Bedford County's Economy Gets a Boost from the Equine Industry
Horse fans demonstrated their undying support for the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration in 2005 when‚ despite downpours‚ more than 156‚000 people streamed through the gates of the celebration grounds in Shelbyville.
According to Chip Walters‚ who oversees public and media relations for The Celebration‚ the crowd marked the third-highest attendance of all time‚ and the event had an estimated $38 million impact on the regional economy.
Walters says The Celebration – and the equine industry in general – supports a variety of local businesses‚ ranging from veterinarians and trainers to publishers and the hospitality industry.
“There’s the large direct economic impact we see with visitors who travel here and spend time in local establishments‚” says Walters‚ “but then there are other economic factors‚ such as the people who have second homes here because of the horse industry and the businesses and organizations that are also based here for the industry.”
One such organization is the Walking Horse Trainers Association‚ a national organization headquartered on North Main Street in Shelbyville. With more than 700 members worldwide‚ the association approves licensed trainers and promotes the rearing of Tennessee Walking Horses for competition.
“There’s a wide appeal to the Tennessee Walking Horse. It can be shown and enjoyed by people of all ages‚ and its popularity is growing‚” says Billy Thomas‚ executive director of the Walking Horse Trainers Association. “About 80 percent of the time‚ there is a show every Saturday night near Shelbyville‚ and people from all over the country come into town for these shows‚ which is good for the local economy on an ongoing basis.”
Thomas also points to the economic boost charitable organizations receive from the many horse shows held each year in the area.
“Most of the shows are put on as fundraisers for local civic groups‚ and that also benefits the community economically‚” Thomas says.
He says some 17 civic clubs use The Celebration as their annual fundraiser and have raised more than $3.5 million dollars collectively over the past 15 years by operating food booths‚ parking cars‚ producing and selling programs‚ and selling souvenirs at the event.
For businesses such as Bedford Tack‚ a locally owned‚ 18‚000-square-foot retail and wholesale horse product supply outlet‚ growing interest in the horse industry has helped boost sales on a national and global level.
“We started out selling tack out of our garage more than 20 years ago‚ and now we’re shipping all over the world‚” says Aleitha Kimbro‚ who founded Bedford Tack in 1983 with her husband Jimmy. Located eight miles north of Shelbyville in Deason‚ Bedford Tack continues to expand to meet the growing needs of horse enthusiasts by offering custom saddles‚ handmade leather goods‚ apparel and other supplies.
And Bedford Tack is popular among country music stars such as Reba McEntire‚ Garth Brooks‚ George Jones and Brooks & Dunn.
Also based in Shelbyville is The Walking Horse Report‚ a weekly on-line and print publication for Tennessee Walking Horse breeders and enthu siasts. With constantly updated content including feature articles‚ directories of horse facilities‚ and horse show results and rankings‚ the magazine is distributed to thousands of active subscribers worldwide.
