THE CALSONIC Arena, located at the Celebration grounds, has a new identity — the Cooper Steel Arena. The exterior and the interior received much-needed updates, including fresh exterior paint, an updated facade, and new doors and windows. A new Cooper Steel Arena sign reflects a corporate partnership between Cooper Steel Fabrications and the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration (TWHNC), which includes multimillion-dollar renovations.
“We’ve been looking for someone to purchase the naming rights of the arena for several years now,” said Warren Wells, TWHNC CEO. “I can’t think of a better company to partner with us than Cooper Steel. They started locally here in Shelbyville and have been tremendously successful around the country. They are a family-owned business and a great corporation for our community.”
Boasting 52-foot ceilings, a 150-foot by 300-foot show floor with an additional 125-foot by 250-foot indoor warm-up area, permanent seating for up to 4,500 spectators, and additional seating for up to 7,000, the massive indoor arena has served as the hub for national and community events since its completion in 1989. According to Wells, plans aren’t finalized for the entire renovation but will include a facelift for the whole arena. Renovations will take a break during this year’s TWHNC and resume in October.
“This will be great for the Tennessee walking horse industry; we have a lot of walking horse shows that call this arena home. This is also good for our community. We are recruiting new events for Shelbyville, and these upgrades will only help us bring in more. In 2021, we brought in just under $50 million to the local economy. We’ve had a good bit of growth since then, and this will only compound that growth.”
This year, the TWHNC will celebrate its Diamond Anniversary of 85 years. This year’s Celebration, beginning August 3 and continuing through September 2, must be added to your calendar of events.
“The board and I have a vision that I think will be tremendously successful for the Celebration and our community,” said Wells. “Our World Grand Championship Show has seen steady growth over the last few years, which should continue. We have struggled to be profitable for the last 15 years but have seen success over the last two fiscal years. The renaming of the arena is very exciting. We are working on a master long-term plan, and that gets me really excited for the future of our 105-acre facility. I’m excited about the future of the Celebration.”
Last year, the Celebration added Wednesday night to its schedule. Previously, this night was the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association Futurity Night, and the Celebration absorbed those classes into its schedule, making the Celebration 11 nights rather than 10. Last year, Wednesday night events were held in the Calsonic Arena (now the Cooper Steel Arena). This year, the first Wednesday night will be held outdoors in the Celebration Arena. Food booths and the Blue Ribbon Circle will be open like all other nights of the Celebration.
The Celebration will also host several exciting family-friendly events such as a motocross competition, various 4-H events, dog shows, rodeos, circuses, monster truck wars, a demolition car derby, and, of course, its crown jewel, the world grand championship for the Tennessee walking horse.
“My oldest son really loves when the monster trucks and the Lone Star Rodeo come to town,” said Wells. “He is crazy about dirt bikes, so we are working with a producer to get Arena Cross back to Shelbyville. That arena is so personally special to me. I was in the Shelbyville Tennessee Army National Guard that deployed to Iraq in 2005-2006. When we returned, the community threw us a welcome home event in what will now be called the Cooper Steel Arena. That was the first time I saw my friends and family since returning home. As you can imagine, I [have] great memories in that arena, not to mention all the events I attended there as a kid.”
Wells, a native of Bedford County, believed success was found elsewhere, so he left to pursue a career in the professional sector away from home but ultimately chose to return to his first love.
“Bedford County is special, as well as the people. We have so many great stories and history. I am obviously biased since we are the home of a breed of horse that bears our state’s name around the world. I like best that Shelbyville is my home. It is who I am to the core. I love that my son now wears the same school sports uniforms that I did as a kid. I believe that the best days for Bedford County are before us, and I am excited to be here and play a role in our future success. I hope the next generation doesn’t have the same outlook on Bedford County that I did, and I will work diligently to make them realize they can have a successful career right here at home.” GN
