A rope-ring of humble beginnings
From its humble beginnings through the explosion of entries and spectators of the 1970s and 1980s, the Owingsville Lions Club Horse Show continues to be one of Bath County’s signature events.
In his book, “It’s Hoss Show Time”, local author Tom Byron tells us “the first horse show was held on July 4, 1945 at the western edge of town, on what was known as Hendrix’s lot, now the location of Owingsville Elementary School. L.E. “Les” Richardson, well-known fox hunter, breeder of Walker Foxhounds, and a charter member of the newly founded Lions Club, spearheaded the new show and served as manager until his death in 1951. His son Jimmy who announced the horse show for 50 straight years from 1947 to 1997 also managed the horse show for several years after his father’s death. That first year featured a foxhound bench show, the horse show and a horse pull. The next year the club took their rope ring and moved to a slightly better facility on the opposite end of town, Barber’s Park. The parks colorful owner, “Frosty” Barber, had bulldozed a lot for baseball games for the Bluegrass League, circuses and carnivals were also held there. The park had bleachers and electricity, and Frosty’s little grocery served as a concession stand. By 1947 the Lions Club got serious about the potential for their little show and bought what is now known as the Lions Club Park. The two-night show was a big success and set the stage for tremendous growth for the next 65 years.”
The following are just a few of the headlines that ran in the Lexington Herald Leader through the years.
1948—July 3 Less Richardson, chairman of the executive committee for the Bath County Horse Show announced that the Owingsville Lions Club Horse Show will open at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Prizes will total $1,500. Features of the show will be the $250 walking-horse stake and the $200 five-gaited stake. The show will be held at the Lions Club park. A special feature will be the Bobbie Steele horse act. The talented equestrienne will give two performances, one in the afternoon and the other during the night show.
July 1950—The 6th annual horse show sponsored by the Owingsville Lions Club will be held the nights of July 3 and 4 at the Lions Club Park on Kendall Springs road. Premium’s totaling more than $2000 are expected to attract exhibitors from throughout Kentucky. New stables have been built at the park to provide better accommodations for the horses during the show.
June 1953—Manager Jimmy Richardson promised a “bigger and better show this year than ever before. This show this year has a stall reservation of 94 to date, an increase of 27 over the past record. To provide accommodations for performers, the club has under way the building of 20 additional stalls,” Richardson said.
A new class has been added this year, for walking ponies. An added attraction is the Champion Parade Horse of Ohio. New Stables appearing this year. The fancy pony turn-out, which always is an eagerly awaited class, has six entries with others expected as the show date nears. Reigning as Queen of the show will be the 1953 Mountain Laurel Festival Queen, Nell Wilson of Carlisle. The ringmaster will be Miss Peggy J. Barber, of Ashland.
July 1955—Neither sudden showers nor heavy dew could dampen the spirit of exhibitor or spectators as the ring and box seats became soaked by rain during the final stake classes. more than 3000 spectators sat in cars and in the grandstand until the very end to see Major Wilson, owned by Claude Brown of Morehead, walk away with the trophy in the big $250 Walking Horse Stake and to watch as Lady in the Night, owned and shown by B.W. Clark of Grayson, win the big championship.
June 1959—The 15th annual Owingsville Lions Club Horse Show will be held Friday and Saturday nights, July 3 and 4 at the Lions Club Park. Oscar Parker, manager.
July 1966—Down with the old. Members of the Owingsville Lions Club tore down the old concession stand at the Lions Club Park in preparation for their 22nd annual horse show July 3 and 4. A new $3,000 concrete block concession stand constructed by members this year. The horse show begins at 7:30 p.m. each day and features premiums and trophies for walking, gaited and pleasure horse classes. An exhibitor’s dinner will be held at the clubhouse on the grounds at 5:30 p.m. on Monday.
1971—With the acquisition of six acres added recently to their horse show grounds and the horse barns painted and repaired, Owingsville Lions Club members say they are practically ready for their 27th annual Horse Show, scheduled for July 2, 3 and 4. The recently purchased six acres lie directly behind the horse barns and will be used for exhibitor’s parking. The barns have stalls for 100 horses, but plenty of space will be available for quartering of the 250 entries expected, according to show officials. Over $2,500 in premiums, trophies and ribbons will be given away during the three-night event, with silver trophies being presented in all the championship classes.
1972—The 28th annual 3-night horse show opens Sunday at 8 p.m. with over $3000 in premiums and ribbons to be given away in the thirty-two classes. The barns at the Lions Club park, where the show will be held have stalls to accommodate 100 horses, all of which already have been reserved for two weeks. Since then reservations for horse stalls have continued to pour in with an expected 200 or more horses on the grounds by Sunday.
New grandstands have been built at the park to accommodate between five and six hundred people and all buildings have been painted and readied for Owingsville’s big event of the year.
1974—Ray Bailey, who won the Horse Show Manager of the Year award for Kentucky, in 1973, will again be in charge for this year’s event. Bailey has announced that barn stalls have all been reserved making over 130 reservations. In addition to a large number of entries, box reservations and parking stalls are already sold out. Prior to the showing of horses on Saturday, Miss Bath County 1974, Miss Bath County Queen Sherry Steel and her court of 12 will present ribbons in various classes.
Today the Owingsville Lions Club Horse Show is one of the oldest most prestigious multi-breed horse shows in the state of Kentucky and is managed by Ginny Richardson Clark.
