Kentucky Athletic Hall Of Fame To Honor Redd Crabtree
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
(Redd Crabtree will be inducted into the Kentucky Athletic Hall Of Fame in June.)
Having just celebrated its 30th anniversary, the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame will induct American Saddlebred trainer Redd Crabtree on June 18 at the Crown Plaza across from the Kentucky State Fairgrounds in Louisville. Crabtree is the first show horse trainer to be inducted.
“The Kentucky Athletic Hall Of Fame was created in 1963 by the Junior Chamber Of Commerce with Adolph Rupp among its first inductees,” said Bill Malone who has spent the past couple of decades coordinating the activities of the Hall Of Fame. “It started and stopped a few times but has turned into an obsession of mine to carry this on.”
Now with 270 members, including people like Muhammad Ali, Bear Bryant, C.M. Newton, Hugh Durham, Dan Issel, Joe Hall, Paul Hornung, Blanton Collier, Wes Unseld, Johnny Unitas, Cliff Hagan, Pat Riley, Frank Beard, Pat Day, Steve Cauthen, Seth Hancock, Jimmy Jones, Eddie Arcaro and many others, the Kentucky Athletic Hall Of Fame has honored those Kentuckians who have made an impact as players, coaches, athletes, trainers and media personalities.
“We have had Thoroughbred trainers because of Church Hill Downs and the Derby,” added Malone, but we’ve never had a show horse trainer. A good friend of mine, Wade Wearren, had suggested Redd [Crabtree] to me and I knew of Redd because I serve on the Kentucky State Fair Board but I didn’t know him personally. I thought, ‘well, Freedom Hall was built for the horse show, maybe it’s time we honor someone from that industry?’ I checked with Harold Workman and Fred Sarver who were both on the Kentucky State Fair Board and they confirmed that Redd would be most deserving.”
In addition to his great show ring successes, Crabtree has been a longtime industry leader, serving both the United Professional Horsemen’s Association (UPHA) and the American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA). Three times he has won the Five-Gaited World’s Grand Championship with CH Will Shriver, CH Cora’s Time and (SA) Zovoorbij Commander In Chief. Crabtree has either personally won or been the trainer of every five-gaited class at the World’s Championship Horse Show numerous times, in addition to many, many other world’s titles. Some of his great amateur and ladies gaited horses have included CH Bandstand, CH Popular Time, CH Summer Melody, CH Will’s Bulletin and CH Santana Lass.
“This is a great honor. I’m going to accept it on behalf of the many others who have been deserving,” stated Crabtree. “This is kind of overwhelming but maybe it will open the door for others.”
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