National Ag Day was recently celebrated on March 18, 2025, and a huge fanfare was taking place in Nashville, Tennessee on Capitol Hill. The Tennessee Walking Horse industry was well-represented with the official horse of the State of Tennessee. CAVENDER, the 2024 World Grand Champion, did a great job representing the Tennessee Walking Horse breed!
The SHOW HIO recently hired Tim Hatfield as its lead DQP. The position became available after the resignation of John Paul Riner who had led the program for the last two years. Riner, who had been a Designated Qualified Person (DQP) with SHOW since 2010, resigned from his position in December. “We can’t thank John Paul enough for his service to SHOW and our industry. He was a professional and did an amazing job leading our HIO and its DQPs in consistent enforcement of the HPA,” said SHOW executive committee member Jeffrey Howard.
Hatfield has been a DQP with SHOW since its inception in 2009 and actually received his license with the National Horse Show Commission just prior to the activation of the SHOW HIO. Hatfield was a trusted member of Riner’s team over the last several years and has worked all of the major industry shows affiliated with SHOW.
Hatfield is from Johnson City, Tenn., where he lives with his wife of 31 years, Bobbie. Hatfield has two sons and is retired from the refractory industry where he had a career that spanned over 30 years.
“I am excited about this opportunity. I loved the way John Paul ran SHOW and I intend to keep things running in the same manner. I look forward to working with the industry and trainers to continue to improve compliance with the HPA and have our horse shows thrive,” said Hatfield.
During the 2025 SHOW Judges’ Clinic, a discussion was had regarding if owners could show horses in front of a judge that they had horses in training with. Under the 2024 rules, an owner could show a horse that they owned in front of a judge that was also a professional trainer that the same owner also had horses in training.
In past history, that rule had been interpreted to mean that the owner himself/herself could not ride the horse in front of the other trainer who was judging but that the professional could ride that horse in front of the judge who had horses in training for the owner.
The new rule will not allow either circumstance. The new rule reads:
Ethics & Rules for Judges, Owners, Exhibitors and Trainers – Under D in the Judges Section and G in the Rule Book Divisions section, (a.) has been added effective immediately;
A horse cannot be entered in a show that is being trained or boarded by the judge officiating the show. However, stud fees and care and associated mare care are excluded from this rule.
(a.) If an owner has horses in training with multiple trainers and one of those trainers is officiating a show, then none of the horses owned by that owner can show under that judge.
For more information visit the SHOW web site at www.SHOWHIO.com
William “Dwaine” Elliott, 77, of Valdese passed away Thursday, March 20, 2025 at Peak Resources Nursing Center in Shelby following a period of declining health.
Dwaine was born June 2, 1947 in Walker County, Georgia to the late Herbert Elliott and Avo Hudgins Elliott.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his step-son, Brian Lowman.
Those left to cherish his memory include his wife, Bernice Elliott of the home; children, Butch Elliott of Bridgeport, WV, and Karie Osler and husband Birk of Goose Creek, SC; grandchildren, Katelyn, Dalton, Cherokee, Skylar, and Reid; great grandchild, Lainey; step-grandson, Adam, and step-great grandson, River.
A funeral service will be held 3:00PM Saturday, March 29, 2025 in the Chapel of Heritage Funeral Service with the Rev. Mark Ball and Rev. Patrick Mourglea officiating.
Interment will follow at Calvary Memorial Gardens.
The family will receive friends prior to the service, on Saturday from 2:00PM-3:00PM at Heritage Funeral Service.
An online guestbook and obituary are available at www.heritagefuneralservices.com.
Heritage Funeral Service and Crematory is assisting the family.
TWHBEA announces Horse Show Grants for Youth Events Available for 2025
TWHBEA Youth Vice-President Nicole Tolle has announced that her committee is again making $2,500 available in grants for horse shows that plan to host a youth-specific event at their 2025 show.
LEARN MORE: https://twhbea.com/horse-show-grants-for-youth-events-available-for-2025/
Amateur Owned & Trained to go under the section of
“special classes” and the rule be as follows:
Amateur Owned & Trained:
• No professional training within 90 days.
• Professional training shall include grooming, warming up or riding the horse, bracing, coaching, corrective or informative instruction by a professional on the show grounds, or a professional hauling a horse that is AOT to a horse show. Bracing is not allowed by a professional.
Additionally, AOT horses must be owned, trained, and shown by the same person or immediate family member of the owner of the horse. All persons involved must meet the requirements of amateur status.
This year’s Youth Judging Contest will be held on Friday, April 25 at Champions Arena in Shelbyville, Tennessee. This year’s event will also feature a Skillathon where youth can test their equine knowledge at various stations. Once again, participants will be invited to attend The Celebration in August and the winners will be recognized in center ring. The winning junior and senior teams will also get the chance to guest judge a class at The Celebration. Youth ages 10 to 18 can participate as individuals and/or teams to compete for scholarships and prizes totaling $10,000. The scholarships are sponsored by TWHBEA and The Celebration. Participants are split into Junior and Senior divisions and will judge both conformation and performance classes.
The entry deadline is Friday, April, 18, 2025.
What started as street corner conversation in Lewisburg, Tennessee between former Tennessee Governor Jim Nance McCord and Burt Hunter, led to the initial public meeting on May 11, 1935 and the formation of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ Association of America. 90 years later, now called the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ & Exhibitors’ Association, we have registered over half a million horses around the globe. We’ll be celebrating our 90th anniversary with a week of festivities from May 11-17, 2025. SAVE THE DATE and stay tuned for more details.
If anyone has memorabilia from the past 90 years that you’re willing to share, please contact Paige Liggett at 931-359-0592 or pliggett@twhbea.com.
