Let's Go Foxtrot

Gulf Coast Horse Show & Music Festival
A Walking Horse Show & Festival Tradition at the World’s Most Beautiful Beaches
RIDING IN SUPPORT OF BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB & OTHER LOCAL CHARITIES
Thank You! PC Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau 1-800-PCBEACH,
Bay County Board of County Commissioners, Best Rentals Corp.Southeast & Our Other Sponsors
April 21nd – 24th, 2010

The Gulf Coast Charity Celebration Association, Inc. was founded in 1998 as a 501(c)3 charitable organization by Martha “Sister” Blackmon Milligan. The original Board of Directors was “Sister” Blackmon Milligan, President, Cathy Williams, Secretary and Don Shafer, Treasurer. Phillip Griffitts replaced “Sister” Blackmon Milligan as President in January 2004 after she resigned to devote her attention to other endeavors, remaining a valuable volunteer. In 2002, Ben Lee, an Auburn graduate with a Masters Degree in Business took over as Executive Director from 2002 until 2005 and presently serves on the Board of Directors. Todd Fisher took over the Executive Director duties in 2006 and has been the Show Manager since its inception. Fisher is a Towson University graduate also with a Masters Degree in Business. Fisher served has the Executive Director until departure in October of 2009. Fisher will continue to work as the Gulf Coast Charity Celebration's Show Manager. Thad Way was appointed as Co- Executive Director in May of 2009 and replaced Mr. Fisher as the new Executive Director in October. Way graduated Mississippi State University with a degree in business. The goal and mission of the Gulf Coast Charity Celebration Association, Inc. was and is to bring a quality show horses to Panama City Beach, Bay County, Florida to raise money for local charitable organizations and to foster the education and knowledge of the equine industry and different breeds of horses.

In the spring of 1999 during the last full weekend of April, the first show was held at Aaron Bessant Park and attracted more than 330 horses from around the United States a feat industry notables said could not be done. The show now attracts hundreds more horses and hundreds of exhibitors and support staff each year from throughout the United States, coming from as far as California, Washington State and Pennsylvania, not to mention the multitude of spectators that follow those horses. The show has grown to be one of the largest of its kind in the United States and the largest of its kind in Florida. In 2003 the show moved from Aaron Bessant Park to the Frank Brown Park Addition on Panama City Beach, which now serves as the new permanent location.

The Gulf Coast Charity Horse Show & Music Festival is always held the last full weekend in April each year (which includes the last Sunday of April). This date was chosen during the shows inception to accommodate businesses in the community during an otherwise “off season” time of year. The Gulf Coast Charity Horse Show & Music Festival on Panama City Beach benefits local charitable organizations in North West Florida while generating a positive economic impact on the local economy and fosters education and knowledge of the equine industry and different breeds of horses. It is estimated that the show brings more than 25,000 people to Northwest Florida during the five days prior to the event and the four days of the event. These horses, their owners and trainers come to Panama City Beach from all across the country to compete for prize money, prizes and bonuses of over $50,000.00. For many years it was the only Tennessee Walking Horse Show that is held in Northwest Florida and it is one of the largest shows in the country.

The show provides attractions with many different forms of entertainment, before, during and after the show. National and Regional Bands are booked each year to provide entertainment before and after the show. Some of the best local and regional food vendors are available and many merchandise and art vendors from around the country are on hand for the event. Amusement rides are provided for the children and it’s fun for the entire family. This is a world-class event for families of Northwest Florida and throughout the nation.

