WOW! JUST WOW! Last week ended with a bang, and this week has started out with one!
One of the Lickers/Burners/Cheaters favorite things to do is to point fingers at the Saddlebred horses with the attitude of, "They use stacks and chains on their horses too! LOOK OVER THERE! Pay no attention to us!" However, it seems their scapegoat has turned on them.
Last week, the United Professional Horseman's Association (UPHA) and the American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) have both officially stated that they support HR 1518! Below is from the ASHA's website. Click here for the UPHA's website announcement.
**********
UPHA AND ASHA ANNOUNCE SUPPORT OF AMENDMENTS TO THE HORSE PROTECTION ACT
The UPHA and the ASHA have announced that both organizations are in support of the ‘Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2013’ proposed federal legislation that was introduced in April 2013 and has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. This legislation is intended to strengthen the Horse Protection Act, by increasing fees and penalties for the soring of horses.
The boards of directors of both organizations unanimously pledged their support for this legislation during board meetings held during the week of the Lexington Junior League Horse Show. UPHA President, Gary Garone, noted that “none of the breeds represented by the UPHA, namely American Saddlebreds, Morgan horses, roadsters and Hackneys, have ever been cited for violations of the Horse Protection Act”. ASHA President, Tandy Patrick, added that “the ASHA is opposed to any inhumane treatment of horses, including soring”.
The trigger for USDA’s enforcement of the Horse Protection Act is the showing, exhibition, auction or transport of a horse that has been sored. If a breed, discipline, or activity is not soring its horses to exaggerate their gaits, then the HPA will not adversely affect them. The new prohibitions do not apply to any breeds represented by the UPHA or the ASHA.
The UPHA and the ASHA join various other equine organizations in support of the proposed legislation, including the American Association of Equine Practitioners, the American Morgan Horse Association, the American Paint Horse Association, the American Quarter Horse Association, the Arabian Horse Association, the Pinto Horse Association of America, the Maryland Horse Council, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Horse Council.
**********
This is a huge blow to the TWH industry. They can no longer use the Saddlebred industry as their scapegoats. It seems their power is getting weaker and weaker!
And THE BIGGEST NEWS....
THE JUDGE IN TEXAS RULES IN FAVOR OF THE USDA! Click here for the document.
Remember how SHOW, Contender Farms, and Mike McGartland tried to sue the USDA for coming up with the new mandated penalties, claiming it was against the HPA, the Administrative Protection Act (APA), and the U.S. Constitution? Well, instead of going to court, they agreed to a summary judgment, which means a judge reviews the information and makes a decision on the case without going to court. They also agreed that this judgment would settle the matter. (See page 8, Paragraph E of the document.)
Seems that SHOW was way too cocky in their thinking that they would win this one. The judge found that Congress already specifically stated that rules and regulations to the HPA can be added as needed as as long as the Secretary of the USDA signs off on them. From page 25: "The new rule, in short, is a reasonable interpretation of the Department’s rulemaking authority under the HPA and is therefore entitled to deference from this Court." They further decided that the new rules affect the HIO, not the plaintiffs specifically, nor specifically the entrants to the show. They also compared the OIG report to the new rules as the plaintiffs suggested, and found that the new rules address the OIG's recommendations.
This is my favorite part concerning the Constitution. From pages 31 and 33.
According to Plaintiffs, “[t]he new rule contravenes these constitutional provisions by attempting to sanction individuals with federally mandated penalties, in tribunals that are not congressionally created administrative courts or Article III courts, and whose decisions are not subject to review and final adjudication by administrative tribunals or Article III courts.” (Pls.’ Summ. J. Br. 38.) In the Court’s view, this is an inaccurate characterization of the new rule. As noted above, the new rule does not directly impose any penalties on entrants. See 9 CFR § 11.25. It requires HIOs, as a prerequisite to certification, to agree to enforce and include in their rulebooks certain minimum suspension penalties. See id. § 11.25(a)-(c). Consequently, no entrant will be subject to the minimum penalties set out in the new rule unless HIOs agree to enforce those penalties. See discussion supra Part III.A.1, at 20-22. And even then, it is to the HIO--not the United States--that the entrant is liable. In view of this, it is not entirely accurate, and certainly not precise, to say that HIOs have been charged with adjudicating federal law....In light of this, the Court concludes that neither the HPA’s delegation of rulemaking authority to the Department nor the new rule itself is unconstitutional.
And the conclusion:
Based on the foregoing, the Court concludes that the new rule, given due deference, is lawful under the HPA, the APA, and the United States Constitution and should, therefore, be upheld. The Department’s motion for summary judgment is GRANTED, and Plaintiffs’ motion is DENIED. Accordingly, all claims in the above-styled and -numbered cause are DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE*.
*Plaintiffs, in their briefing, also challenge the new rule under the Paperwork Reduction Act. This claim is not raised in their complaint, however, and is therefore not before the Court.
Now for our job! We need to contract the USDA to ask them to decertify SHOW before the Celebration rolls around! Let's get these bullies and Lickers/Burners/Cheaters away from the Celebration and bring in an HIO that did sign the mandated penalties! Wonder how Howard's rule that people who don't show under SHOW will not be allowed to be at the Celebration will work? Seems their great world is now crashing down around them, all due to their need to keep an abused horse in the ring. May they lose all their money, and may the horses be free!
Contact the USDA at:
Kathleen Merrigan
Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
kathleen.merrigan@usda.gov
Dr. Rachel Cezar
Head of HPA
301-734-5784
rachel.cezar@aphis.usda.gov
Dr. Chester A. Gipson
Deputy Administrator of Animal Care
301-734-4980
chester.a.gipson@usda.aphis.gov
Monday, July 29, 2013
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
THOUGHTS - Let's Talk: the Current State of the Industry
So there's a lot going on that I haven't talked about much lately, but thanks to a lot of reading and a lot of information that folks are finding, I think I'm now able to put it all into one coherent blog post.
SIDE NOTE: I want to point out a fairly new website and Facebook page: Billy Go Boy Chat. BGB has been a presence in the TWH industry since 1996, telling the truth just like it is. Mostly BGB was telling the truth on the Walking Horse Chat but was recently kicked out and an imposter put in place. So now BGB has stepped out and made the information available to the public for anyone to learn from. We highly recommend reading this blog and joining the Facebook and Twitter pages.
First, let's talk about TWHBEA. I talked about how the TWHBEA Executive Committee held an emergency meeting to vote to support HR 1518/the PAST Act/The Whitfield Amendment here and here. I'm sure everyone remembers Tracy Boyd's letter and how PSHA* tried to buy the Performance horse division, which TWHBEA has summarily ignored (good for them).
*Totally OT, but whenever I see this acronym I think of the term "psh-shaw", which is a blow off term similar to a raspberry. It makes me giggle.
Since then, Tracy Boyd has been elected the Executive Director of TWHBEA per Ron Thomas, who has gone against his pal David Howard (who quietly runs SHOW, The Celebration, and PSHA with his bullying and threatening tactics). Click here for the announcement.
TWHBEA then changed their yearly National Futurity from using SHOW as their HIO to using WHOA. However, they have four performance (BL) classes. Since PSHA/SHOW are penalizing any trainer who shows under any HIO other than SHOW with a six-month suspension (gotta keep those trainers under their thumbs, ya know) and the Celebration HIO will be SHOW, TWHBEA asked PSHA/SHOW if they would allow the four classes to be affiliated with SHOW and their judges to get SHOW judging cards for those four classes. This is so those who show in those classes can have their points for the Celebration. The clarification about this situation is linked here.
So PSHA's response was to tell TWHBEA they will affiliate as long as TWHBEA publicly announces it is against the Whitfield Amendment. From the Walking Horse Chat:
Now PSHA says go ahead SHOW to save face for the Celebration so they can be in the classes per the confirmation that TWHBEA is against the Whitfield Amendment. TWHBEA ignored them. Then PSHA lied to the public about it, basically taking the words from the above referenced letter about the Futurity and twisting them around. From the Walking Horse Chat:
TWHBEA Confirms Opposition To Whitfield Amendment
July 18, 2013
PSHA To Recommend Affiliation of 2013 Futurity to SHOW HIO
SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. – The Performance Show Horse Association (PSHA) will recommend to the SHOW HIO that it affiliate the four padded performance Tennessee Walking Horse classes at the upcoming Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ & Exhibitors’ Association (TWHBEA) Futurity. TWHBEA confirmed yesterday their opposition to the Whitfield Amendment, an amendment which would eliminate the Tennessee Walking Show Horse.
At a recent meeting, PSHA board members revisited an earlier decision to not recommend affiliation of the padded performance classes at the 2013 Futurity and decided if TWHBEA would announce its opposition to the Whitfield Amendment it would recommend affiliation. On July 16, 2013 TWHBEA confirmed this position of opposition in a release that stated:
“In May, within hours after the TWHBEA Executive Committee Voted to endorse the Whitfield Amendment, the TWHBEA International Board of Directors met and voted to not recognize the previous action of the executive committee. With that sequence of events, TWHBEA considers the matter closed and any revisiting of the motion unnecessary.”
Since then, PSHA/SHOW has hired Purple Strategies once again to play the PR game and make the Celebration sound like such a wonderful place to come have fun and show your (sored) horses. Here's PS's press release. Most notable is "PSHA recommended that SHOW honor TWHBEA’s request based upon the belief that TWHBEA had come out publicly in opposition to the Whitfield bill. Subsequently, PSHA withdrew that recommendation." (Backpedal! Backpedal!)
Purple Celebration Press Release
SHOW OFFERS FUTURITY AFFILIATION
“SHOW HIO has offered to affiliate the 2013 TWHBEA National Futurity following receipt Monday of a limited request from TWHBEA. The Breeders’ Association requested that SHOW affiliate 5 padded walking horse classes at their Futurity on July 28 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. They also requested that their three judges – Jason Bachert, Larry Martin and Dee Dee Miller – be granted SHOW judging licenses for this one event.
In addition to the affiliation, SHOW and the Celebration invited TWHBEA to use their grounds free of charge the night preceding the start of the Celebration. Until last year, TWHBEA had always hosted the Futurity on the Celebration grounds the night preceding the show and used judges licensed by SHOW or its earlier affiliating bodies. TWHBEA moved the Futurity date and show to Murfreesboro last year and affiliated with SHOW. This year they affiliated with WHOA and subsequently asked SHOW to make a special exception to affiliate just 5 classes and judges not licensed by SHOW. SHOW has had a policy of not splitting or sharing affiliations or allowing its judges to adjudicate at shows of other HIO’s since its inception.
SHOW Board president Buddy Nelson stated “We are more than happy to make this offer and reintroduce the Futurity being held on our grounds the night prior to our show as it had been for over 70 years. This will alleviate the conflict for padded horse owners showing at the Futurity and not being able to show at The Celebration. This would also qualify those entries for the World Grand Championship classes at this year’s Celebration. If it is too late to move to our show grounds this year, we extend the same offer next year.”
