"Today, Tennessee Walking Horses are known throughout the industry
as the breed that shows abused and tortured horses."

~ Jim Heird, Ph.D., Do Right By The Horse, February 2010

"If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity,
you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men."

~ St. Francis of Assisi

Monday, September 6, 2010

Black Week Results 2010

I have a lot of stuff to post about the current events with the sore horse industry. For now, let's examine the Black Week results and further proof of how the industry continues to support felons and animal abusers.

Trainer of the Year: Jimmy McConnell
HPA Data Violations:
Scar Rule Suspended 9/6/05 - 9/19/05 NHSC
Scar Rule Suspended 11/29/04 - 12/12/04 NHSC
Scar Rule Suspended 3/3/04 - 3/16/04 NHSC
Unilateral Sore Suspended 11/26/01 - 12/09/01 NHSC
Not Specified Suspended 6/23/99 - 7/6/99 NHSC
Not Specified Suspended 1/1/94 - 4/30/95 USDA

WGC The Coach, ridden and trained by Billy Gray
HPA Data Violations:
Scar Rule Suspended 9/3/06 - 9/2/09 USDA (on John F.K.'s Pusher)
Unilateral Sore Suspended 5/14/07 - 5/27/07 NHSC
Unilateral Sore Suspended 10/2/06 - 10/15/06 NHSC
Scar Rule Suspended 8/8/06 - 8/21/06 NHSC
Scar Rule Suspended 8/8/05 - 8/21/05 NHSC
Equipment Violation Suspended 7/15/02 - 7/28/02 NHSC
Not Specified Suspended 11/14/94 - 11/13/99 USDA
Not Specified Suspended 1/18/93 - 1/17/94 USDA
Not Specified Suspended 12/1/88 - 5/31/89 USDA

What I like best about Billy's suspensions is that he was so obviously showing during his 3 year suspension because he received a suspension during that time! Guess Billy never learned his lesson with the slap-on-the-wrist penalties this industry doles out. But why should he when the industry so obviously doesn't take it seriously either?

John F.K.'s Pusher placed 10th in the WGC class this year and was ridden by Dick Peebles, who has a CURRENT suspension until 2012!

Here are the rest of the WGC winners and their associated violations. Of the 36 WGC classes, 29 of the exhibitors and/or owners are felons. I've only listed the 29 classes. Click here for the complete results.

O/A* Youth 6-17 Park Pleasure Mares/Geldings WGC
JFKs Fancy Lady Leslie, Jesse Laughlin for 4J Land & Cattle Co. (4J Land & Cattle Co. suspended 10/13/09, suspension disputed but end date is 10/13/99)

Novice Riders on Novice Trail Pleasure Horses WGC
Good Til The Last Drop, Ashley Say for Say Womack (1 violation for Steve Womack, ended 10/15/01)

Elite O/A WGC
Command & Control, Sheryl Crawford for Crawford Colts (4 violations for Sheryl Crawford, 1993 one full year, 1997, 2004, 2009; 1 violation for Crawford Colts, 2006)

O/A Western Park Pleasure WGC
Dragonfire, Jim Heiting O/E** (1 violation for Jim & Cindy Heiting, 2008)

O/A Youth 11 & Under Mares/Geldings WGC
Moonstruck Dollar, Lake Weaver for Little/Weaver (1 violation for Little name, 1998; various violations for 6 names under Weaver)

O/A Show Pleasure WGC
Godfather By Ultra Copy, Courtney Luttrell for Courtney/Alex Luttrell (2 violations for Courtney Luttrell, 2006 & 2007; 1 violation for Luttrell name, 1998)

O/A Riders 15/2 & Under WGC
Im NRA, David Sisk for Linda Sisk (1 violation for David Sisk, 2008; 2 violations for Linda Sisk, 2008)

Trainers Ride for the Roses WGC/WHAT 2010 Riders Cup
King of the Jungle, Charlie Green for Nestor Stewart Family (14 violations for Charlie Green, 2 for 2001, 5 for 2002, 3 for 2005, 1 each for 2004, 2006 & 2007, 1 suspension for 2009 with temporary end date of 2099; 5 violations for Nestor Stewart, 2 for 2007, 1 each for 2002, 2005 & 2006)

Lite Shod WGC
Honor My Cash, Patrick Thomas for Don/Deborah Parmer (1 violation for Deborah Parmer, 2000; 2 violations for Debbie Parmer, 2001 and 2002; 2 violations for Donald Parmer, 2002 and 1999; 2 violation for Donnie Parmer, suspension ended 2002)

Delta Fall Classic Three Year Old WGC/WHAT Riders Cup
Im Copperfield, Knox Blackburn for Mike Walden Family (6 violations for Knox Blackburn, 2 for 1998, 1 each for 2003, 2007 & 2008, 1 with no date; 2 violations for Knox & Alex Blackburn, 1998; 1 violation for Michael Walden, 2005; 1 violation for Mike Walden, 2004)

O/A Youth Ponies WGC
Prime Poison, Lilly Waites for Andrew Waites Family (2 violations for Andrew Waites, 2005 & 2008)

