Lowman inducted into new museum

Larry L. Lowman of Shelbyville recently became the first honoree into the Opryland Hotel's new Tennessee Walking Horse Museum in Nashville.

Lowman became the second person ever to receive Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' & Exhibitors' Association's Performance Ambassador of the Year Award in 2002. He is now serving his ninth term as Tennessee director for the TWHBEA and his fifth term as vice president of marketing on the TWHBEA Executive Committee.

He is president and co-founder of the Tennessee Walking Horse Foundation and was inducted into the Tennessee Walking Horse Hall of Fame in 2004.

Lowman earned his first Tennessee Walking Horse World Championship at age 16 in 1966 and since has garnered nine other World Championships, seven Reserve World Championship, three TWHBEA Futurity Championships and two Reserve Futurity Championships.

A self-taught artist, Lowman was one of several artists chosen to participate in the State of Tennessee's Millennium Art Project sponsored by the White House Conference and National Endowment of the Arts.

In a partnership, he owns Bridlewood Farm which has developed into one of the industry's largest breeding operations. Champion stallions have included Masquerading, RPM, Ironworks, Gen's Armed and Dangerous and The Black Night Shade.

Additionally, Lowman is active in numerous projects in Bedford County, serving as president of the Bell Buckle Chamber of Commerce from 2003-2006 and president of the Tennessee Backroads Heritage from 2002-2006.

Lowman was an integral part of getting Opryland Hotel's "Walk This Way" project off and running.

The Tennessee Walking Horse "Walk This Way" at Opryland is a joint project of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' & Exhibitors' Association, The Celebration and the hotel.

"Walk This Way" started when The Celebration's CEO Ron Thomas was contacted by the hotel icon Margaret Parker about supplying walking horses for the two pastures at the hotel entrance. Thomas contacted Lowman and expressed that maybe this could be good exposure for the walking horse breed.

Lowman started the wheels rolling by getting all the horses donated through the Walking Horse Foundation. The Walking Horse Association and The Celebration would then share in the upkeep.

Presently, there are six beautiful horses, three on each side of the entrance. They are Copy's Nickita, owned by Harold Chandler of Westmoreland; Dropper, owned by Virginia Stewart of Shelbyville; Rudolph Valentino, owned by Lowman; Gen's Mr. Half Dollar, owned by Bob McCloy of Norman, Okla.; Generator's Mystic, owned by Russ Keiser of Wemding, Germany; and Ole Blue Silver Tips, owned by Beverly Greenup of Pulaski.

At each pasture near the horses are informational signs and a time-line history of the walking horse. The Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center is the fifth largest hotel in the world and attracts 4 1/2 million visitors each year.

Besides the horses, videos of walking horses play on large screen monitors at all check-in desks, throughout the hotel lobbies and in each room on the hotel's information channel.

Rack cards with information about the walker and The Celebration are placed throughout the hotel. Walking horses and events are displayed on the hotel's website and two huge display cases in the lobby display walking horse memorabilia.

The new exciting project at the moment is the "Name The Foal Contest" Generator's Mystic had a beautiful filly about two months ago, and jointly with Tammy Henry of Opryland Public Relations it was decided to have a naming contest, open to everyone.

Opryland guests, horse enthusiasts and the general public were invited to enter. The winner is to receive an all-expense paid weekend stay at Opryland, a two-night trip to The Celebration, complimentary tickets to The Futurity, and a 24 by 30 inch painting of the filly by artist Larry L. Lowman.

Over 30,000 entries were received and the name chosen is Label Me Mystic Star. The winner is Wanda Throne, a native of Illinois and a life-time member of the association. She has never attended the Celebration. She said she entered the contest hoping to win the trip.