Earlier this year the Walking Horse Trainers Association ruled that trainer’s showing horses at shows not affiliated with SHOW would lose their license for 6 months. Years ago, in cooperation with the Trainers’ Association, the Celebration agreed to only let licensed trainers show at their show. “Despite TWHBEA’s recent difficulties, financially and otherwise, we are willing to reach out to them and Futurity exhibitors in a spirit of cooperation and in hopes of bridging the gap between our two organizations” stated Nelson. “It is imperative that the industry get back together for the betterment of the horse and also benefit the loyal exhibitors and fans that support both organizations and the industry.”
TWHBEA President Tracy Boyd (at the time) stated that TWHBEA reached out to the SHOW through a third party with this request several weeks ago. Nelson said “We have never received any such request until Monday, July 21st and have considered the request and responded promptly today.”
Also, PSHA recommended that SHOW honor TWHBEA’s request based upon the belief that TWHBEA had come out publicly in opposition to the Whitfield bill. Subsequently, PSHA withdrew that recommendation. “The Celebration respects both PSHA and TWHBEA and chooses to remain out of the ongoing discussions between the two organizations,” Nelson said.”
Sounds like PSHA/SHOW is being OH so generous...so far TWHBEA has not responded to their "invitation." I'm glad to see TWHBEA taking a stand here and not giving PSHA/SHOW the upper hand. They are smart to do this.
Next, the HSUS offered to sponsor the TWHBEA World Versatility Show at the end of July. This is the first time HSUS has ever offered to sponsor any horse show for any breed. I believe they are trying to support TWHBEA in the decisions concerning the Whitfield Amendment and Marty Irby and Tracy Boyd's decisions. Of course, the Lickers on the Executive Committee had to have a meeting so they could vote down the sponsorship. An email exchange was blasted around the Internet via Facebook and the Walking Horse Chat.
From Marty Irby, current Past President of TWHBEA. (The one who wrote us the letter--click here for more.)
Dear International Board:
I felt it prudent to bring this matter to your attention and have informed President Boyd, along with Vice-President of Pleasure Rick Weiss that I would be sending this email.
Over the past few weeks our EC has wrestled with the HSUS offering to sponsor the TWHBEA WVS for $1,000.00 sponsorship after we openly and publicly offered such sponsorship to the general public. Unfortunately after much email discussion the majority of the EC decided to turn down such sponsorship.
To give you some background, Mr. Ron Thomas and I met with HSUS President Wayne Pacelle and V.P. of Equine Affairs Keith Dane last August for lunch in Smyrna, TN to ask them how we could potentially work together with HSUS. We worked for months just to schedule this meeting. Following, Mr. Pacelle sent a letter to the Secretary of Agriculture, at my request, to ask for a meeting between TWHBEA, HSUS, and the Secretary to discuss matters related to the Horse Protection Act.
Since that time, and after much thought the HSUS has offered to sponsor a $1,000.000 sponsorship of our TWHBEA World Versatility Show which the majority of our EC has recently turned down. I send this message after discussing the issue with our President & E.D., Mr. Boyd, and our Past Presidents this evening.
In a vote held this evening, and only the second motion and vote ever officially made by the Past Presidents, the group collectively decided that they recommend the TWHBEA Executive Committee accept the HSUS sponsorship. This is a monumental occasion is my eyes and according to Mr. Dane is the first time in The History of the World HSUS (with 10 Million Members in the U.S.) has ever offered to sponsor a horse show. I think this is huge and is the first in the chain of events of domino effects that will positively change the breed forever.
I believe it is imperative we accept the sponsorship and move forward in the positive promotion of this horse. Evidently, HSUS feels the same, and following the Jackie McConnell videos and conviction, this will be forever a "feather in our cap." Those around the world will feel and see the effects of such a great decision, and I hope we can proudly say that the Tennessee Walking Horse, and TWHBEA feels the same.
Working together will prove the greatest asset our horse has ever had, and we can have a brighter future than ever if we accept the HSUS sponsorship. How many people can say they were the first in history to accept such? Again, monumental for our breed. Many of you will disagree, but I pray for the sake of our horse that the majority of you agree.
After discussion with Mr. Rick Weiss, Vice-President of Pleasure Horse, who the WVS/HSUS Sponsorship falls under, I am proud to include his endorsement with the following points listed below:
"Marty here are my comments which I brought up on the subject:
HSUS Sponsorship points in summary.
1. HSUS and the media will have a field day when the headlines read "Breeder's refuse HSUS Sponsorship". Breeders back pedal about a sound horse industry.
2. HSUS whether we like it or not has made the WH industry take a sound stance. The WH industry has not, is not, or will not do it on their own. Will the TWHBEA?
3. Talk about TWHBEA mission statement. Zeis tried to remove Dane from the Board and after spending $18,000 our attorney said she did not have a case. Now we think we can remove Dane's Association because of the Mission Statement. NOT.
4. Does the EC now have to approve all of TWHBEA Sponsorships before we accept them. What will we do with the HPA and HIO violators with the covers on the "Voice" and faces hanging in our lobby and their sponsorship support. They certainly are violators of the mission statement and do not support sound horses.
5. Manna Pro products may/probably contains a "foreign substance". Do they qualify as a sponsor ? What will we do with all of their past/future help.
6. If the EC does not like someone's vote they can refuse their sponsorship. Where O Where will it end.
7. Why are EC members so concerned about something not in their division. HSUS support of sound horse programs is not welcome. Who were some of the sponsors of the Performance Horse Summit.
Folks I do not like all of what HSUS stands for or what they do. Bottom line is they know the WH industries little secrets and with their help TWHBEA may actually help produce a sound WH.
......The TWH in the eye of the public is not in the same category as eggs, chickens(the laying kind) or beef. The TWH in the eye of the public is in the same category as dog fighting and cock fighting.
Way are we even going this route. I would like to approve all sponsors of TWHBEA events from now on.
...........I thought you all should read this TWHBEA press release. "TWHBEA invites all those interested in showing their support for the World Versatility Show and/or National Futurity to consider one of the many available sponsorship opportunities." For the life of me I can not find where it says sponsorships need to be approved." (End Rick Weiss)
Chris Van Horn and Fran Cole, also directors with TWHBEA, followed up with two very supportive emails that also expressed their concern with approving or not approving which sponsorships TWHBEA accepts.
Here's the email from Keith Dane, director with TWHBEA and HSUS horse welfare lead, that explains how the HSUS came to this decision.
Marty,
Thank you for sending this message - and thanks to those who have responded favorably.
I thought it would be helpful to explain how The Humane Society of the United States came to the decision to support the World Versatility Show with a corporate sponsorship.
As Marty stated, the HSUS has historically not sponsored any horse show - not because we don't support the concept of horse shows (I myself am a horse show judge of many breeds), but because the organization believes that it is the work of the industry itself to raise sponsorships from those who benefit from those shows - owners, exhibitors and horse industry businesses.
However, some of its donors support the notion that while HSUS works to help correct the wrongs that have plagued our breed for so long, it should also support and encourage events that promote the natural gaits, versatility and talents that this horse possesses, and which we believe offer the best prospects for the future growth and survival of the Tennessee Walking horse breed. As I mentioned at our May board meeting, HSUS will soon be unveiling a program to reward people who use or compete with their Walking horses in non-traditional venues which promote our breed to new, potentially untapped audiences and markets.
There are those in our horse industry, and in other segments of animal agriculture who have attempted to diminish the good work and progress that HSUS is making in improving the welfare and lives of both wild and domestic animals, by claiming that the Society is opposed to animal agriculture, ownership or use by humans - including horse shows and even riding. Nothing could be further from the truth, and a thoughtful review of the organization's website, humanesociety.org, and its many partnerships and programs with groups in the animal world would put those claims to rest.
As a member of our international board, I was pleased to be able to secure a sponsorship of our World Versatility Show from my employer, to support the Association financially while demonstrating to the industry and the public that HSUS appreciates the sound, natural, versatile Tennessee Walking horse, and our breed - and is not anti-animal use, ownership or agriculture. I hope the EC will reconsider its position on this matter and accept this sponsorship in the spirit in which it was intended.
Respectfully,
Keith Dane TWHBEA Maryland Director
From here, the Executive Committee conducted a 3 hour and 27 minute call where a final motion passed 7 to 5 for Rick Weis, VP of the Pleasure Horse Division, to make the decision concerning the HSUS sponsorship. Rick decided to accept the sponsorship. I'm personally glad to know that HSUS is going to help the TWH out in this capacity. It's making a big difference to know that we're starting to see some real, true change in the show industry.
BUT...
Then there's this very strange press release from TWHBEA from July 11. Mind you, this happened before the HSUS and PSHA/SHOW stuff. I just can't quite wrap my head around what this means.
TWHBEA Issues Statement on McConnell Case
As the official breed registry for the Tennessee Walking Horse, we at the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ and Exhibitors’ Association (TWHBEA) are relieved to see this case brought to a conclusion. We respect the process and are satisfied with the result. We support any effort that protects the welfare of our beautiful Tennessee Walking Horses. Our attention now turns to the seized horses and their futures. On the advice of counsel, we did not get involved in this case until it was certain the horses would in no way be potential evidence. Now that the case is over, we have begun the process of reaching out to the State of Tennessee, having spoken to Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Julius Johnson, offering to assist in the future care of these horses. In the event they are not returned to their owners, we have volunteered to assist in the placement of these horses into loving homes and ensure they receive the finest in veterinary care and follow-up attention. We eagerly await a response to our offer.
Now my question is this: why did you not step in to help these horses when they were seized? Where was your assistance then? Or are you more concerned about giving them back to the people who allowed them to be abused?
In a twist from this, the Shermans who own three horses named Paroled in the Night, Prides Mr. Williams, and Mucho Bueno have filed a civil suit against the State of Tennessee. These three horses were named in the dockets as horses that were witnessed being sored. It's quite possible--but not certain yet--that they have filed this suit to try to get their horses back. We'll keep you updated if we find out more information about it.
Finally, remember that show that the Union Humane Society was putting on in Louisiana, and they attacked everyone who asked them not to have it? Well, the USDA showed up! From spectators who were there, many rigs turned around and left, so the most any class had was three horses, and several were scratched. One big name trainer got a post-show tickets for the scar rule, and another was a bilateral sore--I'm not positive on the details, so I'll get that information out soon. Guess it wasn't such a "humane" show after all...
So that's it for now. Things are looking up and we'll keep you updated! And don't forget to check out BGB's website. We seem to be experiencing some amazing changes that are going to be for the better of the TWH. Stay tuned!
SIDE NOTE: I want to point out a fairly new website and Facebook page: Billy Go Boy Chat. BGB has been a presence in the TWH industry since 1996, telling the truth just like it is. Mostly BGB was telling the truth on the Walking Horse Chat but was recently kicked out and an imposter put in place. So now BGB has stepped out and made the information available to the public for anyone to learn from. We highly recommend reading this blog and joining the Facebook and Twitter pages.
