The horse industry in Tennessee is the 6th largest in the United States, and over 3 million acres of Tennessee farmland are used for horse-related activities. The Tennessee Walking Horse became an official state symbol in 2000.
History Tennessee was largely rural in its early statehood, horses were important as a form of transportation, and horse racing became a popular sport among the gentry. After the American Revolutionary War, Tennessee became a significant center for Thoroughbred breeding. In the early 1800s, Andrew Jackson established his plantation, The Hermitage, and became a breeder and racer of Thoroughbreds. Match races helped to popularize horse racing, with Sumner County, Tennessee providing the majority of Thoroughbred racehorses in the South. After the American Civil War, most of the native Southern stock was gone, and horse breeding in Tennessee had to be continued with horses imported from Northern states. After Tennessee outlawed betting in 1905, horse racing moved to Kentucky, while gaited horses and harness racing rose in popularity. Commonly referred to as "plantation horses", gaited horses had been bred for a smooth gait that made riding over large distances easier. As farms became mechanized and tractors replaced horses in the late 1800s and early 1900s, interest in horse shows rose, leading to the specialized breeding of gaited horses for show competition—specifically, the Tennessee Walking Horse. Saddlebreds were also popular in the state during the 1930s and 1940s, but dropped in popularity as the Tennessee Walking Horse came to the forefront of the state's horse shows. As of 2012, Tennessee was ranked 6th on the list of US states by number of horses, and 3.2 million of its 10 million acres of farmland were used for horses. As of 2013, Tennessee's most populous breeds were Thoroughbred, American Quarter Horse, then Tennessee walker.
Tennessee Walking Horse
The Tennessee Walking Horse was one of the first horse breeds to be named for an American state, and was developed in Middle Tennessee. Horse breeder James Brantley began his program in the early 1900s, using the foundation stallion Black Allan, who had a smooth running walk and a calm disposition, which he passed on to his offspring. Though Black Allan died in 1910 shortly after being sold to another breeder, Albert Dement, he sired 40 known foals whose bloodlines became well known in the region. One of his offspring, Roan Allen, carried on the bloodline, and is estimated by breeding experts to be the ancestor of 100% of living Tennessee Walking Horses. Brantley's and Dement's farms were both located just outside Wartrace, a town nicknamed "The cradle of the Tennessee Walking Horse". The breed's main registry, the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' and Exhibitors' Association (TWHBEA), was founded in 1935 in nearby Lewisburg. In 1939, Henry Davis and a group of fellow horsemen held the inaugural Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration; it lasted three days, and ended with Strolling Jim, trained by Floyd Carothers, being crowned as the first World Grand Champion. After the founding of the TWHBEA and then Celebration, the Walking Horse rose in popularity, and many notable breeding farms were established, including Harlinsdale Farm, and horse trainers began to focus on training Tennessee Walkers specifically for show competition. Trainers who became notable during this period include Winston Wiser, Fred Walker, and Steve Hill. Today, the Tennessee Walking Horse industry continues to be important in Middle Tennessee. The town of Shelbyville is called "the Tennessee Walking Horse Capital of the World", and has hosted the Celebration for most of its history. The Tennessee Walking Horse National Museum was founded in the 1980s, and was hosted in several locations before moving to its permanent location in Wartrace. The area is home to many farms and training stables which specialize in the breed, with Bedford, Rutherford, Coffee and Cannon counties having the largest populations. The breed also brings in large amounts of revenue to the state; the Celebration annually generates $41 million in income to Shelbyville alone, and champion show horses command high sales prices. There are multiple institutions and landmarks in the area named after the Tennessee Walking Horse, including the Walking Horse and Eastern Railroad, which runs between Shelbyville and Wartrace, and the Walking Horse Hotel in Wartrace, which was the home of Strolling Jim.
The Tennessee Walking Horse was officially named the state horse by the state legislature in 2000.
Notable farms and stables Ailshie Stables, Greeneville, a Racking Horse stable run by three generations of the Ailshie family. The founder, Kenny Ailshie, won six World Grand Championships in the Racking Horse World Celebration, in 1987, 1991, 1992, 1998, 2002, and 2006. His son Keith won the World Grand Championship in 2001. Grandson Brandon won it in 2017. Ashcrest Farm, Hendersonville, a historic plantation on the National Register of Historic Places. It now serves as a horse boarding facility. Belle Meade Plantation, Belle Meade, a former Thoroughbred racehorse breeding farm that produced Iroquois, the first American horse to win England's Epsom Derby. Bobo Farms, Shelbyville, a Tennessee Walking Horse training facility that showed the 2003 World Grand Champion, The Whole Nine Yards. Brantley Farm, Wartrace, the earliest Tennessee Walking Horse breeding farm. Dickie Gardner Stables, Shelbyville, a Spotted Saddle Horse stable that has produced multiple World Champions.
Harlinsdale Farm, Franklin, a Tennessee Walking Horse breeding farm that became notable as the home of 1945-1946 World Grand Champion show horse and sire Midnight Sun. Harlinsdale also bred Dark Spirit's Rebel, 1992 World Grand Champion, in addition to Rowdy Rev and several dozen other champions. Joe and Judy Martin Stables, Shelbyville, a Tennessee Walking Horse stable that trained the World Grand Champion Shades of Carbon. Milky Way Farm, Pulaski, a former Thoroughbred breeding farm that bred and owned the 1940 Kentucky Derby winner, Gallahadion. Milky Way was the leading Thoroughbred owner in America for the 1940 racing season. Waterfall Farms, Shelbyville, a Tennessee Walking Horse breeding farm. It stood World Grand Champion He's Puttin' on the Ritz at stud.
Horse shows and rodeos
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