1965-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1965 June Voice | Page 21

NASHVILLE JUNIOR RIDING CLUB
HORSE SHOW TO FEATURE OUTSTANDING
WALKING HORSE CLASSES FOR 1965
History of N. J. R. C. Provides Unique Background
for One of Ihe South's Oldest Horse Shows
It had been the custom of a group of girls to take a
Saturday trail ride with Mrs. JEANNETTE NOEL
along Granny White Pike and Radnor Lake. Upon
reaching the top of a hill they would eat lunch before
the ride back to "Granny” Noel’s. It was after one of
these weekly trail rides that the Nashville Junior
Riding Club was organized.
At Granny’s, over a cup of hot chocolate, the girls
discussed the possibility of putting on a horse show,
and Mrs. Noel suggested organizing a riding club to
sponsor the show. So in the winter of 1927 the NJRC
was organized. It has grown to be the largest and
most active young equestrians’ club in the South.
The first president was ANN DICKINSON, who is
now Mrs. HAMILTON GAYDEN. The first name sug­
gested for the club was the Rough Rider’s Ranch, but
fortunately Granny had the foresight to veto this pro­
posal in favor of a name she felt the club would even­
tually grow to.
Mrs. Gayden recently recalled with us those first
eventful days and months. She said she was probably
elected because she was the tallest and looked the
oldest. She remembers those "hard times” when the
girls begged trophies from the local merchants. I
might add that ti mes are not much changed! Her
daughter, IDA GAYDEN, has exemplified the same
leadership as her mother, and was elected historian
for 1965.
The club was able to get the first show "on the road”
in only two weeks’ time. Today the club is doing well
to put on a horse show after twelve months’ work. At
that time there was no coliseum, and the show was held
on a roped-off portion of the race track at the State
Fairgrounds. The judge was Judge HICKMAN, and his
daughter LAURA was a founding member of the club.
The classes were mainly for ponies and walk-trot
horses. There were no jump classes as none of the girls
were old enough. For the most part it was a childrens’
show. . . .the 25$ dues (now they are $6.00) helping to
finance the expenses. The trophies were tin cups
adorned with blue ribbons of the "homemade” variety.
The next year Ann Dickinson was again elected
president. Jumping was added to the agenda because
"Ann was now old'enough.” It was in this year that a
tradition was started that has become a vital part of
the club’s work: the proceeds of the show were given
to a local charity.
It is the aim of the NJRC to instill in its members
good sportsmanship and good citizenship. We feel
that a horse show can teach young girls the ability to
work together while competing against one another.
It also makes them aware of their responsibility to
their community and to those less fortunate.
The next year the Junior Riding Club Show was
moved into the brand-new Pavillion. The Shriners soon
became interested in the show and worked with club
members to benefit the Theater at Veterans’ Hospital.
June, 1965
By 1944 the show had grown to a four- and five-night
affair, with as much as $10,000 in prize money. At
that time the NJRC Show was bigger than the State
Fair Show, and was the biggest in Nashville or David­
son County. It still remains the oldest in the South.
The best horses in the nation graced the Pavillion in
those years — we hope they will again.
The War came and put a damper on the "operations.”
But even during the War only one year went by without
a show. After the War the club, with the help of the
Nashville Junior League, took Cerebral Palsy as its
charity project. However, the last show held in the
Pavillion before its renovation for the Ice Follies was
not a success. The managers of the show mishandled
the funds and the club found itself close to bankruptcy.
With the loss of the Pavillion, the members traveled
from one showground to another. Franklin and East
High football fields and Veterans’ Hospital grounds
were all used for one-night shows until the opening of
the Ellington Agricultural Center.
This year’s show benefits the McNeilly Day Home
which was broken into earlier by a gang of teenage
vandals. We feel that this is a worthy charity and we
are all working hard to put it back on its feet.
This year’s show will be held Thursday and Friday,
July 15 and 16.
The Walking Horse Division this year has grown
from 10 classes to 17, with more emphasis on ama­
teurs and young people. There is more money going
into the Walking Horse Division than any other. Pre­
miums totaling $2,065 will be awarded on the two
nights. Already the top Walking Horse trainers in the
country have promised to attend our show. We hope
many more non-professionals will turn out, also.
We are very grateful to Mrs. OGLE JONES, our
Walking Horse sponsor, and Mr. CHARLES H. WIL­
LIAMSON, our Walking Horse advisor, for the help
they have given us in planning our show. We also
want to thank the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders
for their contribution and the great interest shown by
many other Walking Horse enthusiasts in making our
show a success.
The Walking Horse Judge will be Judge GEORGE
HENSEN, Winchester, Tennessee; Announcer, BOB
JENNINGS, Brentwood, Tennessee; Organist, JIMMY
RICHARDSON, Shelbyville, Tennessee; and Ringmas­
ter, DON BROWN, Nashville, Tennessee.
CASHION STABLES PROGRESSING RAPIDLY - The new stable at the
Cashion Farms ol Shelbyvtlle, Tennessee is progressing as rapidly as can be
expected lor such a structure. The best description of this facility at the time
is "Fellows, you ain't seen nothin' yet!" The Cashion Farms, owned by Mr.
and Mrs. Lyle Cashion, Jr. and managed by Buddy Moore of Murfreesboro,
is the proposed home of STATELY GO BOY. We will watch the progress of
this major facility for news of its completion.
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