NEWS and ARTICLES - Increase to Davis et al. Defendants and Indictment Charges

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I think we can all rejoice in this news! A new name has been added to the list of Davis, Altman and Bradford: Paul Blackburn. From the HPA database website, Blackburn has not one, not two, but 11 HPA violations since 1999. ELEVEN. Here are the details of his crimes.

1. City: Shelbyville, KY; Horse: Bay Tiger; Type of finding: Not specified; Suspension Start: 6/13/99; End: 8/11/99; HIO: NHSC
2. City: Shelbyville, KY; Horse: Mr. Festus; Type of finding: Not specified; Suspension Start: 5/24/99; End: 6/6/99; HIO: NHSC
3. City: Maryville, TN; Type of finding: HPA Suspension - debt; Suspension Start: 6/9/01; End: 6/1/02; HIO: NHSC
4. City: Vina, AL; Type of finding: Unilateral sore; Suspension Start: 10/31/08; End: 11/30/08; HIO: NHSC
5. City: Vina, AL; Horse: Sweepstakes Pzazz; Type of finding: Scar Rule; Suspension Start: 9/15/08; End: 9/28/08; HIO: NHSC
6. City: White Pine, TN; Horse: Sweep Up Gold; Type of finding: Not specified; Ticket: 29271, 9/2/10; Suspension Start: 10/5/10; End: 1/1/2099; HIO: SHOW
7. City: White Pine, TN; Horse: Jose's Perfection; Type of finding: Not specified; Ticket: 29200, 8/29/10; Suspension Start: 10/5/10; End: 1/1/2099; HIO: SHOW
8. City: Shelbyville, TN; Horse: Silver Dollar's Sun; Type of finding: Unilateral sore; Ticket: 3305, 10/2/10; Suspension Start: 11/1/10; End: 1/1/11; HIO: SSHBEA
9. City: Maryville, TN; Type of finding: Bilateral sore; Suspension Start: 12/30/01; End: 8/29/02; HIO: NHSC
10. City: Guin, AL; Type of finding: Scar rule; Suspension Start: 8/8/06; End: 8/22/06; HIO: NHSC
11. City: Marysville, KY; Type of finding: Bilateral sore; Suspension Start: 5/28/01; End: 1/27/02; HIO: NHSC

Take a look at how some of the dates cross: he was allowed to show in September and October of 2010 when he had received a ticket in August of 2010. and his suspensions were long--not many two weekers for him. Of course, the industry did not take his crimes seriously. Well, the USDA has, and now he's going to go to jail.

The article doesn't detail what charges have been added, but they could just mean the charges against Blackburn.

For those of you who don't think violating the HPA is a big deal, check this:

"“Some of the alleged conduct of the defendants contained in this superseding indictment constitutes federal felonies, if convicted,” U.S. Attorney Bill Killian said in the release."

Ask any lawyer: violating the HPA is a FELONY. It is a federal law, and therefore those who break it are felons.

The below article is from The timesfreepress.com website. Click here for the online article.

Click here for the new text of the indictment.

Click here for the original blog post about this indictment, and click here for the second blog post detailing information about the trial date.

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Federal grand jury indicts four defendants on horse abuse charges

by Staff Report

A federal grand jury in Chattanooga today indicted four people charged with abusing horses used in Tennessee Walking Horse competitions.

The 34-count superseding indictment against Barney Davis, 38, Christen Altman, 25, Jeffrey Bradford, 33, and Paul Blackburn, 35, adds charges to the original indictment, which alleges the defendants violated the federal Horse Protection Act by “soring horses and falsifying forms and other related paperwork.”

Davis and Bradford live in Lewisburg, and Altman and Blackburn live in Shelbyville, according to a U.S. attorney’s office release.

Some of the alleged conduct of the defendants contained in this superseding indictment constitutes federal felonies, if convicted,” U.S. Attorney Bill Killian said in the release.

In the practice of “soring,” bolts or other objects are driven into horses’ hooves or chemicals are used to “produce pain and sensitivity to alter the gait of a horse,” the release states.