Saturday - American Saddlebred Horse Association

Freedom Hall Friday Night!
Photo by Jen Corcoran
Rachel
Machamer
takes a final
pass on
CH Blackberry
Delight.
By Alan F. Balch
As the 2008 World’s
Championship Horse Show headed
toward its final
performances,
the much anticipated
retirement
of perhaps the
single most
accomplished
World’s
Champion
across multiple
sections of competition –
CH Blackberry Delight – brought the
Freedom Hall crowd to its feet with
an outpouring of emotion and
repeated sustained ovations.
Trainer Lynda Freseth had the
thrill of riding into a roaring wall of
emotion when “Jim” set foot for
the last time on the fabled green
shavings; Rachel Machamer had the
distinction of being astride for his
last victory lap, as she halted at the
end of the ring and turned him to
face his admiring public, cheering
itself hoarse.
Photo by Jen Corcoran
And as a finale, once the show
ended past 11 p.m., a literal crush of
the Saddlebred world, old, young,
and everywhere in between, descended
on the new Saddlebred
Café in the North Wing
adjacent to Freedom Hall,
to celebrate his great
career. With a delicious
supper and refreshments
courtesy of Shannon
Sewell and Rachel, with
the support of the
Kentucky State Fair and
American Saddlebred Horse
Association, the party was on,
including music by Gabe Deknatel
and Chad Graham of the Chad
Graham Band, the final drawing for
$20,000 in the Saddlebred Raffle
(Jay Leslie, Jr., of Georgia won the
grand prize of $5,000!), and a live
auction handled expertly by Jim
Price and a stellar team of bid spotters.
Now it’s on to the most important
performance in the world of Saddle -
breds each year, World’s Grand
Championship Saturday Night!
Photo by Jen Corcoran
Rachel
Machamer
bestows a
grateful bittersweet
kiss on
CH Blackberry
Delight.
WCHS Results and Judges’ Cards | 1 | Saturday, August 23, 2008