SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. — The 88th Annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration has surpassed 2,500 entries for this year’s show, signaling continued momentum for the industry's premier event.
The 2026 Celebration will begin Aug. 26 and conclude on Saturday, Sept. 5, with the crowning of the 88th Tennessee Walking Horse World Grand Champion.
Despite the show being held later on the calendar than usual, exhibitors responded with strong support. The final entry total reached 2,587, the highest in more than 10 years. Entries closed July 28, with a late-entry deadline of Aug. 4.The 2,582 entries are more than 100 more than last year, a 4% increase.
"Seeing the highest number of entries since I became CEO six years ago is incredibly encouraging and speaks to the momentum we continue to build at The Celebration," said Celebration CEO Warren Wells. "It's also the largest entry total we've seen in many years, which is a testament to the confidence our owners, trainers, exhibitors and breeders have in this event and in the future of our industry."
The show also reached the important benchmark of over 1,300 unique horses entered, rebounding after falling just short of that mark in 2025.
"While we're proud of these numbers, we're even more excited about what they represent — a growing enthusiasm for the Tennessee Walking Horse and a renewed commitment to making The Celebration the premier showcase for our breed," Wells said. "We can't wait to welcome everyone to Shelbyville for what promises to be an outstanding Celebration."
The strong entry totals resulted in 11 classes being split, consistent with recent years. The Two-Year-Old Stallions class on Monday evening is the only class that will be divided into three sections. Ten additional classes will feature A and B divisions, including the Amateur Owned and Trained class, which debuts a World Grand Championship this year.
Another new feature for the 2026 Celebration is the scheduling of the World Grand Championship classes. Championship competition will begin during the second half of the Wednesday, Sept. 2, evening session before culminating on Saturday night with the selection of the 88th Tennessee Walking Horse World Grand Champion.
Qualifying for the World Grand Championship will once again take place on the first Saturday evening in A and B divisions. For the first time in modern Celebration history, the last two Tennessee Walking Horse World Grand Champions are both entered to compete for the sport's highest honor.
The complete list of entries in the World Grand Championship qualifying classes is below.
Class 102A – Walking Stallions, Five Years & Over (Canter)
• The Iron Door
• Honor's Tee Time
• Big Henry
• Charles Lindbergh 4G
• Honky Tonk
• Cavender
• Spotlight On Jose 4G
• He's Pushin The Dollar
• Jura THF
Class 102B – Walking Stallions, Five Years & Over (Canter)
• I'm Choobacca
• Wilhelm
• 8 Mile SWF
• Ohtani
• Justified Honors
• My Addiction
• A Mighty Gin
• No Apology
• Jose's Lovin Man
• The Greatest Showman
Click here to see the schedule with splits.