First, let's talk about TWHBEA. I talked about how the TWHBEA Executive Committee held an emergency meeting to vote to support HR 1518/the PAST Act/The Whitfield Amendment here and here. I'm sure everyone remembers Tracy Boyd's letter and how PSHA* tried to buy the Performance horse division, which TWHBEA has summarily ignored (good for them).
*Totally OT, but whenever I see this acronym I think of the term "psh-shaw", which is a blow off term similar to a raspberry. It makes me giggle.
Since then, Tracy Boyd has been elected the Executive Director of TWHBEA per Ron Thomas, who has gone against his pal David Howard (who quietly runs SHOW, The Celebration, and PSHA with his bullying and threatening tactics). Click here for the announcement.
TWHBEA then changed their yearly National Futurity from using SHOW as their HIO to using WHOA. However, they have four performance (BL) classes. Since PSHA/SHOW are penalizing any trainer who shows under any HIO other than SHOW with a six-month suspension (gotta keep those trainers under their thumbs, ya know) and the Celebration HIO will be SHOW, TWHBEA asked PSHA/SHOW if they would allow the four classes to be affiliated with SHOW and their judges to get SHOW judging cards for those four classes. This is so those who show in those classes can have their points for the Celebration. The clarification about this situation is linked here.
So PSHA's response was to tell TWHBEA they will affiliate as long as TWHBEA publicly announces it is against the Whitfield Amendment. From the Walking Horse Chat:
Now PSHA says go ahead SHOW to save face for the Celebration so they can be in the classes per the confirmation that TWHBEA is against the Whitfield Amendment. TWHBEA ignored them. Then PSHA lied to the public about it, basically taking the words from the above referenced letter about the Futurity and twisting them around. From the Walking Horse Chat:
TWHBEA Confirms Opposition To Whitfield Amendment
July 18, 2013
PSHA To Recommend Affiliation of 2013 Futurity to SHOW HIO
SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. – The Performance Show Horse Association (PSHA) will recommend to the SHOW HIO that it affiliate the four padded performance Tennessee Walking Horse classes at the upcoming Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ & Exhibitors’ Association (TWHBEA) Futurity. TWHBEA confirmed yesterday their opposition to the Whitfield Amendment, an amendment which would eliminate the Tennessee Walking Show Horse.
At a recent meeting, PSHA board members revisited an earlier decision to not recommend affiliation of the padded performance classes at the 2013 Futurity and decided if TWHBEA would announce its opposition to the Whitfield Amendment it would recommend affiliation. On July 16, 2013 TWHBEA confirmed this position of opposition in a release that stated:
“In May, within hours after the TWHBEA Executive Committee Voted to endorse the Whitfield Amendment, the TWHBEA International Board of Directors met and voted to not recognize the previous action of the executive committee. With that sequence of events, TWHBEA considers the matter closed and any revisiting of the motion unnecessary.”
Since then, PSHA/SHOW has hired Purple Strategies once again to play the PR game and make the Celebration sound like such a wonderful place to come have fun and show your (sored) horses. Here's PS's press release. Most notable is "PSHA recommended that SHOW honor TWHBEA’s request based upon the belief that TWHBEA had come out publicly in opposition to the Whitfield bill. Subsequently, PSHA withdrew that recommendation." (Backpedal! Backpedal!)
Purple Celebration Press Release
SHOW OFFERS FUTURITY AFFILIATION
“SHOW HIO has offered to affiliate the 2013 TWHBEA National Futurity following receipt Monday of a limited request from TWHBEA. The Breeders’ Association requested that SHOW affiliate 5 padded walking horse classes at their Futurity on July 28 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. They also requested that their three judges – Jason Bachert, Larry Martin and Dee Dee Miller – be granted SHOW judging licenses for this one event.
In addition to the affiliation, SHOW and the Celebration invited TWHBEA to use their grounds free of charge the night preceding the start of the Celebration. Until last year, TWHBEA had always hosted the Futurity on the Celebration grounds the night preceding the show and used judges licensed by SHOW or its earlier affiliating bodies. TWHBEA moved the Futurity date and show to Murfreesboro last year and affiliated with SHOW. This year they affiliated with WHOA and subsequently asked SHOW to make a special exception to affiliate just 5 classes and judges not licensed by SHOW. SHOW has had a policy of not splitting or sharing affiliations or allowing its judges to adjudicate at shows of other HIO’s since its inception.
SHOW Board president Buddy Nelson stated “We are more than happy to make this offer and reintroduce the Futurity being held on our grounds the night prior to our show as it had been for over 70 years. This will alleviate the conflict for padded horse owners showing at the Futurity and not being able to show at The Celebration. This would also qualify those entries for the World Grand Championship classes at this year’s Celebration. If it is too late to move to our show grounds this year, we extend the same offer next year.”
Earlier this year the Walking Horse Trainers Association ruled that trainer’s showing horses at shows not affiliated with SHOW would lose their license for 6 months. Years ago, in cooperation with the Trainers’ Association, the Celebration agreed to only let licensed trainers show at their show. “Despite TWHBEA’s recent difficulties, financially and otherwise, we are willing to reach out to them and Futurity exhibitors in a spirit of cooperation and in hopes of bridging the gap between our two organizations” stated Nelson. “It is imperative that the industry get back together for the betterment of the horse and also benefit the loyal exhibitors and fans that support both organizations and the industry.”
TWHBEA President Tracy Boyd (at the time) stated that TWHBEA reached out to the SHOW through a third party with this request several weeks ago. Nelson said “We have never received any such request until Monday, July 21st and have considered the request and responded promptly today.”
Also, PSHA recommended that SHOW honor TWHBEA’s request based upon the belief that TWHBEA had come out publicly in opposition to the Whitfield bill. Subsequently, PSHA withdrew that recommendation. “The Celebration respects both PSHA and TWHBEA and chooses to remain out of the ongoing discussions between the two organizations,” Nelson said.”
Sounds like PSHA/SHOW is being OH so generous...so far TWHBEA has not responded to their "invitation." I'm glad to see TWHBEA taking a stand here and not giving PSHA/SHOW the upper hand. They are smart to do this.
Next, the HSUS offered to sponsor the TWHBEA World Versatility Show at the end of July. This is the first time HSUS has ever offered to sponsor any horse show for any breed. I believe they are trying to support TWHBEA in the decisions concerning the Whitfield Amendment and Marty Irby and Tracy Boyd's decisions. Of course, the Lickers on the Executive Committee had to have a meeting so they could vote down the sponsorship. An email exchange was blasted around the Internet via Facebook and the Walking Horse Chat.
From Marty Irby, current Past President of TWHBEA. (The one who wrote us the letter--click here for more.)
Dear International Board:
I felt it prudent to bring this matter to your attention and have informed President Boyd, along with Vice-President of Pleasure Rick Weiss that I would be sending this email.
Over the past few weeks our EC has wrestled with the HSUS offering to sponsor the TWHBEA WVS for $1,000.00 sponsorship after we openly and publicly offered such sponsorship to the general public. Unfortunately after much email discussion the majority of the EC decided to turn down such sponsorship.
To give you some background, Mr. Ron Thomas and I met with HSUS President Wayne Pacelle and V.P. of Equine Affairs Keith Dane last August for lunch in Smyrna, TN to ask them how we could potentially work together with HSUS. We worked for months just to schedule this meeting. Following, Mr. Pacelle sent a letter to the Secretary of Agriculture, at my request, to ask for a meeting between TWHBEA, HSUS, and the Secretary to discuss matters related to the Horse Protection Act.
Since that time, and after much thought the HSUS has offered to sponsor a $1,000.000 sponsorship of our TWHBEA World Versatility Show which the majority of our EC has recently turned down. I send this message after discussing the issue with our President & E.D., Mr. Boyd, and our Past Presidents this evening.
In a vote held this evening, and only the second motion and vote ever officially made by the Past Presidents, the group collectively decided that they recommend the TWHBEA Executive Committee accept the HSUS sponsorship. This is a monumental occasion is my eyes and according to Mr. Dane is the first time in The History of the World HSUS (with 10 Million Members in the U.S.) has ever offered to sponsor a horse show. I think this is huge and is the first in the chain of events of domino effects that will positively change the breed forever.
I believe it is imperative we accept the sponsorship and move forward in the positive promotion of this horse. Evidently, HSUS feels the same, and following the Jackie McConnell videos and conviction, this will be forever a "feather in our cap." Those around the world will feel and see the effects of such a great decision, and I hope we can proudly say that the Tennessee Walking Horse, and TWHBEA feels the same.
Working together will prove the greatest asset our horse has ever had, and we can have a brighter future than ever if we accept the HSUS sponsorship. How many people can say they were the first in history to accept such? Again, monumental for our breed. Many of you will disagree, but I pray for the sake of our horse that the majority of you agree.
After discussion with Mr. Rick Weiss, Vice-President of Pleasure Horse, who the WVS/HSUS Sponsorship falls under, I am proud to include his endorsement with the following points listed below:
"Marty here are my comments which I brought up on the subject:
HSUS Sponsorship points in summary.
1. HSUS and the media will have a field day when the headlines read "Breeder's refuse HSUS Sponsorship". Breeders back pedal about a sound horse industry.
2. HSUS whether we like it or not has made the WH industry take a sound stance. The WH industry has not, is not, or will not do it on their own. Will the TWHBEA?
3. Talk about TWHBEA mission statement. Zeis tried to remove Dane from the Board and after spending $18,000 our attorney said she did not have a case. Now we think we can remove Dane's Association because of the Mission Statement. NOT.
4. Does the EC now have to approve all of TWHBEA Sponsorships before we accept them. What will we do with the HPA and HIO violators with the covers on the "Voice" and faces hanging in our lobby and their sponsorship support. They certainly are violators of the mission statement and do not support sound horses.
5. Manna Pro products may/probably contains a "foreign substance". Do they qualify as a sponsor ? What will we do with all of their past/future help.
6. If the EC does not like someone's vote they can refuse their sponsorship. Where O Where will it end.
7. Why are EC members so concerned about something not in their division. HSUS support of sound horse programs is not welcome. Who were some of the sponsors of the Performance Horse Summit.
Folks I do not like all of what HSUS stands for or what they do. Bottom line is they know the WH industries little secrets and with their help TWHBEA may actually help produce a sound WH.
......The TWH in the eye of the public is not in the same category as eggs, chickens(the laying kind) or beef. The TWH in the eye of the public is in the same category as dog fighting and cock fighting.
Way are we even going this route. I would like to approve all sponsors of TWHBEA events from now on.
...........I thought you all should read this TWHBEA press release. "TWHBEA invites all those interested in showing their support for the World Versatility Show and/or National Futurity to consider one of the many available sponsorship opportunities." For the life of me I can not find where it says sponsorships need to be approved." (End Rick Weiss)
Chris Van Horn and Fran Cole, also directors with TWHBEA, followed up with two very supportive emails that also expressed their concern with approving or not approving which sponsorships TWHBEA accepts.
Here's the email from Keith Dane, director with TWHBEA and HSUS horse welfare lead, that explains how the HSUS came to this decision.
