07/10/2024
Judges selected for 86th Celebration
SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration has selected Derek Bonner, Jamie Bradshaw, Scotty Brooks, Leigh Stuart and Amy Trimble to judge the upcoming 86th Annual Celebration. The Celebration will be held August 21-31, 2024 in Cooper Steel and Celebration Arenas over five morning sessions and 11 evening performances.
The Celebration affiliates with the SHOW HIO and selects its judges from those licensed by the SHOW HIO. The Celebration only selects from those judges that hold a AAA or better license with SHOW. Earlier this summer the Celebration sent an email to all SHOW judges and asked for those that had an interest and availability to judge this year’s show. There were 32 AAA or better licensed judges to submit their name for consideration and the Celebration narrowed the list initially and then went through an extensive vetting process to select the final panel.
“We appreciate the interest our SHOW judges have in judging our industry’s World Championship Show. I would like to thank our judges’ committee for the amount of time and effort put into selecting this panel,” said Celebration CEO Warren Wells.
Bradshaw, from Arab, Al., will be judging The Celebration for the seventh time with his most recent appearance in 2022. Bradshaw had judged The Spring Fun Show on four occasions including earlier this year. Bradshaw has judged most every major show in the industry during his career and will mark the cards one more time before The Celebration at the upcoming Marshall County Horseman’s Association horse show in Lewisburg.
Bonner, from Mooresboro, N.C., will be making his fifth appearance on the judging panel and will judge the show in back-to-back years for the first time in his career. Bonner has also judged most major venues outside of The Celebration in the industry and has also worked for The Celebration at the 2014 and 2022 Spring Fun Shows.
Stuart, from Alvaton, Ky., will be making her sixth appearance at The Celebration with her first appearance happening in 1997. Stuart also judged The Celebration in 2013, 2016, 2018 and 2020. Stuart’s span of 27 years from her first appearance to her current selection is one of the longest in recent Celebration history.
Brooks, from Smith’s Grove, Ky., will be making his second appearance at The Celebration with his first coming in 2017. Brooks has judged the Spring Fun Show in 2006, 2010 and 2017 and judged the Celebration Fall Classic in 2023. Earlier this year Brooks judged the Columbia Spring Jubilee and Money Tree Classic, two of the industry’s premier venues.
Trimble, from Pulaski, Tn., will be marking the cards for the second time with her first appearance being in 2022. Trimble most recently judged the Money Tree Classic over the 4th of July weekend but has also previously judged the Celebration Fall Classic, Mississippi Charity, Columbia Spring Jubilee, North Carolina Championships and Walking in the Smokies.
“Along with Charles McDonald and our entire center ring staff, I look forward to working with the panel to have a great Celebration. Our ability to have a panel that represents four different states and has 20 years of past Celebration experience excites all of us about our upcoming show,” concluded Wells.
