Tennessee walking horses, racking horses and other gaited horses will take over the arena at the Grayson County Agriculture and Recreation Park on Saturday evening, Sept. 22.
More than 20 classes will be offered during the show, which will start at 6 p.m. and last until about 10 p.m., said Nancy Cain, one of the organizers.
“We have some nice horses showing,” she said. “We usually have a tent set up in the middle of the ring, there’s music, and the emcee will talk about the history of the walking horse in between classes.”
The show opens with two special events for kids — a stick horse class, and a lead line class, Cain said.
Kids can either bring their own stick horses, or the show’s organizers will have some available, she said.
The annual show has been going on for several years, and is one of the final events in the walking horse show season, she said. Prize money and ribbons will be awarded.
“Normally in the past we probably had 23 classes and somewhere between 65 to 70 entries,” Cain said. Those entries have come from multiple states, including Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana and Ohio.
There will be a $5 admission charge, and concessions will be available.
Tennessee Walking Horses were originally bred as utility horse to carry the owners of plantations around their lands. Known for their unique four-beat “running walk” and flashy movements in the show ring, they are quite hardy and are also popular for trail and pleasure riding.
Racking horses are another breed of “utility horses,” developed in the South before the Civil War for use on the plantations. Their smooth, natural four-beat gait meant riders could comfortably stay in the saddle for hours.
The horse’s gait is often called a “single-foot,” because only one foot strikes the ground at a time. The breed is also known for its unusual friendliness to humans.
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