Marty,
Thank you for sending this message - and thanks to those who have responded favorably.
I thought it would be helpful to explain how The Humane Society of the United States came to the decision to support the World Versatility Show with a corporate sponsorship.
As Marty stated, the HSUS has historically not sponsored any horse show - not because we don't support the concept of horse shows (I myself am a horse show judge of many breeds), but because the organization believes that it is the work of the industry itself to raise sponsorships from those who benefit from those shows - owners, exhibitors and horse industry businesses.
However, some of its donors support the notion that while HSUS works to help correct the wrongs that have plagued our breed for so long, it should also support and encourage events that promote the natural gaits, versatility and talents that this horse possesses, and which we believe offer the best prospects for the future growth and survival of the Tennessee Walking horse breed. As I mentioned at our May board meeting, HSUS will soon be unveiling a program to reward people who use or compete with their Walking horses in non-traditional venues which promote our breed to new, potentially untapped audiences and markets.
There are those in our horse industry, and in other segments of animal agriculture who have attempted to diminish the good work and progress that HSUS is making in improving the welfare and lives of both wild and domestic animals, by claiming that the Society is opposed to animal agriculture, ownership or use by humans - including horse shows and even riding. Nothing could be further from the truth, and a thoughtful review of the organization's website, humanesociety.org, and its many partnerships and programs with groups in the animal world would put those claims to rest.
As a member of our international board, I was pleased to be able to secure a sponsorship of our World Versatility Show from my employer, to support the Association financially while demonstrating to the industry and the public that HSUS appreciates the sound, natural, versatile Tennessee Walking horse, and our breed - and is not anti-animal use, ownership or agriculture. I hope the EC will reconsider its position on this matter and accept this sponsorship in the spirit in which it was intended.
Respectfully,
Keith Dane TWHBEA Maryland Director
From here, the Executive Committee conducted a 3 hour and 27 minute call where a final motion passed 7 to 5 for Rick Weis, VP of the Pleasure Horse Division, to make the decision concerning the HSUS sponsorship. Rick decided to accept the sponsorship. I'm personally glad to know that HSUS is going to help the TWH out in this capacity. It's making a big difference to know that we're starting to see some real, true change in the show industry.
BUT...
Then there's this very strange press release from TWHBEA from July 11. Mind you, this happened before the HSUS and PSHA/SHOW stuff. I just can't quite wrap my head around what this means.
TWHBEA Issues Statement on McConnell Case
As the official breed registry for the Tennessee Walking Horse, we at the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ and Exhibitors’ Association (TWHBEA) are relieved to see this case brought to a conclusion. We respect the process and are satisfied with the result. We support any effort that protects the welfare of our beautiful Tennessee Walking Horses. Our attention now turns to the seized horses and their futures. On the advice of counsel, we did not get involved in this case until it was certain the horses would in no way be potential evidence. Now that the case is over, we have begun the process of reaching out to the State of Tennessee, having spoken to Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Julius Johnson, offering to assist in the future care of these horses. In the event they are not returned to their owners, we have volunteered to assist in the placement of these horses into loving homes and ensure they receive the finest in veterinary care and follow-up attention. We eagerly await a response to our offer.
Now my question is this: why did you not step in to help these horses when they were seized? Where was your assistance then? Or are you more concerned about giving them back to the people who allowed them to be abused?
In a twist from this, the Shermans who own three horses named Paroled in the Night, Prides Mr. Williams, and Mucho Bueno have filed a civil suit against the State of Tennessee. These three horses were named in the dockets as horses that were witnessed being sored. It's quite possible--but not certain yet--that they have filed this suit to try to get their horses back. We'll keep you updated if we find out more information about it.
Finally, remember that show that the Union Humane Society was putting on in Louisiana, and they attacked everyone who asked them not to have it? Well, the USDA showed up! From spectators who were there, many rigs turned around and left, so the most any class had was three horses, and several were scratched. One big name trainer got a post-show tickets for the scar rule, and another was a bilateral sore--I'm not positive on the details, so I'll get that information out soon. Guess it wasn't such a "humane" show after all...
So that's it for now. Things are looking up and we'll keep you updated! And don't forget to check out BGB's website. We seem to be experiencing some amazing changes that are going to be for the better of the TWH. Stay tuned!
Monday, July 22, 2013
HOW YOU CAN HELP - A Letter to FTTWH from Marty Irby
I received this wonderful letter from Marty Irby today, the immediate past president of TWHBEA. He said I am welcome to share it on the blog and anywhere else I want to, so I am.
While I am not renewing my membership with TWHBEA yet for my own reasons, I think that for those of you who want to should definitely do so. And don't forget to thank those on TWHBEA's board who want to see support for HR 1518, aka the Whitfield Amendment. They need our help, even if it's just kind letters! (Click here for the list.)
THANK YOU Marty, for seeing it like it is! I'm sure the horse thanks you for it as well!
**********
Dear Sir/Madam:
I don't know you but my name is Marty Irby. You have posted about me before on your site and I wanted to inform you of my most up-to-date and recent positions.
First, as you may know I worked for more than a year with Mr. Keith Dane and Mr. Wayne Pacelle from the HSUS to secure a relationship in which TWHBEA & HSUS would be able to work together for the sound horse and positive promotion of our breed. As a result, and after advocating this to our EC and Members we have secured the Sponsorship of our TWHBEA World Versatility Show from HSUS. This marks the first time in history HSUS has ever sponsored a livestock competitive event, and the first time they have ever sponsored a horse show of any breed. I am grateful to both Keith and Wayne for their efforts in working together to achieve this for our breed.
Secondly, I have this morning posted on PopVox my official position regarding The HR 1518 Whitfield Amendment. I fully support the amendment and have made this public. After 2 years of attempting to get the performance horse people to work together to change training and shoeing equipment and to stop soring, I now realize they will not do this on their own. Therefore, the only alternative to stop soring and to ensure the survival of our breed and its welfare is to support Mr. Whitfield.
I just wanted you to be aware of my positions, and where I am today. I have come a long way over the past 7 years of service at TWHBEA, and am proud to have ended up where I am as a person and for our horse.
Please feel free to share my email with anyone you like or on your site/blog. Thank you for advocating for the sound horse and keep up the great work!
All the best,
Marty Irby
Immediate Past President of TWHBEA
President of TWHBEA 2011-2012
International Director From Tennessee
Marketing Vice-President, 2010
Marketing Vice-President, 2007
Former 8 Time World & World Grand Champion who finally understands and "gets it."
While I am not renewing my membership with TWHBEA yet for my own reasons, I think that for those of you who want to should definitely do so. And don't forget to thank those on TWHBEA's board who want to see support for HR 1518, aka the Whitfield Amendment. They need our help, even if it's just kind letters! (Click here for the list.)
THANK YOU Marty, for seeing it like it is! I'm sure the horse thanks you for it as well!
**********
Dear Sir/Madam:
I don't know you but my name is Marty Irby. You have posted about me before on your site and I wanted to inform you of my most up-to-date and recent positions.
First, as you may know I worked for more than a year with Mr. Keith Dane and Mr. Wayne Pacelle from the HSUS to secure a relationship in which TWHBEA & HSUS would be able to work together for the sound horse and positive promotion of our breed. As a result, and after advocating this to our EC and Members we have secured the Sponsorship of our TWHBEA World Versatility Show from HSUS. This marks the first time in history HSUS has ever sponsored a livestock competitive event, and the first time they have ever sponsored a horse show of any breed. I am grateful to both Keith and Wayne for their efforts in working together to achieve this for our breed.
Secondly, I have this morning posted on PopVox my official position regarding The HR 1518 Whitfield Amendment. I fully support the amendment and have made this public. After 2 years of attempting to get the performance horse people to work together to change training and shoeing equipment and to stop soring, I now realize they will not do this on their own. Therefore, the only alternative to stop soring and to ensure the survival of our breed and its welfare is to support Mr. Whitfield.
I just wanted you to be aware of my positions, and where I am today. I have come a long way over the past 7 years of service at TWHBEA, and am proud to have ended up where I am as a person and for our horse.
Please feel free to share my email with anyone you like or on your site/blog. Thank you for advocating for the sound horse and keep up the great work!
All the best,
Marty Irby
Immediate Past President of TWHBEA
President of TWHBEA 2011-2012
International Director From Tennessee
Marketing Vice-President, 2010
Marketing Vice-President, 2007
Former 8 Time World & World Grand Champion who finally understands and "gets it."
Monday, July 15, 2013
NEWS and ARTICLES - The Yearly Budget for the HPA GOES UP!
Wow! I didn't even know this was being considered! The yearly budget for enforcing the HPA has gone up nearly $300,000! From the Humane Society Legislative Fund blog:
Here are details of what the Senate committee approved:
$893,000 for USDA’s enforcement of the Horse Protection Act to end the cruel practice of “soring” show horses (deliberately inflicting severe pain on the horses’ legs and hooves to make it hurt for them to step down, so they will exaggerate their high-stepping gait and win prizes). This is well above the current funding level of $678,510, as well as the House committee bill’s level of $500,000.
They also made appropriations to NOT include providing inspectors for horse slaughter plants, which means that those plants won't be able to be built if they can't be inspected.
There's a lot more in the article, which I've cut and paste below. Click here to read it.
Overall, this is an amazing achievement. It's wonderful to know that the Senate cares enough to make these changes and really get a handle on helping to stop animal abuse!
**********
Humane Society Legislative Fund
Animals & Politics - Michael Markarian
Monday, July 15, 2013
Senate Committee Comes Through on Animal Welfare Funding
Though the work is far from done, this is shaping up to be a very encouraging year for animals on the appropriations front. We already reported on the House Appropriations Committee’s approval of solid funding levels to support USDA’s enforcement of key animal welfare laws, as well as its inclusion of much-needed language to stop horse slaughter plants from operating in the U.S. The Senate Appropriations Committee followed suit with parallel language de-funding USDA inspections at horse slaughter plants.
Now we’ve learned that the Senate Appropriations Committee has also come through with terrific news on funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s enforcement and implementation of key animal welfare laws. Thanks to the strong leadership of Chairman Mark Pryor, D-Ark., and Ranking Member Roy Blunt, R-Mo., the Committee bill contains the full amounts requested by President Obama in his recommended budget for Fiscal Year 2014—which include substantial increases for several programs, notwithstanding the pressure to cut spending overall. The committee understood that it’s possible to achieve macro-level cuts while still taking care to ensure that specific small and vital accounts have the funds they need.
Here are details of what the Senate committee approved:
Whether an animal welfare law will be effective often turns on whether it gets adequately funded. Having legislators seek that funding is crucial, especially when there are such strong competing budget pressures. We are grateful to Senators Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and David Vitter, R-La., who reached out to their colleagues and mobilized a broad showing of 34 Senators voicing bipartisan support for these animal welfare funds, as did Reps. Chris Smith, R-N.J., and Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., marshaling the support of 164 Representatives in the House. Their collective efforts set the stage for positive committee action, which in turn has put us in a strong position for good outcomes in the House-Senate negotiations.
