“I Am Jose” has won the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration an unprecedented three consecutive years. Equestrians learn this week whether he will be retired or return for a fourth attempt at the title. (Contributed photo by Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration)All eyes in the equestrian world are focused on small-town Shelbyville.
The 78th annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration gets underway in August, and fans of the high-steppers are watching to see whether history will again be made this year. “I Am Jose,” owned by Bill and Debby Woods, has won the national championship three consecutive years, something no other horse has accomplished.
What can top this three-peat? Will Jose be retired or come back to try for a history-making fourth title at this equestrian summit? Celebration officials say there is no rule limiting the number of years a horse may compete, as long as it qualifies in a preliminary class as all other competing horses do. The suspense will end Sept. 3 when the 2016 Championship is presented.
After the 11-day walking horse event concludes, there’s plenty to see in Shelbyville the remaining 354 days of the year. Country music fans will want to check the town square where Miranda Lambert filmed a music video, as well as shop the boutiques, grab a bite at one of the three new restaurants and just enjoy small-town Southern hospitality.
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WEEK OF ‘CELEBRATION’Horse lovers from around the world converge on Shelbyville at the end of August for the annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration — or just “The Celebration” for short. This year’s festival began Aug. 24 and concludes Sept. 3.More than a quarter-million tickets are sold each year.A book of tickets for all 11 nights is $100. Reserved seats for individual nights start at $7 for opening night to $20 for the final night.The Celebration grounds include an outdoor arena that seats 30,000; Calsonic Arena, which seats up to 7,000; and a stables area with 1,200 stalls.Source: twhnc.com
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TWO WAYS TO SEE THE TOWNVisitors have a choice of either an old-fashioned walking tour or the new tech-friendly Jack Trail to discover Shelbyville. The Jack Trail is a 348-mile, self-guided tour that starts and ends in Nashville, but loops through 11 counties in between. It is part of a state initiative by Discover Tennessee to guide visitors to find what lies off the beaten path.>Walking Tour: Loop the historic courthouse square to visit the 19th-century Rock Jail, boutiques, restaurants and antiques shops, and admire architecture dating to the early 1800s.>The Jack Tour: Geocache boxes are hidden in 10 locations around Bedford County. Download the Jack Trail app from iTunes or download a trail map from tntrailsandbyways.com.Source: Stephanie Price; Shelbyville Chamber of Commerce
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FUN FACTIn 1991, the world’s longest pencil was produced in Shelbyville. The plastic-case pencil was 1,091 feet long and weighed 27 pounds.Source: Wikipedia
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CITY CENTERShelbyville’s town square, laid out in 1810, has served as the prototype for town squares throughout the South.It was also the backdrop for country superstar Miranda Lambert’s video “Famous In a Small Town.”The square is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.Source: Shelbyville Chamber of Commerce; Tennessee Department of Tourist Development
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DIG INThree new restaurants have opened in Shelbyville during the past year, says Stephanie Price, director of the Shelbyville Chamber of Commerce: Southern Fare, Yummy Thai and Urban Plantation.Urban Plantation was opened last October by Sara Wright, Martha Akers and Andrea Akers. Wright formerly worked as a chef at Opryland and in Chicago, but wanted to come back to her hometown; so the friends of 15 years started their own restaurant.“It’s a farm-to-table concept,” Wright says. “We have our own gardens; we work closely with local sources for other items. We stay away from cans and use homemade ingredients. One of the house specialties is the Reuben, and we cure our own corned beef. Another top-seller is the ‘loaded chicken salad.’ We bake croissants fresh each day.”* Urban Plantation (Classic Americana): 764 N. Main St.; 931-488-7840.* Southern Fare (Southern cuisine): 910 N. Main St.; 931-536-5768.* Yummy Thai (Asian fusion): 1310 N. Main St.; 931-492-4740.Source: Shelbyville Chamber of Commerce; Sara Wright
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*AT A GLANCE*Shelbyville is the seat of Bedford County, which encompasses 475 square miles in the center of the state. It’s about a 90-minute drive from Chattanooga.Population: 20,335Biggest employer: Tyson Foods with 1,337 employees; the county fills more than 4,000 manufacturing and related jobs.Century farms: Bedford County is home to 25 farms classified as “century farms,” meaning these properties have been in the same family 100 years or more. The oldest is Roberts Farm, which dates to 1811.Famous residents: Rex Brothers, a baseball star drafted by the Colorado Rockies; actress Sondra Locke, who co-starred in six movies with her (then) boyfriend Clint Eastwood.*Source: Shelbyville Chamber of Commerce; Salute magazine; imdb.com