Representatives from the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' and Exhibitors' Association and the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration worked on an agreement that would return the TWHBEA National Futurity as a qualifier for The Celebration and would be held in conjunction with the world championship horse show. Those involved included, from left, Celebration Interim CEO Virgil Johnson, TWHBEA Interim Executive Director Stan Butt, TWHBEA VP of Horse Shows Bill Strickland, TWHBEA President David Pruett, Celebration Chairman David L. Howard, and TWHBEA Industry Development Director Lori Puckett. (TWHNC photo)

The Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association has reached an agreement re-affiliating its annual Futurity with the Celebration.

The two events were not affiliated during 2007, after many years of joint operation. The new agreement will allow the Futurity to use the Celebration's judging panel and allow Futurity classes to once again function as preliminary classes for the 2008 Celebration.

The Futurity is traditionally held the night before the Celebration's evening classes begin. The 70th Annual National Futurity will be held in Calsonic Arena on Wednesday, Aug. 20.

The TWHBEA National Futurity is the showcase for the breed's youngsters and represents the richest purse of any one-day event in the Tennessee Walking Horse industry.

"I am pleased to continue a long-standing tradition for the TWHBEA National Futurity," said TWHBEA President David Pruett. "It is my hope, with this advanced arrangement of the Futurity, TWHBEA is allowing those planning to nominate sufficient time to prepare for this prestigious event."

The 70th Annual National Futurity will add two classes, Two-Year-Old Park Performance Stallions, Mares, and Geldings and Three-Year-Old Park Performance Stallions, Mares, and Geldings. Also in 2008, the TWHBEA National Futurity will begin the four year process of becoming a true futurity, allowing yearlings, 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds to have the opportunity to "buy-in."

All 2008 weanlings must be nominated by Aug. 1 to be eligible for future participation in the TWHBEA National Futurity. Starting in 2009, only foals nominated as 2008 weanlings will be eligible for the Yearling division. By 2011, all 3-year olds eligible for competition will have been in the program for the full four years.

Nomination of 2008 foals is important to ensure future participation in TWHBEA Futurities.

"We're very happy to be able to make this joint announcement," said Celebration Chairman David L. Howard. "The National Futurity is a wonderful showcase of the young horses in our breed. Having it in conjunction with The Celebration and have the classes serve as qualifying classes for Celebration World Grand Championships is the right thing for both organizations and the breed in general."

The Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' and Exhibitors' Association (TWHBEA), headquartered in Lewisburg, was founded in 1935. Its breed registry was established to record the pedigrees of the Tennessee Walking Horse. Its goal is to maintain the purity of the breed, to promote greater awareness of the Tennessee Walking Horse and its qualities, to encourage expansion of the breed and to help assure its general welfare.