We will continue to watch the appropriations process closely and press for the highest possible amounts when the House and Senate reach agreement on the final legislation. Proper enforcement of these laws not only helps animals but benefits people, too—for example, by protecting consumers from disreputable puppy mills and from mishandling of pets on airlines, reducing food safety risks associated with poor management at slaughter plants, and reducing the risk of bird flu transmission via cockfighting. Our fortunes are intertwined with those of animals, and doing right by them is good policy for all of us.
Here are details of what the Senate committee approved:
$893,000 for USDA’s enforcement of the Horse Protection Act to end the cruel practice of “soring” show horses (deliberately inflicting severe pain on the horses’ legs and hooves to make it hurt for them to step down, so they will exaggerate their high-stepping gait and win prizes). This is well above the current funding level of $678,510, as well as the House committee bill’s level of $500,000.
They also made appropriations to NOT include providing inspectors for horse slaughter plants, which means that those plants won't be able to be built if they can't be inspected.
There's a lot more in the article, which I've cut and paste below. Click here to read it.
Overall, this is an amazing achievement. It's wonderful to know that the Senate cares enough to make these changes and really get a handle on helping to stop animal abuse!
**********
Humane Society Legislative Fund
Animals & Politics - Michael Markarian
Monday, July 15, 2013
Senate Committee Comes Through on Animal Welfare Funding
Though the work is far from done, this is shaping up to be a very encouraging year for animals on the appropriations front. We already reported on the House Appropriations Committee’s approval of solid funding levels to support USDA’s enforcement of key animal welfare laws, as well as its inclusion of much-needed language to stop horse slaughter plants from operating in the U.S. The Senate Appropriations Committee followed suit with parallel language de-funding USDA inspections at horse slaughter plants.
Here are details of what the Senate committee approved:
- $893,000 for USDA’s enforcement of the Horse Protection Act to end the cruel practice of “soring” show horses (deliberately inflicting severe pain on the horses’ legs and hooves to make it hurt for them to step down, so they will exaggerate their high-stepping gait and win prizes). This is well above the current funding level of $678,510, as well as the House committee bill’s level of $500,000.
- $28,203,000 for USDA’s enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act, which sets basic standards for care of animals at almost 28,000 sites across the country—commercial breeding facilities (including puppy mills), laboratories, roadside zoos, circuses, and airlines. Current funding of AWA oversight is $26,406,304 and the House committee bill provides $27,087,000.
- $16,350,000 for USDA’s Investigative and Enforcement Services division, whose responsibilities include investigation of inspectors’ findings regarding alleged violations of federal animal welfare laws and the initiation of follow-up enforcement actions. Current funding is $15,866,009 and the House committee bill provides $16,275,000.
- $89,902,000 for USDA’s Office of Inspector General, which covers many areas including investigations and audits of the agency’s enforcement efforts to improve compliance with the Animal Welfare Act, Horse Protection Act, Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, and regulations to protect downed animals. The Senate committee report specifically flags the OIG’s work to address animal fighting violations under the AWA, in coordination with state and local law enforcement. Current funding for the OIG is $86,779,028 and the House bill provides $86,779,000.
- Helpful committee report language directing the Food Safety and Inspection Service to ensure that funds provided for Humane Methods of Slaughter Act enforcement will be used to ensure compliance with humane handling rules for live animals as they arrive and are offloaded and handled in pens, chutes, and stunning areas. Similar language is in the House committee report and was included last year for FY13 Agriculture Appropriations.
- $4,790,000 for the veterinary student loan program that helps ease the shortage of veterinarians practicing in rural communities and in government positions (such as those overseeing humane slaughter, AWA, and HPA rules), by repaying student debt for those who choose to practice in one of these underserved areas. Current funding is $4,669,627 and the House bill provides $4,790,000.
Whether an animal welfare law will be effective often turns on whether it gets adequately funded. Having legislators seek that funding is crucial, especially when there are such strong competing budget pressures. We are grateful to Senators Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and David Vitter, R-La., who reached out to their colleagues and mobilized a broad showing of 34 Senators voicing bipartisan support for these animal welfare funds, as did Reps. Chris Smith, R-N.J., and Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., marshaling the support of 164 Representatives in the House. Their collective efforts set the stage for positive committee action, which in turn has put us in a strong position for good outcomes in the House-Senate negotiations.
We will continue to watch the appropriations process closely and press for the highest possible amounts when the House and Senate reach agreement on the final legislation. Proper enforcement of these laws not only helps animals but benefits people, too—for example, by protecting consumers from disreputable puppy mills and from mishandling of pets on airlines, reducing food safety risks associated with poor management at slaughter plants, and reducing the risk of bird flu transmission via cockfighting. Our fortunes are intertwined with those of animals, and doing right by them is good policy for all of us.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
BREAKING NEWS - JACKIE MCCONNELL SENTENCING RESULTS
Mr. McConnell pled guilty to 12 of the 22 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty against him, involving the soring abuse of multiple walking horses being trained at his barn in Fayette County. 5 of those counts were run consecutively to each other, for a total effective sentence of 5 years, all of which was suspended and run concurrently to his federal felony sentence and probation, conditioned upon the following:
1 year house arrest supervision by CMC, and upon successful completion of the same, the remaining 4 years supervised release on state probation; payment of a total fine of $25,000.00 plus court costs; relinquish and forfeit any claim of title, ownership, or possession of and to the horses that were seized from his barn and which were the subjects of the abuse and cruelty; he must sell and completely divest himself of any title, ownership, or possession of any remaining horses within 120 days from today; he is prohibited and banned from owning, possessing, training, or housing any horses for a period of 20 years. Mr. McConnell was denied any form of judicial diversion relief to which he may have been entitled.
Codefendant Mays pled guilty to 4 counts of animal cruelty, and received consecutive sentences totaling 4 years, all suspended, upon supervised state probation, concurrent with his federal sentence and probation.
Codefendant Dockery pled guilty to 3 counts of animal cruelty, and received consecutive sentences totaling 3 years, all suspended, upon supervised state probation, concurrent with his federal sentence and probation.
**********
Honestly, this is good news, especially since animal abuse was not considered a felony at the time he was arrested. I imagine they're going to keep a close eye on him at this point. Now let's see the same kind of justice on Wheelon, especially since now it IS a felony.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
NEWS - H.R. 1518 Moved to C&E Committee Subcommittee - New Letters Needed!; Farm Bill Update; Justice Blog Entry Concerning Animal Abuse
H.R. 1518, or the PAST Act, has been moved to the Energy and Commerce Committee subcommittee entitled Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade. Here's the list of the subcommittee members that we need new letters and calls for to support HR 1518. PLEASE NOTE: Marsha Blackburn is in with the Lickers, so writing to her might not be helpful.
Please remember: calls are more effective than emails! However, contacting them through all channels is always a good idea! We've linked the person's contact page to their name. A ** means there are multiple offices listed on the contact page. If you want to contact them through their page or even visit their office, use the zip code provided when asked for it. If it asks you for an address, use the zip code and find a local cemetery or library as your address. The computer certainly doesn't know the difference. MelissaData is a great place to look up more information about addresses and zip codes.
Chairman: Lee Terry (R-NE) (402) 397-9944, zip 68154
Vice Chairman: Leonard Lance (R-NJ) (908) 518-7733, zip 07090**
John Barrow (D-GA) (912) 489-4494, zip 30458**
Joe Barton (R-TX) (972) 875-8488, zip 75119-7489**
Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) (727) 232-2921, zip 34689-1299**
Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) (931) 503-0391, zip 37043-5399**
G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) (919) 908-0164, zip 27701-3204**
Donna M. Christensen (D-VI) (340) 778-5900, zip 00840**
John D. Dingell (D-MI) (313) 278-2936, zip 48124-2429**
Brett Guthrie (R-KY) (270) 842-9896, zip 42101-1217**
Gregg Harper (R-MS) (601) 823-3400, zip 39601-3341**
Bill Johnson (R-OH) (740) 376-0886, zip 45750-3123**
Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) (815) 431-9271, zip 61350
Billy Long (R-MO) (417) 889-1800, zip 65804-4583**
Jim Matheson (D-UT) (801) 486-1236, zip 84008
David McKinley (R-WV) (304) 232-3801, zip 26003**
Jerry McNerney (D-CA) (925) 754-0716, zip 94531-6209**
Pete Olson (R-TX) (281) 494-2690, zip 77478-4918**
Mike Pompeo (R-KS) (316) 262-8992, zip 67207
Bobby L. Rush (D-IL) (773) 224-6500, zip 60619-2304**
John Sarbanes (D-MD) (410) 295-1679, zip 21401-1907**
Ranking Member: Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) (773) 506-7100, zip 60640-5660**
Fred Upton (R-MI) (269) 982-1986, zip 49085-1118**
Henry A. Waxman (D-CA) (310) 652-3095, zip 90036-4315**
Peter Welch (D-VT) (802) 652-2450, toll free (888) 605-7270, zip 05401-5206
Feel free to use a link to the FTTWH press package in your emails, or mail one specifically to their office. And again, the FTTWH press package is free for anyone to use!
Here are the reasons why we need new letters.
First, the supporters of the Farm Bill are scrambling to put it back into Congress to get it voted on again and try to get it passed. I've copied and pasted the article at the end of this blog post; click here for the full article. The problem with the Farm Bill is if the King Amendment is included in it, it will give farmers and people who abuse livestock more free rein to do so. It would hinder investigations into animal abuse, and this will lead to probable health issues concerning the care of food animals.
However, there is still hope. The Department of Justice had an excellent post on their blog concerning the reasons why we need to be concerned about animal welfare. Again, I've copied and pasted it below, but click here for the full post. Specifically, the post talks about a listening session that went on April 30th of this year presented by experts in the field explaining why we need to focus on animal cruelty cases. Their examples are as follows.
...investigators have documented child abuse cases where the perpetrators threatened to kill the child’s pet in order to enforce the child’s silence and compliance. Surveys of domestic violence shelter residents reveal that batterers sometimes harm or threaten to harm pets as part of their strategy for controlling the behavior of family members. And research suggests that acts of animal cruelty committed by young people may predict violent behavior in the future. Intervening to address animal cruelty may be key to changing patterns of conduct for positive long-term effects.
Through raids and criminal prosecutions, we have also learned firsthand that certain forms of animal cruelty – such as dog and cockfighting – can be part of a highly organized interstate criminal industry that not only harms animals, but also threatens public safety. Dog and cockfighting ventures frequently attract other criminal activities, including drug trafficking, unlawful possession of firearms, illegal gambling, stolen vehicles and property offenses, and child endangerment.
This is an excellent resource that you can send to the subcommittee members. If I can find the transcript of the listening session, I will post it on the blog.
**********
After stunning defeat, lawmakers scramble to salvage farm bill
By Mike Lillis and Russell Berman
June 22, 2013
Supporters of a five-year farm bill are scrambling to pick up the pieces after the measure went down in stunning defeat in the House.