Thanks to the efforts of all the sponsors and over 150 volunteers from schools, civic and charitable organizations, regional media, the public at large and county and city officials the Gulf Coast Charity Horse Show is in its 11th year and has already achieved many national awards including the highest awards a horse show can receive in the U.S.A. In 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 the show was voted the “Best Multi-Day Show of the Year” in the country by the readers of the “Walking Horse Report”, one of the industry’s largest publications and in 2003, 2004 and 2006 voted “Reserve Champion Multi-Day Show” of the Year. In 2001, 2002 & 2008 the show was voted the “Best Multi Day Horse Show” in the country and in 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2005 voted “Reserve Champion Multi-Day Horse Show of the Year” by the National Walking Horse Trainers’ Association the largest group of horse trainers in the country. In 2001 the Gulf Coast Charity Horse Show and Music Festival won the “Emerald Award of Excellence in Show Management” (best managed show) by the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ and Exhibitors’ Association the largest association of exhibitors and owners of Tennessee Walking Horses. In 2004 the “Voice” Magazine one of the industry’s largest publications voted the Gulf Coast Charity Horse Show and Music Festival, “Reserve Best Multi-Night Horse Show of the Year”, “Best Horse Show Party of the Year” and “Best Horse Show Food of the Year”; in 2005 “Best Multi-Night Horse Show of the Year”, “Best Horse Show Party” and “Best Horse Show Food”; in 2006 “Best Horse Show Party” and “Best Horse Show Food” and in 2007 the “Reserve Best Multi-Night Horse Show of the Year” and “Best Horse Show Party of the Year”. Also, in 2007, Readers of the “Scoop” Magazine, another one of the industry’s largest publications voted “P.C. Splash Classic”, our first and summer satellite show in Shelbyville, TN, “Best One Night Horse Show of the Year”.

The Gulf Coast Charity Horse Show & Music Festival is truly a very unique event. It is one of the few National Events that Northwest Florida has each and every year. CSS has nationally televised this event for the past several years. The majority of the Horse Show patrons spend the entire week of the event at Panama City Beach. The Horse Show allows many area restaurants, hotels and small businesses to thrive during a traditionally slow week. The Horse Show benefits are two fold, it not only provides a very positive economic impact (estimated at 4.9 million dollars to Bay County by the Bay County Tourist Development Council/Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau) driving our economy during the last full weekend in April each year but also it is responsible for over $700,000.00 going to area charitable and civic organizations and parks since its inception in 1999. The major beneficiaries have been, Anchorage Children’s Home, Hospice of The Emerald Coast, Gulf Coast Community College, Chipola College, Habitat for Humanity, Teen Challenge of Bonifay and Frank Brown Park as well as the Optimist and Kiwanis of Panama City Beach to name a few. In 2006 the Gulf Coast Charity Celebration partnered with Anchorage Children’s Home to be its largest fundraiser of the year and the two years following. Since the Gulf Coast Charity Horse Show & Musical Festival’s inception it’s proceeds have provided education to area residents, helped families of and the terminally ill, abused, neglected and abandoned children and troubled teens and more. The Boys and Girls Club of Bay County wil be the major beneficiary for the upcoming 2010 event.

This year’s Gulf Coast Charity Horse Show & Music Festival is April 21st – 24th, 2010 at Frank Brown Park, Panama City Beach, FL. The gates will open at 3:00 CST and the show starts at 5:00 CST and 4:00 CST on Saturday.

The entertainment for 2009 was “LEGENDS OF THE BEACH” (Formerly The Embers) Friday and Saturday after the show, “ENTICE”, from Nashville, TN Thursday played after the show, and “THE RHYTHM ALLSTARS”(with 3 songs topping the charts in Europe) Wednesday after the show, and the “Ivey Brothers” and “Royce Reagan”, were be back by popular demand before the show. Specialty Acts for 2009 included “Wild Thang” which is monkeys riding the Border Collies herding sheep, and Blake Goode roman riding a pair of Brahma Bulls weighing in at over 2000 lbs a piece… jumping through a ring of fire!

Each and every year the exciting entertainment and specialty acts are changed, The 2010 entertainment lineup will be released in January of 2010. Please check back for an update on the exciting new entertainment plans for the 2010 event.

Remember to mark your calendars always for the last full weekend in April each year. Please visit us at our web-site, www.gulfcoasthorseshow.com. For more info. please call 850-914-9030 or 1-800 PC Beach.

Gulf Coast Charity Horse Show
Bay County, Panama City Beach, Florida
"to educate persons to the different equine breeds."