Horse show memories

The annual Easter weekend horse show holds many fond memories for volunteers, participants and spectators

by PATTI STOKES Many years ago the late Edna Linville, who was describing how the Easter Horse Show in Oak Ridge got its origins, wrote in the show’s program: “It was early in 1945 when a group of Oak Ridge men were leisurely sitting around the old pot-belled stove at Linville’s Store trying to come up with an idea to raise money for a new church. Charlie Oakley, a local resident, came up with the idea for a horse show, the proceeds of which could be given to the Oak Ridge United Methodist Church building fund. It didn’t take long for this idea to develop steam and plans were started for the fi rst Oak Ridge Horse Show held on Easter Monday, April 22nd, 1946, with D. Lan Donnell as the fi rst chairman.”

A charity event run entirely by volunteers, the show was for several decades a much-anticipated Photo courtesy of Bud Blaylock This photo taken in the 1950s shows participants lining up for the annual parade that kicked off the Oak Ridge Easter horse show. “Mr. Benbow’s barn is in the background, which is just off Hwy 150 at Billet Road and near what is now Farmsworth Road,” wrote Oak Ridge native Bud Blaylock in a post on Old Oak Ridge’s Facebook page. Blaylock said the man at the reins was Charlie G. “Pops” Oakley.

event by community members and others who came from miles around to show off their horses and riding abilities, participate in the draft pull and later, in such events as mutton bustin’. Over the years it was held the horse show raised money not only for the Oak Ridge United Methodist Church building fund, but also for a new gym at continued onpage 26

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