Forget the horses; WHTA has hoops

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Here are the four H's of the walking horse world: horses, halters, hay, and hoops.

Hoops?

Hoops -- as in basketball. At 6 p.m. Friday, four teams of walking horse trainers, members of the Walking Horse Trainers Association, will be battling for bragging rights that have nothing to do with blue ribbons, Celebrations or, well, horses.

The fourth annual WHTA Youth Council Trainers vs Trainers Basketball Game (Also known as February Madness), coordinated by Jill Derickson, will hit the court at Shelbyville Recreation Center to raise money for two worthy causes.

"Over the past three years, we have raised over $15,000 for Vanderbilt Children's Hospital and $5,000 to the WHTA Youth Council Members in Cirsis Fund," said Derickson. "We have about 40 walking horse trainers on four teams. These guys are serious about their basketball and the competition is fierce."

The team coaches are also trainers, she said, and they've all been in training since January.

Of course, the three basketball games they offer as sport (and entertainment) aren't all the night holds.

There will also be competitions for the audience, including a Youth Shoot Out and a chance to win a back cover ad, sponsored by the Walking Horse Report.

More than a dozen high-ticket items, from a hand-made quilt to VIP boxes at the Spring Fun Show, will be auctioned off; and there will be a drawing for a 2009 GMC Sierra pick-up truck.

If you go

WHAT: Fourth annual WHTA Youth Council Trainers vs Trainers Basketball Game; WHEN: 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20; WHERE: Shelbyville Recreation Center; COST: $5

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Back in the 60's, my Dad had barn number #38 if I remember, right across from Joe Webb. Dad always had a basketball goal mounted to the light pole at his barn. Alot of grooms and trainers stopped by after working their horses for pick-up games of basketball ..... it was really more like "barnball" with no rules. They were fun to watch and more than one person usually left the game with cuts and bruises.

Mark Welsh

-- Posted by M Welsh on Fri, Feb 20, 2009, at 2:48 AM