Monticello — The Racking Horse Breeders Association of America annually hosts the
Racking Horse World Celebration horse show in Decatur, Alabama to crown the
championship horses of the breed.
The 2009 horse show included over 160 different classes and was held on
September 19-26.
Three Wayne County residents were among the winners at the 2009 World
Celebration.
In her first time competing at the World Celebration, Savannah Upchurch
and her horse, Jose's Beauty, made their way to the winner's circle. The
pair won the World Championship title in the Youth Rider, 12 & Under,
Specialty Action division. Savannah is the daughter of Roger and Jill
Upchurch.
The victory was even more special because Jose's Beauty is owned and
raised by the Upchurch family. Jose's Beauty is trained at Dunn Stables in
Whitesburg, KY.
The Morgan family‹Danny, Barbara, and Derek‹are the proud owners of two
horses that were crowned World Grand Champions. I'm A Blue Chip was shown by
trainer, Dwight Dunn, to the Four-Year-Old Stallion World Championship and
the Four-Year-Old World Grand Championship.
Derek Morgan competed with Label Me Royal and claimed the World
Championship title in the Amateur Rider on Four-Year-Old Specialty Action
class.
Derek and Label Me Royal then competed in the Amateur Specialty Action
Stake class and were named the World Grand Champions in that division.
Label Me Royal is undefeated in his show-ring career. Both of the Morgan
family's horses are trained at Dunn Stables in Whitesburg, Ky.
Sara Beth Gregory also competed at the show and claimed a World
Championship title in the Amateur, Lady Rider class aboard Motown Senator.
The duo later won the Reserve Amateur World Grand Championship with a
second place finish in the Amateur Stake class.
Motown Senator is owned by the Conley Gregory family of Monticello, and
trained by Roger Byrd of Campbellsville, Kentucky.