NEWS and ARTICLES - Horses Being Turned Down During Black Week

I have great news! The USDA is coming down hard at the Celebration, just as we have needed them to all long. Click here for the article from The Tennessean.

Of course, instead of accepting the problem for what it is, accepting that the horses are turning up sore, and actually trying to stop the madness, the industry is up in arms about how unfairly they're being treated. Jimmy McConnell, seven time HPA violator and fresh off suspension for unilateral sore in May 2011, was quite angry.

“They were unreasonable,” McConnell said. “The one that checked mine didn’t know what he was doing. His first show was Jackson, Miss., and here he is checking the world championship show. That doesn’t make any sense.”

Dark and Shady will not be able to compete in next weekend’s championship.

“This is as bad as it gets,” McConnell said when asked about his frustration level. “(Dark and Shady) has never been turned down in his life.”

McConnell said most of the horses that didn’t compete were turned down by the USDA.

“It’s hard to fight city hall,” McConnell said. “They’ve got an agenda.”

McConnell has no right to complain which VMOs show up for inspections, if it was even a VMO that checked his horse--he doesn't even say. He has no right to say whether or not the person knew what they were doing because he's not a professional DQP or VMO himself. And overall, I imagine the VMO could have been a veteran and he probably would have complained. Quite frankly, the USDA does have an agenda: to stop soring and catch violators. It's a pretty simple agenda.

Sadly, I think this is something we can always expect from the industry: continued denial and outrage against those who want to see the law followed. It doesn't matter how many horses are turned down: anyone who's horse has been turned down is going to say the USDA does not know what they're doing, that they have been targeted, that there's an agenda, etc., etc. It doesn't matter what it is, they will find an excuse for why their horse was turned down. This is instead of realizing where the real problem lies: within the industry itself. As one member from the FTTWH Facebook page commented: shouldn't this be a wake up call to the industry? Shouldn't they realize that enough is enough, and that soring needs to end? I would hope that people who think their horse shouldn't have been turned down will stop pointing the finger at everyone else but themselves and start looking at what needs to change within the industry. TWH industry: if you want the government off your back, then stop soring horses and stop pretending you're trying to do so.

Please, take the time to send your emails to Dr. Gipson and Dr. Cezar to let them know we support their decisions and are happy to know they are coming down hard. We have to keep our hopes up that this work will continue through next week and that the horses will be spared this continued spectacle of abuse.

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SHELBYVILLE — A surprisingly small field competed in the aged stallions preliminary class at the 73rd Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration on Saturday night.

Only nine of the 22 horses listed in the program competed in the A and B divisions.

Just four of the 11 horses listed in the program competed in B Division.

Dark and Shady and Moody Star, two of the top contenders in B Division, did not compete.

Rowdy Rev, another highly touted contender, did not compete in the A Division. Only five of the 11 horses listed in the program competed in A Division.

Folsom Prison Blues, ridden by Rodney Dick of Unionville, won the A Division.

Puttin’ Cash on the Line, with Justin Harris in the saddle, took reserve honors in A Division. Joe Cotten rode Johnny Ritz to a third-place finish.

Gary Edwards rode Game World to victory in B Division. The Golden Sovereign, with Tim Smith in the saddle took reserve honors. Bill Cantrell rode My Kinda Luck to a third-place showing.

Dark and Shady, one of the top contenders, was turned down by a U.S. Department of Agriculture inspector for an alleged violation of the Horse Protection Act that prohibits abusive and inhumane training practices. Horses that are turned down for HPA violations are disqualified for the remainder of the show.

“The government went nuts,” said Jimmy McConnell, Dark and Shady’s trainer who has won three of the last six big stakes. “They don’t know what they’re doing. Absolutely don’t know what they’re doing.”

McConnell said the government was checking every horse in the aged stallions class strictly.

“They were unreasonable,” McConnell said. “The one that checked mine didn’t know what he was doing. His first show was Jackson, Miss., and here he is checking the world championship show. That doesn’t make any sense.”

Dark and Shady will not be able to compete in next weekend’s championship.

“This is as bad as it gets,” McConnell said when asked about his frustration level. “(Dark and Shady) has never been turned down in his life.”

McConnell said most of the horses that didn’t compete were turned down by the USDA.

“It’s hard to fight city hall,” McConnell said. “They’ve got an agenda.”

Moody Star was the 2010 reserve champion.

McConnell, 64, was seeking his fourth big stake title.

That would have tied him with Shelbyville’s Billy Gray for second on the list of trainers with the most big stake championships. Winston Wiser holds the record with five titles.