O/A Park Pleasure WGC
Lined Up at the Ritz, Sandra Johnson O/E (1 violation from USDA, no date)

O/A Specialty WGC
Im Wall Street, Clay Mills for Corbin Mills (2 violations for Clay Mills, 2001 & 2004)

O/A Western Trail Pleasure WGC
Red Sundays Best, Liz Gassaway for Gassaway/Toone (2 violations for Toone name, 1998)

O/A Novice Riders on Novice Walking Horses WGC
Pride of Willie, Tamara Kasser for Carol Ann Gavin (3 violations for Carol Ann Gavin, 2 for 2003, 1 for 2001; 1 violation for Carol Ann & Charles Gavin, 2001)

O/A Youth Mare/Gelding 12-17 WGC
Busting Special, Taylor Walters for Molly Walters (3 violations for Walters name, 1998)

15.2 & Under WGC (Canter)/WHTA 2010 Riders Cup
Ozones Cut Above All, John Allan Callaway for Don Pratt (4 violations for John Allan Callaway, 2 for 2004, 1 each for 1988 & 1993)

O/A Riders on Two Year Olds WGC
Bad Economy, Ben Kail for Dr. Tommy/Pat Vinson (4 violations for Ben Kail, 2 for 2005, 1 each for 2002 & 2008; 1 violation for Thomas & Pat Vinson, 2004; 5 violations for Thomas Vinson, 2 for 2002, 1 each for 2003, 2005 & 2006)

The Molly Walters Family Four Year Old WGC (Canter)/WHTA Riders Cup
Dark & Shady, Jimmy McConnell for Molly Walters (6 violations for Jimmy McConnell, 2 for 2004, 1 each for 1994, 1999, 2001 & 2005; 3 violations for Walters name, 1998)

O/A Amateur Adult Walking Pony WGC
Im Packin A Pistol, Charlene Gibson O/E (2 violations, 2000 and 2004)

Weanling WGC
Im Gene Autry, Sylvester Skierkowski for Bobby Joe Jones Family (2 violations for the Skierkowski name, 1998)

O/A Mares/Geldings WGC
A High Dollar Charge, Beverly Sherman O/E (1 violation, 2006)

Western Lite Shod WGC
Catastrophic, Laurie Toone O/E (2 violations for the Toone name, 1998)

O/A Riders on Three Year Olds WGC
Hes Vida Blue, Kay Green O/E (1 violation for James & Kay Green, 2001)

O/A Youth English/Western Trail Pleasure WGC
Shes Pretty Jazzy, Kaitlyn Rippy for Rippy/Bennett (1 violation for Andy Rippy, 2006)

The Andrew Waites Family Two Year Old WGC/WHTA Rider Cup
Pro V 1, Jimmy McConnell for William/Sandra Johnson (6 violations for McConnell, see above; 1 violation each for William and Sandra Johnson from USDA, date not specified)

O/A Lite Shod WGC
Honor My Cash, Deborah Parmer for Don/Deborah Parmer (see above Lite Shod WGC)

Park Pleasure WGC
Joses No Counting Me Out, Darden Gladney for Gladney Farms (1 violation for the Gladney name, 1998; 1 violation for Darden Gladney, 2003; 2 violations for Darden Ford Gladney, 2009)

O/A WGC (Canter)
Strolling Thru The Ritz, Brian Reece for Jim Reece (1 1-year suspension for Brian Reece, 1996; 2 violations for Jimmy Reece, 2005)


*O/A = Owner/Amateur
**O/E = Owner Exhibitor

2 comments:

Unknown said...

fso who do we complain to? Who would act on this and see who is just ignorning the law. Honestly. I am sick of this and just want to find someone and shake them until they listen and change. I am that frustrated. Then I am going to put tacks through the soles of high heel shoes that are too small for them and make them walk around in the all day. Hell an hour should make them see. The morons.

Anonymous said...

I am planning to write a letter to the USDA, Lisa. The more we bitch the better off we are. Here are the emails to write to:

Dr. Chester Gipson - Chester.A.Gipson@usda.gov
Dr. Rachel Cezar - Rachel.Cezar@usda.gov
Kathleen Merrigan - Kathleen.Merrigan@usda.gov

Kathleen Merrigan is the Executive Secretary for the USDA. While Dr. Gipson and Dr. Cezar are heading the HPA and horse protection area of the USDA, Ms. Merrigan should also know of our concerns.

JUST PLEASE REMEMBER: Nasty language and harsh comments don't work. Presenting the facts and your concerns do.

While we could write to SHOW, The Celebration, TWHBEA and other groups, our messages fall on deaf ears. These are people who WANT to continue things as is. We need to appeal to those who can make a difference, not those who choose not to.

The other thing you can do is not be a member of associations like TWHBEA or show at or attend sore horse shows. If we put money into the system then we are only encouraging them to continue things as is.

I wish we could do the same to the abusers. I want to make them wear chains and put burning chemicals on their legs and then whip them to make them get up when they are groaning in pain, too. It would be satisfying. But I do believe that God has no mercy for those who abuse his beloved animals. I have a friend who says horses are God's favorite animals. If he's right, then at least these horrible people will get theirs in the next life.

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