The Brentwood Horse Show was an event, sponsored by the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce, that took place in the late 1970s. The event was coordinated by Chamber board member Renita Gordon, who owned a saddle shop located at the corner of Wilson Pike Circle and Frierson St.
“The first show was held in an empty lot in Maryland Farms,” said Mike Huff, who was the Chamber president the year the event was started. “[It was located] near a building close to the YMCA that actually looks like a barn. The show took place across the street on the north side of Maryland Way.”
Cleaning out the barn was the first thing the committee needed to do. It was the actual barn of the Wards, the original owners of the property.
“Somewhere there is a photo of George Miller and Currie Andrews at a cleaning session,” Said Huff.
The event continued into the 1980s under the two Chamber presidents who followed Huff, the barn cleaners, Miller and Andrews after that. They were followed by Larry Kain.
“There was also a sanctioned painting we commissioned from famous artist LeRoy Neiman,” added Huff.
Neiman is famous for his fluid and colorful sports paintings and designs showing the life of those living the international jet set lifestyle in the 1950s and 1960s. He is also famous for creating the infamous “Femlin” for Playboy Magazine.
A poster was created from Neiman’s painting with multiple copies being sold. They are sure to be a collector’s item today!
“The following year,” added Huff, “the event was held in the vacant lot that currently houses Kroger and First Watch on Church Street. The owner of Brownland Farms in Franklin, Sissy Anderton, set up and ran the show with Renita Gordon.”
Gordon and Anderton ran the show into the 1980s on the property that was the Koger Center, and is now part of the Brentwood Executive Center, according to Michelle Anderton. Not too long after the first show, the Maryland Horse Farm property was turned into what is now the Maryland Farms Business Center.
Maryland Farms will be the location of the of the first Brentwood 50th Anniversary event, the “Golden Gallop Parade” on Saturday, April 13 at 2:00 p.m. For more information about the parade, check out our story, “A Golden Gallop Set to Kick of Brentwood’s 50th.”
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