BATON ROUGE, La., - Louisiana State University celebrated all weekend long Nov. 7-10, as the site of the Dixie Jubilee Horse Show hosted Saddlebreds, roadsters, and Hackney ponies and Middle Tennessee State University for their homecoming football game.
LSU won the game by a large margin and exhibitors had a large time all weekend as parties ruled the day including the traditional Thursday night aisle party and Friday night’s Mardi Gras Ball. The Mardi Gras ball is always a blow-out and always has a big group dancing until the wee hours of the morning. Maria Gilman and Walking horse trainer Joe Cotton were called up to the dance floor as the Mardi Gras Queen and King this year.
A loyal following of barns from Louisiana, Florida, Tennessee, Texas, and Alabama returned again this year and were joined by newcomers representing Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee, and Alabama.
Cascade Stables, led by Barbe Smith, went back home to Audubon Park in New Orleans with an enormous number of winning ribbons in performance, equitation and academy.
The Buffalo Creek Farm group again came from Tennessee to put together a successful group effort in several performance divisions.
Judd Stables has been coming to the show for several years and Don Judd and Maria Gilman returned with their customers from Land O’ Lakes, Fla., and had a very good horse show. The group posted numerous performance wins. Trainer Clark Clouse brought his customers for their Dixie Jubilee debut and took home several titles to Kentucky.
Paul Cates Stables has been a loyal representative from Texas for several years and Cates-trained entries took home several blue and tricolor ribbons.
Trainer Clark Clouse not only brought the Clouse Stables-trained entries for their Dixie Jubilee debut but went home to Kentucky with the Five-Gaited, Three-Gaited, and Roadster To Bike Grand Championship titles in addition to several other winning ribbons.
Bill and Lisa Waller’s Clover Leaf Stables joined the list of barns that made the trip to Baton Rouge for the first time. Even though MTSU lost the football game, Clover Leaf joined the Tennessee contingent that represented the Volunteer State well.
Hometown trainer Marjorie Judd, of Marjorie Judd Stables in Baton Rouge, La., led her group to several wins in both performance and academy.
Courtney Huguley again brought the Heathermoor Farm Riding Academy entries from Alabama and by show’s end, there were several blue ribbons on the tack room wall. Garland Presswood, of Breezeland Farm, supported the show when he was in Tennessee and still supports it now from his location in New Orleans. He went home with a trio of wins in the Hackney pony division.
Dr. Fraser Mackenzie’s entries posted victories in the country western pleasure division. Silver Run Stables made an appearance at Dixie Jubilee for the first time and went home to Florida with winning ribbons.
Dorothy Dukes Ford had the Bayou Park group from Texas in good order again this year for more than one victory pass.
Joe Lavery brought the entries from his newly-opened Lavery South in Chelsea, Ala., and went home with a couple of blue ribbons for his tack room wall. Long-time Dixie Jubilee supporters Camelot Stables, Roberts Stables, John Shea Stables, Maranatha Stables and Wedgewood Stables all went home with wins after taking a victory pass in center ring in front of official photographer H. Leon Sargent.
Dixie Jubilee is one of the few remaining horse shows that brings the American Saddlebred and Tennessee Walking Horse exhibitors together, and the weekend is always marked by a festive atmosphere. Show manager Faye Mary works hard to keep everybody happy and things running smoothly. Jimmy Miller traveled from Wentzville, Mo., to judge the Saddlebred, roadsters, ponies, equitation and academy divisions. Miller didn't face many large classes but he certainly faced great competitors who brought their horses in anticipation of a great show.
The Cascade Stables customers had an especially great show with wins in five-gaited, park, pleasure, equitation and academy to lead the win count for the weekend.
Darnell Bludworth and Santana’s Escapade just keep getting better and they began their winning weekend by claiming the LASHA Three-Gaited Pleasure blue ribbon before taking the victory pass in the adult pleasure qualifier. Winsome’s Tom Cat and Margaret Cordes took the LASHA pleasure red ribbon and then returned in the competitive Adult Three-Gaited Pleasure Stake to claim the tricolor with a great display of teamwork. Belle Espirit and Ella Bright took the red ribbon in the 10 and Under Walk and Trot Pleasure class.
Holly Nalty and Champagne Bob were victorious in the Five-Gaited Pleasure class to continue the good season they’ve got going and then returned in the stake to finish as the reserve grand champions in the competitive stake. Kelcy Smith had Kalarama’s Flash Point right on the money to take the victory pass in the stake.
The mother and daughter team of Kitty and Lauren McMichael finished with winning ribbons in their respective divisions. Kitty McMichael and All Heired Up teamed up to win the amateur park stake after earning the reserve in the qualifier. Lauren McMichael teamed Mr. Bayleigh to the 14-17 pleasure class blue ribbon and then came back in the junior exhibitor stake to finish with the reserve title.
Coco Judd and Soulful Warrior turned in a powerful performance to win one of the most competitive classes of the show, the Amateur Five-Gaited Stake. Jon Paul Dorignac retired the trophy in 1999 in the Junior Exhibitor Five-Gaited Stake with CH The Spitfire Special. He and Charlie Chaplin teamed up this year to win the blue ribbon in the qualifier.
Victoria McHenry and Winter Possum have only been together a short time this season and they dominated the pleasure equitation division. They won the Pleasure Equitation Championship, Saddle & Bridle medallion and the 13 and under age group qualifier.