Thursday's 195-234 vote to kill the $940 billion package blindsided proponents, who were confident of the bill's success and are now struggling in search of a plan to resuscitate it.
GOP leaders say they've made no decisions about the next step, but the heads of the House Agriculture Committee – Reps. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) and Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) – spoke Thursday afternoon in an early show that they're still hoping to prevent the need for any short-term extensions of current farm policy.
"We'll figure it out," Peterson said to Lucas just after the vote.
Whether that's possible in the face of a divided House, a recalcitrant GOP conference and the thorny politics surrounding the package, however, is by no means certain.
Farm bills have historically won overwhelming support from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. But despite pressure from GOP leaders, 62 Republicans opposed the package Thursday – many more than supporters expected – while only 24 Democrats backed the measure.
The vote was an embarrassing defeat for House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), reviving doubts about his decision to consider the bill via regular order and, more broadly, his ability to rally his own troops behind legislation of any significance.
Deflecting those questions, House Republican leaders on Friday continued to blame Democrats for the bill’s failure, accusing Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in particular of undermining support.
"We expected Democrats to produce the votes they promised on a long-negotiated bipartisan measure to get us to conference, rather than Nancy Pelosi using her opposition to common-sense work requirements as an excuse for playing politics," said Rory Cooper, spokesman for Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), "so we haven't decided the next step yet."
Both Pelosi and Peterson said many more in their party would have backed the final product, but two last-minute conservative amendments – one championed by Boehner, the other by Cantor – scared the Democrats away.
"Those two [amendments] cost us a lot of votes," Peterson said Thursday, "and I would guess it didn't get them a damn thing."
Indeed, Pelosi on Wednesday had warned that Democrats would flee if the package became more conservative.
“If they change it on the floor, then all bets are off," she told The Nation.
Cooper said there was “no timetable” for a decision on the way forward for the legislation. The House leaves for a weeklong recess after next week.
A Boehner spokesman referred questions to Cantor's office.
Dale Moore, executive director of public policy at the American Farm Bureau Federation, said supporters of the package were left "kind of stunned" by its defeat, and that lawmakers haven't moved far beyond "the wound-licking process."
"I know what the Spurs felt like after Game 6," Moore said, referring to San Antonio's come-from-ahead loss Tuesday night in the NBA playoffs.
If they decide to take another stab at the bill, GOP leaders would face the central question of whether to shift the package to the right to attract more Republicans, or shift it to the left to lure more Democrats.
"There's the penultimate question, and candidly I'm not sure" of the answer, Moore said.
Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said Friday that the future of the bill remains up in the air, but he doubted that efforts to attract more conservatives would bear fruit.
"Clearly, they need more Democratic votes, so going to the right would not be an option," Hammill said.
Supporters of the five-year proposal are quick to note that the timing of Thursday's vote – which came more than three months before the current farm bill expires – gives lawmakers plenty of cushion for finding a solution and avoiding a short-term fix.
"It's way too early to talk about extensions," Moore said.
Meanwhile, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), the head of Senate Agriculture Committee who shepherded a bipartisan farm bill through the upper chamber earlier this month, is awaiting a conference with a House version.
Peterson, who spoke with Stabenow Thursday, said the worst-case scenario would be a short-term extension of current law. He predicted lawmakers simply won't have the appetite to revert to the 1949 farm bill, as would happen on Oct. 1 if Congress doesn't act at all.
"The current law we can live with," he said. "So without a bill we'll end up with an extension, because there's no way we can go back to '49 law."
**********
The Intersection Between Animal Cruelty and Public Safety
April 30th, 2013
Posted by The Department Of Justice
The following post appears courtesy of Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West and Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Mary Lou Leary.
The images that emerge from animal cruelty cases are both difficult to look at and impossible to turn away from. We don’t encounter animal cruelty every day, but the Justice Department has charged at least 190 defendants with animal cruelty offenses during the past six years, and has assisted state and local prosecutors in many others. Some of these cases involved flagrant abuses of show horses, complex underground dog fighting schemes, and stolen animals sold for medical research. Just last month, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas charged the ringleaders of a multi-state dog fighting scheme with felony animal fighting. More than a dozen federal, state and local agencies helped with the investigation and rescued 79 dogs.
Since we know there are established links between animal cruelty and different types of violent behavior, including domestic violence, child abuse and elder abuse, today we had the unique opportunity to host a listening session on the intersection between animal cruelty and public safety. We were joined by experts from a wide range of disciplines, including federal and state prosecutors, forensic scientists and veterinarians, judges, law enforcement officers, as well as representatives from the elder abuse, domestic violence, children services and animal welfare fields. Today’s listening session also drew wide interest across the department – from our own research and policy advisors, to our criminal prosecutors and civil litigators.
Both in scale and scope, this conversation was the first of its kind in the department. It is part of a broader dialogue that we will continue to have about preventing animal cruelty and better understanding its intersection with interpersonal violence and organized crime.
For example, investigators have documented child abuse cases where the perpetrators threatened to kill the child’s pet in order to enforce the child’s silence and compliance. Surveys of domestic violence shelter residents reveal that batterers sometimes harm or threaten to harm pets as part of their strategy for controlling the behavior of family members. And research suggests that acts of animal cruelty committed by young people may predict violent behavior in the future. Intervening to address animal cruelty may be key to changing patterns of conduct for positive long-term effects.
Through raids and criminal prosecutions, we have also learned firsthand that certain forms of animal cruelty – such as dog and cockfighting – can be part of a highly organized interstate criminal industry that not only harms animals, but also threatens public safety. Dog and cockfighting ventures frequently attract other criminal activities, including drug trafficking, unlawful possession of firearms, illegal gambling, stolen vehicles and property offenses, and child endangerment.
We still have more to explore and learn about these connections, and our Office of Justice Programs’ Animal Cruelty Working Group has been working to do just that.
Please remember: calls are more effective than emails! However, contacting them through all channels is always a good idea! We've linked the person's contact page to their name. A ** means there are multiple offices listed on the contact page. If you want to contact them through their page or even visit their office, use the zip code provided when asked for it. If it asks you for an address, use the zip code and find a local cemetery or library as your address. The computer certainly doesn't know the difference. MelissaData is a great place to look up more information about addresses and zip codes.
Chairman: Lee Terry (R-NE) (402) 397-9944, zip 68154
Vice Chairman: Leonard Lance (R-NJ) (908) 518-7733, zip 07090**
John Barrow (D-GA) (912) 489-4494, zip 30458**
Joe Barton (R-TX) (972) 875-8488, zip 75119-7489**
Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) (727) 232-2921, zip 34689-1299**
Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) (931) 503-0391, zip 37043-5399**
G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) (919) 908-0164, zip 27701-3204**
Donna M. Christensen (D-VI) (340) 778-5900, zip 00840**
John D. Dingell (D-MI) (313) 278-2936, zip 48124-2429**
Brett Guthrie (R-KY) (270) 842-9896, zip 42101-1217**
Gregg Harper (R-MS) (601) 823-3400, zip 39601-3341**
Bill Johnson (R-OH) (740) 376-0886, zip 45750-3123**
Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) (815) 431-9271, zip 61350
Billy Long (R-MO) (417) 889-1800, zip 65804-4583**
Jim Matheson (D-UT) (801) 486-1236, zip 84008
David McKinley (R-WV) (304) 232-3801, zip 26003**
Jerry McNerney (D-CA) (925) 754-0716, zip 94531-6209**
Pete Olson (R-TX) (281) 494-2690, zip 77478-4918**
Mike Pompeo (R-KS) (316) 262-8992, zip 67207
Bobby L. Rush (D-IL) (773) 224-6500, zip 60619-2304**
John Sarbanes (D-MD) (410) 295-1679, zip 21401-1907**
Ranking Member: Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) (773) 506-7100, zip 60640-5660**
Fred Upton (R-MI) (269) 982-1986, zip 49085-1118**
Henry A. Waxman (D-CA) (310) 652-3095, zip 90036-4315**
Peter Welch (D-VT) (802) 652-2450, toll free (888) 605-7270, zip 05401-5206
Here are the reasons why we need new letters.
First, the supporters of the Farm Bill are scrambling to put it back into Congress to get it voted on again and try to get it passed. I've copied and pasted the article at the end of this blog post; click here for the full article. The problem with the Farm Bill is if the King Amendment is included in it, it will give farmers and people who abuse livestock more free rein to do so. It would hinder investigations into animal abuse, and this will lead to probable health issues concerning the care of food animals.
However, there is still hope. The Department of Justice had an excellent post on their blog concerning the reasons why we need to be concerned about animal welfare. Again, I've copied and pasted it below, but click here for the full post. Specifically, the post talks about a listening session that went on April 30th of this year presented by experts in the field explaining why we need to focus on animal cruelty cases. Their examples are as follows.
...investigators have documented child abuse cases where the perpetrators threatened to kill the child’s pet in order to enforce the child’s silence and compliance. Surveys of domestic violence shelter residents reveal that batterers sometimes harm or threaten to harm pets as part of their strategy for controlling the behavior of family members. And research suggests that acts of animal cruelty committed by young people may predict violent behavior in the future. Intervening to address animal cruelty may be key to changing patterns of conduct for positive long-term effects.
Through raids and criminal prosecutions, we have also learned firsthand that certain forms of animal cruelty – such as dog and cockfighting – can be part of a highly organized interstate criminal industry that not only harms animals, but also threatens public safety. Dog and cockfighting ventures frequently attract other criminal activities, including drug trafficking, unlawful possession of firearms, illegal gambling, stolen vehicles and property offenses, and child endangerment.
This is an excellent resource that you can send to the subcommittee members. If I can find the transcript of the listening session, I will post it on the blog.
**********
After stunning defeat, lawmakers scramble to salvage farm bill
By Mike Lillis and Russell Berman
June 22, 2013
Supporters of a five-year farm bill are scrambling to pick up the pieces after the measure went down in stunning defeat in the House.
Thursday's 195-234 vote to kill the $940 billion package blindsided proponents, who were confident of the bill's success and are now struggling in search of a plan to resuscitate it.
GOP leaders say they've made no decisions about the next step, but the heads of the House Agriculture Committee – Reps. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) and Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) – spoke Thursday afternoon in an early show that they're still hoping to prevent the need for any short-term extensions of current farm policy.
"We'll figure it out," Peterson said to Lucas just after the vote.
Whether that's possible in the face of a divided House, a recalcitrant GOP conference and the thorny politics surrounding the package, however, is by no means certain.
Farm bills have historically won overwhelming support from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. But despite pressure from GOP leaders, 62 Republicans opposed the package Thursday – many more than supporters expected – while only 24 Democrats backed the measure.
The vote was an embarrassing defeat for House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), reviving doubts about his decision to consider the bill via regular order and, more broadly, his ability to rally his own troops behind legislation of any significance.
Deflecting those questions, House Republican leaders on Friday continued to blame Democrats for the bill’s failure, accusing Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in particular of undermining support.
