IN MAY of each year, the town of Shelbyville starts filling up with King Ranch trucks with massive horse trailers in tow. License plates are caked and covered in dust, as many of these vehicles have journeyed across the country to get here. Walking horse enthusiasts, owners, riders, and trainers alike, are all headed to the Spring Fun Show held at the Calsonic Arena located on the Celebration Showgrounds. The Spring Fun Show marks the first of three horse shows exclusively managed by the Celebration itself. Each August the official Celebration Show, as many people are aware, is the biggest of the three horse shows and is held over a span of 10 days. A lot is on the line at that show, as competitors contend for World Grand Championship titles. The Spring Fun Show in May, on the other hand, is exactly what it sounds like! It is a more lighthearted competition where many world class equestrians and their horses compete without all the pressure of attaining a crown. Let’s just think of it like a practice round!
While many people who attend the Spring Fun Show have grown up around horses or are closely connected to equine life, spectators do not have to have prior knowledge about walking horses for the show to be enjoyable. Many event attendees have just as much fun taking in all of the sights and watching the activity without having much foreknowledge or knowing technicalities. The horse show is one of those experiences that’s fun even when you aren’t sure exactly what is happening!
This year’s Spring Fun Show will be held May 26 through May 28. If you have never made the trip to Calsonic Arena to watch dolled up horses and riders prance round and round, it is an experience you will not want to miss! Last year, 473 horses were entered in the Spring Fun Show to compete. This year, the Celebration staff and board members are expecting about 2,000 people to attend the show, over the three-day event. On April 8, 2022 the Celebration delivered an official press release sharing their selected panel of judges. Unlike years past, this year’s Spring Fun Show will have three judges instead of one. The Walking Horse National Celebration (TWHNC) has selected Leah Boyd, Derek Bonner, and Jamie Bradshaw to judge the 52nd Annual Spring Fun Show. Warren Wells, CEO of TWHNC shared, “We are excited to have this panel judge our show. We receive a lot of feedback from our exhibitors about the lack of variety in the judging panels across the industry, so the Celebration feels it is vital to do what we can to help grow the list of experienced judges while also providing the most competent panels for our exhibitors to show before.” -GN
