Our 7th annual Songwriter’s in the Round event took place on August 19th in the Robbie Nutt “Circle of Friends” Indoor Arena. The event was a sellout for the 4th consecutive year! We would like to thank General Manager Dane Dobson and the entire Chuy’s team for providing delicious Tex-Mex for the event. The dessert of banana pudding was provided by Dead End BBQ.

​Following dinner, drinks, and barn tours, four of Nashville’s leading songwriters - Phillip Lammonds, Emily Brooke, Ryan Larkins, and Michael Farren - took turns telling stories and singing songs they have written for some of country music’s biggest stars. (Blake Shelton, Darius Rucker, Old Dominion, Tim McGraw, Dolly Parton, Lauren Daigle, and Kelsea Ballerini)

This event has quickly become a hot ticket item in East Tennessee in August each year. Keep an eye on our website and social media because we hope you’ll make plans to join us next year! Thank you to our event sponsors: Evergreen Construction, Clayton, R3 Consulting, Bill Cox Furniture & Design, Chuy’s, Dr. John Lavelle, SouthEast Bank, Rather & Kittrell, Hildreth Insurance Creative Solutions, Wayne & Julia Wilson, Paul & Debbie Nichols, Cyan Insurance Solutions, Summit Medical Group, Knoxville Orthopedic Clinic, 5 Star Waste, Dead End BBQ, Cherokee Distributing Photos courtesy of Barry Slaiman​

Over 75 participants competed in our Annual Horse Show this August, our biggest one yet! Thank you to all who made the long day possible! The show allows our participants to compete in a positive environment and demonstrate the skills they have learned. Participants entered in two of three events: dressage, obstacle course, or equitation. Our riders, horses, and volunteers worked hard to make the show a success. A special thank you to our judges Jocelyn Griffo and Laura Wolfe. We would also like to thank Leah and Kylee Smith and their horses Kirk and Half Pint for demonstrating liberty work for our lunch time break.​

STAR Summer Horse Camp is always a great time for riders to spend more time at the barn riding, crafting, and learning more about horses! This year riders painted with and on their horses, made horse pizza, learned about horse body parts and digestion, horse markings and colors, and horse herd behavior. Riders also made horse related crafts and spent time feeding and taking care of their horse. We would also like to thank Dr. Martin from the University of Tennessee Vet School for talking to and allowing our campers to watch dental exams on the horses. Also, thank you to volunteers and campers for making it a great week!

On April 22nd , STAR held its 18th annual Bridles & Blue Jeans event. Guests enjoyed drinks thanks to Bryan Howington and Cherokee Distributing Company, appetizers by Seasons Innovative Bar and Grille, and a delicious steak dinner provided by O’Charley’s. Amanda Hara, WSMV News Anchor and Master of Ceremonies, presented the opening remarks and assisted Blake Wilson with the live auction. During the live auction, guests had the opportunity to bid on exclusive items such as a Costa Rica Vacation, a LX 21 bass boat, and premium UT Football Trip with travel to the game by private yacht. A special thank you to Glenna Overton Clark and her team for a terrific silent auction with a variety of basket gifts. Michelle Hardin, the president of STAR’s Board of Directors, presented acknowledgments and a touching video created by The Van Leuvan Company which revealed to guests the benefits of partnering with horses. Another special thank you to Christina Clayton Sullivan for transforming the arena into a beautiful wonderland. Dino Cartwright followed with a paddle raise, bringing with him an energy unmatched by anyone while garnering support for STAR’s programs. In total, we raised over $252,000! The event could not have been successful without the continued support of our community of volunteers, donors, sponsors and friends!

Stay tuned for new blog posts about STAR related news coming soon!