amateur stake Championship ribbons won by
Moonglow Jr. and Burt Daugette in 1966,'68 & '69