"We expected Democrats to produce the votes they promised on a long-negotiated bipartisan measure to get us to conference, rather than Nancy Pelosi using her opposition to common-sense work requirements as an excuse for playing politics," said Rory Cooper, spokesman for Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), "so we haven't decided the next step yet."
Both Pelosi and Peterson said many more in their party would have backed the final product, but two last-minute conservative amendments – one championed by Boehner, the other by Cantor – scared the Democrats away.
"Those two [amendments] cost us a lot of votes," Peterson said Thursday, "and I would guess it didn't get them a damn thing."
Indeed, Pelosi on Wednesday had warned that Democrats would flee if the package became more conservative.
“If they change it on the floor, then all bets are off," she told The Nation.
Cooper said there was “no timetable” for a decision on the way forward for the legislation. The House leaves for a weeklong recess after next week.
A Boehner spokesman referred questions to Cantor's office.
Dale Moore, executive director of public policy at the American Farm Bureau Federation, said supporters of the package were left "kind of stunned" by its defeat, and that lawmakers haven't moved far beyond "the wound-licking process."
"I know what the Spurs felt like after Game 6," Moore said, referring to San Antonio's come-from-ahead loss Tuesday night in the NBA playoffs.
If they decide to take another stab at the bill, GOP leaders would face the central question of whether to shift the package to the right to attract more Republicans, or shift it to the left to lure more Democrats.
"There's the penultimate question, and candidly I'm not sure" of the answer, Moore said.
Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said Friday that the future of the bill remains up in the air, but he doubted that efforts to attract more conservatives would bear fruit.
"Clearly, they need more Democratic votes, so going to the right would not be an option," Hammill said.
Supporters of the five-year proposal are quick to note that the timing of Thursday's vote – which came more than three months before the current farm bill expires – gives lawmakers plenty of cushion for finding a solution and avoiding a short-term fix.
"It's way too early to talk about extensions," Moore said.
Meanwhile, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), the head of Senate Agriculture Committee who shepherded a bipartisan farm bill through the upper chamber earlier this month, is awaiting a conference with a House version.
Peterson, who spoke with Stabenow Thursday, said the worst-case scenario would be a short-term extension of current law. He predicted lawmakers simply won't have the appetite to revert to the 1949 farm bill, as would happen on Oct. 1 if Congress doesn't act at all.
"The current law we can live with," he said. "So without a bill we'll end up with an extension, because there's no way we can go back to '49 law."
**********
The Intersection Between Animal Cruelty and Public Safety
April 30th, 2013
Posted by The Department Of Justice
The following post appears courtesy of Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West and Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Mary Lou Leary.
The images that emerge from animal cruelty cases are both difficult to look at and impossible to turn away from. We don’t encounter animal cruelty every day, but the Justice Department has charged at least 190 defendants with animal cruelty offenses during the past six years, and has assisted state and local prosecutors in many others. Some of these cases involved flagrant abuses of show horses, complex underground dog fighting schemes, and stolen animals sold for medical research. Just last month, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas charged the ringleaders of a multi-state dog fighting scheme with felony animal fighting. More than a dozen federal, state and local agencies helped with the investigation and rescued 79 dogs.
Since we know there are established links between animal cruelty and different types of violent behavior, including domestic violence, child abuse and elder abuse, today we had the unique opportunity to host a listening session on the intersection between animal cruelty and public safety. We were joined by experts from a wide range of disciplines, including federal and state prosecutors, forensic scientists and veterinarians, judges, law enforcement officers, as well as representatives from the elder abuse, domestic violence, children services and animal welfare fields. Today’s listening session also drew wide interest across the department – from our own research and policy advisors, to our criminal prosecutors and civil litigators.
Both in scale and scope, this conversation was the first of its kind in the department. It is part of a broader dialogue that we will continue to have about preventing animal cruelty and better understanding its intersection with interpersonal violence and organized crime.
For example, investigators have documented child abuse cases where the perpetrators threatened to kill the child’s pet in order to enforce the child’s silence and compliance. Surveys of domestic violence shelter residents reveal that batterers sometimes harm or threaten to harm pets as part of their strategy for controlling the behavior of family members. And research suggests that acts of animal cruelty committed by young people may predict violent behavior in the future. Intervening to address animal cruelty may be key to changing patterns of conduct for positive long-term effects.
Through raids and criminal prosecutions, we have also learned firsthand that certain forms of animal cruelty – such as dog and cockfighting – can be part of a highly organized interstate criminal industry that not only harms animals, but also threatens public safety. Dog and cockfighting ventures frequently attract other criminal activities, including drug trafficking, unlawful possession of firearms, illegal gambling, stolen vehicles and property offenses, and child endangerment.
We still have more to explore and learn about these connections, and our Office of Justice Programs’ Animal Cruelty Working Group has been working to do just that.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
NEWS and ARTICLE - Union Humane Society in Louisiana Sponsoring BL Horse Show to Raise Money
Sounds crazy, right? But it's true.
We at FTTWH found out about this some time ago. A woman we know acted on it and contacted the HSUS, the Coalition of Louisiana Animal Advocates (COLAA) and Community Action for Animals (CAA). COLAA and CAA contacted the UHS and got no response. Several of us have also contacted the UHS politely via their Facebook page and email, and they have brushed us off or been outright rude about it. They deleted a ton of our posts on Facebook, even when people were politely asking them to rethink this, and wrote some pretty nasty responses to our posts. They claim that the horses will be inspected (by SHOW, no less, currently having sued the USDA and is in the process of being decertified) and they won't be sored...but it seems to me they are more worried about getting the money than the welfare of the horses.
IT seems that the ULS is ignoring the fact that the WEGs in 2010 denied any BL horses on the grounds, and that the Germantown Charity Horse Show has gotten rid of the BL and they have actually gotten more entries and support this year. An NWHA show in Texas last month raised around $30,000 in money for its charity, and no BL horses were present.
So, what we need you to do is to contact the USDA and ask them to please be present at this show. Let them know it's on July 12-13 and it will be it will be at the North Louisiana Exhibition Center in Lincoln Parish. The contact info for the USDA HPA is 301-851-3751 or email at hp@aphis.usda.gov.
Here's the article from the The Gazette of Farmerville, Louisiana from May 20. Should give you a better idea of what's really going on. It's important to note that the TWH BL industry continues to rely on charity donations to justify what they do.
**********
Union Humane takes over Walking horse show
Sponsorship of event stirs debate
BY BRIANA ARRINGTON
Gazette staff writer
The Union Humane Society is the new sponsor for the annual Tennessee Walking Horse Show July 12-13 — and there are a few people who are not happy about it.
“It’s extremely contradictory for a humane society to associate itself with an organization where there is known animal abuse,” said director for Community Action for Animals (CAA) in Memphis, Tenn., Cindy Sanders. “If there is even a hint of impropriety, they shouldn’t want to be involved.”
Over the past several years “soring” and “pressure shoeing” have been contentious issues for the Tennessee Walking Horse Show industry.
Soring is the illegal act of applying caustic chemicals to the ankle area of the horse, burning that area and then allowing the chains to dig into the area. Pressure shoeing is placing nails, broken glass, etc. under the shoe, causing the object to go into the frog of the hoof causing pain, like stepping on a tack. The reasoning behind both of these methods is to produce a “big lick” or high kick during the walking horse performances.
Sanders, a former federal officer and current animal legislator, said she was in disbelief upon first hearing that a humane society would be sponsoring a walking horse show.
“Coalition of Louisiana Animal Advocates (COLAA) sent a letter to the Board of Directors of the Union Humane Society and CAA sent a letter to the board also,” Sanders said. “I spoke with Ms. Fontana who is on the board and a very nice lady. She confirmed the board received our letters and was fully aware of the problems associated with the “big lick” performance classes and that despite it all, they will proceed as planned.”
Fontana admitted there has been abuse going on at walking horse shows, but said those guilty of abuse have been caught and she does not believe there will be a chance of any abuse at the Union Parish show.
“We have a list of names of all those who have been sanctioned and they will not be at our show,” she said. “A few abusers in a breed, race or sport do not make the entire sport bad.”
Fontana said in nearly every sport, there is potential for abuse, but that it is unfair for one to assume everyone is liable.
“We probably cannot stop the abuse from happening completely,” she said. “But we will do everything we can to monitor our show and make sure it doesn’t happen there.”
Scotty Aulds has been involved in with walking horse shows for more than 30 years and has been announcing at the Union Parish walking horse show since it began in 1990
“The whole thing has been blown way out of proportion,” Aulds said. “The horse is scrutinized for every step it takes. There are inspectors at every show who examine these horses to make sure no abuse is going on. I won’t deny there may be a few bad apples but the percentage rate of those who show compared to those who are sanctioned for abuse is extremely low. We need to get rid of the people who abuse horses, true. But I’ve been doing this a long time and most trainers I know treat their horses with the ultimate respect—heated stalls, fresh bedding… the works.”
Aulds also said the walking horse show in Union Parish has always been associated with charity and progress for the area.
“This is a positive event,’’ Aulds said. “The proceeds always go towards a good cause like scholarships for local youth, and different projects around town.”
In the past, Aulds said the walking horse show has paid for the lights underneath the Highway 33 bridge, maps for Union Parish Tourists and equipment for the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office Reserve, to name a few.
“And the show brings in business,” Aulds said. “People who come for the show eat in our restaurants and shop in our stores.”
However, Sanders argues that a good cause is not enough reason for these shows to continue and if the Union Humane Society wanted to be clear of controversy they would consider having a “sound” performance rather than a big lick.
“A sound show is natural,” Sanders said. “It doesn’t allow the action devices or chains and many walking horse shows who have begun this method have been just as successful as when they were doing big lick shows.”
Furthermore, Sanders claims that the HIO (Horse Industry Organization) which is responsible for mandatory inspections at shows, is currently in violation of the United States Department of Agriculture, which appoints HIO inspectors.
Although contacted several times, the HIO was unavailable for comment on the matter.
Regardless of the controversy, it is clear that the Union Humane Society will proceed with the show as planned. However, there are still some unanswered questions surrounding the event. Since the shows beginning, the Union Parish Chamber of Commerce has sponsored the event, which was held at the D’Arbonne Range Riders Arena.
This year, not only will the sponsor be the Union Humane Society, but the show will not be held at the DRR arena. Instead, it will be at the North Louisiana Exhibition Center in Lincoln Parish.
Chamber member and show organizer Jayne Green said the chamber decided to give the walking horse show to the Union Humane Society in an effort to help them with funding.
“Other things were taking precedent with the chamber and we also knew the Union Humane Society is in need of a facility so we turned the show over to them,” Green said. “They were extremely happy and grateful for the opportunity.”
For whatever reason, when the new sponsorship was presented to the DRR board, the board voted against it.
“It was a personal decision, that’s all I can say,” Fontana said.
