A Celebration of Horses: The American Saddlebred

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A Celebration of Horses: The American Saddlebred
1993 AHSA Award
Cover of American Saddlebred magazine featuring William Shatner
Screenplay byBetty Wills
Presented byWKNO-Memphis
StarringWilliam Shatner
Narrated byJon David Henry
Music byASCAP
Production
Executive producerBetty Wills
ProducerAxiom Entertainment
CinematographyScott Jewett
EditorJoe Dixon
Running time28:30
Original release
ReleaseNovember 1993 (1993-11)

A Celebration of Horses: The American Saddlebred was a half-hour television special about the

Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the United States on 56 regional affiliates, and was also broadcast into Canada. The program starred actor and horse enthusiast William Shatner. Most of the segments were taped on location with Shatner at his Belle Reve Farm, and at the Lexington Junior League Horse Show in Lexington, Kentucky
.

Concept and creation

American Saddlebred coverage of the episode.

The documentary was produced as the pilot episode for a proposed PBS series titled A Celebration of Horses. The series was designed to showcase the history of various horse breeds, the evolution of equestrian sports and the preparation required for horse show competition. The series' origins correlated with the stated vision of former

American Saddlebred Horse Association;[2] and Lynn Weatherman, former editor of The American Saddlebred magazine,[3] participated as technical advisors in the production and also provided some of the stock footage
.

Cast

Background/production

sound mix for the program.[5]

Theme

The episode features the history of the

American Saddlebred Horse as a breed, and segues into guest host William Shatner speaking candidly about the preparation and training for horse show competition, breeding, raising and selling horses while guiding viewers on a tour of his Belle Reve Farm near Lexington, KY.[6] Shatner also appears competing at the Lexington Junior League Horse Show and in an interview after his performance. The episode ended with the intense head-to-head competition between two of the all-time greatest five-gaited Champions of their time, the stallion Sky Watch and the gelding Imperator, in the stake competition at the Freedom Hall Civic Center in Louisville, Kentucky, referred to by some as "the biggest stage in the show horse industry."[7][8]

Release

As a pilot episode, A Celebration of Horses: The American Saddlebred was scheduled for four releases nationally on 56 PBS affiliates from November 1993 through October 1995.[1]: 87 

AHSA Award

The program won the 1993 AHSA Award for Broadcast Media Excellence.[1]: 86  AHSA Award originated in 1993 as part of the Making Strides for Equestrian Sport initiative[9][10] The American Saddlebred Horse Association nominated the program's executive director and subsequent winner of the broadcast division.[1] Wills was one of five recipients to receive the award which was presented to former ASHA president Judy Werner on behalf of Wills at the 1994 American Horse Shows Association convention in Denver, Colorado.[1]: 86 

Notes

  1. ^ In 1999, American Program Service changed their name to American Public Television

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "TV Series Featuring Saddlebreds Honored". The American Saddlebred. American Saddlebred Horse Association: 88. January 1994.
  2. ^ "Patricia Nichols Dies". The Saddle Horse Report. October 1, 2014.
  3. ^ "Saddlebred Legend Lynn Weatherman Dies". EQUUS Magazine. April 15, 2006. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  4. ^ "KNO Productions" (PDF). January 1, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 10, 2017. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  5. ^ "WKNO Homepage". wkno.org. 1996-12-27. Archived from the original on 1996-12-27. Retrieved 2022-09-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. ^ "Three-Day Event And American Saddlebred Will Be Featured In KET Programs On Nov. 1". The Dawson Springs Progress. October 28, 1993. p. 17. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  7. ^ "CH Sky Watch". Kentucky Horse Park. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  8. ^ Bob Funkhouser (September 15, 2003). "A Celebration Of History, A Celebration Of Challenges, A Celebration Of Tomorrow". The Saddlehouse Report.
  9. ^ "Horse Show Magazine". 59 (3). American Horse Shows Association. March 1994. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  10. ^ "AHSA Announces Winners Of Seventh Annual Media Awards – The Horse". The Horse. 2000-01-07. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
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