Despite facing obstacle after obstacle the UHS is not giving up and will continue to work towards its greater goal of establishing an effective animal shelter in Union Parish. In a post on social media outlet Facebook the UHS wrote:
“Thank you for the comments and concerns regarding our upcoming Tennessee Walking Horse Show. We will be continuing to sponsor a Tennessee Walking Horse show hopefully for many years in the future. We believe the best way to combat a wrong is to shine a light on it - that can’t be done if you aren’t there… no animal should be harmed by a human. Unfortunately, that is not going to stop happening, especially if organizations like ours are underfunded and/or shut down. Our best way to combat the problem is to be there - watching, watching, watching. Our members have owned horses and other animals for many years and we will continue to do anything possible to prevent abuse from happening to them in a private setting or a public one. Thank you for your support.”
We at FTTWH found out about this some time ago. A woman we know acted on it and contacted the HSUS, the Coalition of Louisiana Animal Advocates (COLAA) and Community Action for Animals (CAA). COLAA and CAA contacted the UHS and got no response. Several of us have also contacted the UHS politely via their Facebook page and email, and they have brushed us off or been outright rude about it. They deleted a ton of our posts on Facebook, even when people were politely asking them to rethink this, and wrote some pretty nasty responses to our posts. They claim that the horses will be inspected (by SHOW, no less, currently having sued the USDA and is in the process of being decertified) and they won't be sored...but it seems to me they are more worried about getting the money than the welfare of the horses.
IT seems that the ULS is ignoring the fact that the WEGs in 2010 denied any BL horses on the grounds, and that the Germantown Charity Horse Show has gotten rid of the BL and they have actually gotten more entries and support this year. An NWHA show in Texas last month raised around $30,000 in money for its charity, and no BL horses were present.
So, what we need you to do is to contact the USDA and ask them to please be present at this show. Let them know it's on July 12-13 and it will be it will be at the North Louisiana Exhibition Center in Lincoln Parish. The contact info for the USDA HPA is 301-851-3751 or email at hp@aphis.usda.gov.
Here's the article from the The Gazette of Farmerville, Louisiana from May 20. Should give you a better idea of what's really going on. It's important to note that the TWH BL industry continues to rely on charity donations to justify what they do.
**********
Union Humane takes over Walking horse show
Sponsorship of event stirs debate
BY BRIANA ARRINGTON
Gazette staff writer
The Union Humane Society is the new sponsor for the annual Tennessee Walking Horse Show July 12-13 — and there are a few people who are not happy about it.
“It’s extremely contradictory for a humane society to associate itself with an organization where there is known animal abuse,” said director for Community Action for Animals (CAA) in Memphis, Tenn., Cindy Sanders. “If there is even a hint of impropriety, they shouldn’t want to be involved.”
Over the past several years “soring” and “pressure shoeing” have been contentious issues for the Tennessee Walking Horse Show industry.
Soring is the illegal act of applying caustic chemicals to the ankle area of the horse, burning that area and then allowing the chains to dig into the area. Pressure shoeing is placing nails, broken glass, etc. under the shoe, causing the object to go into the frog of the hoof causing pain, like stepping on a tack. The reasoning behind both of these methods is to produce a “big lick” or high kick during the walking horse performances.
Sanders, a former federal officer and current animal legislator, said she was in disbelief upon first hearing that a humane society would be sponsoring a walking horse show.
“Coalition of Louisiana Animal Advocates (COLAA) sent a letter to the Board of Directors of the Union Humane Society and CAA sent a letter to the board also,” Sanders said. “I spoke with Ms. Fontana who is on the board and a very nice lady. She confirmed the board received our letters and was fully aware of the problems associated with the “big lick” performance classes and that despite it all, they will proceed as planned.”
Fontana admitted there has been abuse going on at walking horse shows, but said those guilty of abuse have been caught and she does not believe there will be a chance of any abuse at the Union Parish show.
“We have a list of names of all those who have been sanctioned and they will not be at our show,” she said. “A few abusers in a breed, race or sport do not make the entire sport bad.”
Fontana said in nearly every sport, there is potential for abuse, but that it is unfair for one to assume everyone is liable.
“We probably cannot stop the abuse from happening completely,” she said. “But we will do everything we can to monitor our show and make sure it doesn’t happen there.”
Scotty Aulds has been involved in with walking horse shows for more than 30 years and has been announcing at the Union Parish walking horse show since it began in 1990
“The whole thing has been blown way out of proportion,” Aulds said. “The horse is scrutinized for every step it takes. There are inspectors at every show who examine these horses to make sure no abuse is going on. I won’t deny there may be a few bad apples but the percentage rate of those who show compared to those who are sanctioned for abuse is extremely low. We need to get rid of the people who abuse horses, true. But I’ve been doing this a long time and most trainers I know treat their horses with the ultimate respect—heated stalls, fresh bedding… the works.”
Aulds also said the walking horse show in Union Parish has always been associated with charity and progress for the area.
“This is a positive event,’’ Aulds said. “The proceeds always go towards a good cause like scholarships for local youth, and different projects around town.”
In the past, Aulds said the walking horse show has paid for the lights underneath the Highway 33 bridge, maps for Union Parish Tourists and equipment for the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office Reserve, to name a few.
“And the show brings in business,” Aulds said. “People who come for the show eat in our restaurants and shop in our stores.”
However, Sanders argues that a good cause is not enough reason for these shows to continue and if the Union Humane Society wanted to be clear of controversy they would consider having a “sound” performance rather than a big lick.
“A sound show is natural,” Sanders said. “It doesn’t allow the action devices or chains and many walking horse shows who have begun this method have been just as successful as when they were doing big lick shows.”
Furthermore, Sanders claims that the HIO (Horse Industry Organization) which is responsible for mandatory inspections at shows, is currently in violation of the United States Department of Agriculture, which appoints HIO inspectors.
Although contacted several times, the HIO was unavailable for comment on the matter.
Regardless of the controversy, it is clear that the Union Humane Society will proceed with the show as planned. However, there are still some unanswered questions surrounding the event. Since the shows beginning, the Union Parish Chamber of Commerce has sponsored the event, which was held at the D’Arbonne Range Riders Arena.
This year, not only will the sponsor be the Union Humane Society, but the show will not be held at the DRR arena. Instead, it will be at the North Louisiana Exhibition Center in Lincoln Parish.
Chamber member and show organizer Jayne Green said the chamber decided to give the walking horse show to the Union Humane Society in an effort to help them with funding.
“Other things were taking precedent with the chamber and we also knew the Union Humane Society is in need of a facility so we turned the show over to them,” Green said. “They were extremely happy and grateful for the opportunity.”
For whatever reason, when the new sponsorship was presented to the DRR board, the board voted against it.
“It was a personal decision, that’s all I can say,” Fontana said.
Despite facing obstacle after obstacle the UHS is not giving up and will continue to work towards its greater goal of establishing an effective animal shelter in Union Parish. In a post on social media outlet Facebook the UHS wrote:
“Thank you for the comments and concerns regarding our upcoming Tennessee Walking Horse Show. We will be continuing to sponsor a Tennessee Walking Horse show hopefully for many years in the future. We believe the best way to combat a wrong is to shine a light on it - that can’t be done if you aren’t there… no animal should be harmed by a human. Unfortunately, that is not going to stop happening, especially if organizations like ours are underfunded and/or shut down. Our best way to combat the problem is to be there - watching, watching, watching. Our members have owned horses and other animals for many years and we will continue to do anything possible to prevent abuse from happening to them in a private setting or a public one. Thank you for your support.”
Friday, June 21, 2013
ARTICLES - Roy Exum's Latest Opinion Piece Pokes Holes in PSHA's Claims
This is brilliant. I also added some thoughts in green text to what Roy said. Click here for the original article by Roy. Thanks again, Roy, for being on the up and up in helping expose this industry for what it truly is!
It's also VERY important to read this study done by RT International concerning the economic analysis of the TWH and Racking Horse industry. I have copied and pasted a quote that relates to PSHA's claims after Roy's article. (thanks to Sandy C. for the information!)
**********
Roy Exum: The ‘Lickers’ Are Desperate
Friday, June 21, 2013 - by Roy Exum
Roy Exum The Performance Show Horse Association (PSHA), desperately trying to cling to the now-seedy image that has resulted in a half-century of abuse to Tennessee Walking Horses, accused U.S. Congressman Ed Whitfield (R-KY) of “misleading and inaccurate testimony” on Thursday when, in fact, the Shelbyville-based organization is today considered a haven of false propaganda.
PSHA is the latest acronym of a club that those responsible for the Walking Horse Celebration has just launched to hide the tarnished reputations of other groups that revere the “Big Lick,” an unnatural gait that many believe can only be achieved by torturing and soring the magnificent animals. Whitfield had sponsored an amendment to the Farm Bill that would have instead helped cripple those who apply caustic chemicals and agents to the horse’s forelegs so they’ll pick their painful legs up higher.
The Farm Bill was defeated for the second straight year in Congress yesterday, 234-to-195, and while it is unknown what Congress will do next, there is no doubt the horse welfare advocates will swat away any attempts by the PSHA to sell itself as a legitimate entity after years on consistent and rampant horse abuse in what is laughingly now called the “performance” animal.
In a poorly-advised press release, [click here to read it] PSHA charged that “Whitfield failed to tell his former members of Congress that:
CLAIM: “The amendment eliminates a total division of the equine breed, impacting more than 10,000 horses that would be deemed no longer fit for their intended purpose.”
FACT: Horse shows wouldn’t skip a beat. “Dirty Lickers” might lose their jobs but if a massive effort to remove the cheaters from the game is successful, it only stands to reason that more people would show because the playing field is level. Believe this, the cheaters are well-known. Plus, there are only 8,500 horses registered in the TWHBEA database, and it's estimated that only 10% of them are BL horses. As far as I can tell, 10% of 8500 isn't 10,000.
CLAIM: “Take from hard-working taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars in investments and income without cause or any scientific evidence”
FACT: In just the last year, five men have pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from horse abuse and two trainers – convicted Jackie McConnell and just-caught Larry Wheelon – still face state charges. If Wheelon is found guilty on all 19 horses that were “scientifically” found to be abused, he could technically die in jail. We have more “cause” than the war in Iraq!
CLAIM: “Eliminate … self-regulation … which is far superior to federal government.”
FACT: Over half of the top horse show judges in the group SHOW have past violations of the Horse Protection Act and a recent check of the Trainer’s Association showed its members were rife with violations. (Wheelon headed its ethic committee) Trainers president Mickey McCormick has over a dozen suspensions – all by the US Dept. of Agriculture. “Self-regulation” in Shelbyville would outlaw mirrors. It's also quite common for amounts violations to go up when USDA VMOs arrive, indicating that people are not being ticketed when they should be. And wouldn't adding more VMOs actually create jobs, something that this country desperately needs?
CLAIM: “Eliminate … self regulation (in order to make the federal agency bigger).”
FACT: If mankind is ever going to do away with the “Dirty Lickers,” honest USDA veterinarians and inspectors are the only answer. How many USDA inspectors to you see at a dog show or county fair? The sleazy side of the Walking Horse industry has smeared the reputation of 95 percent of owners who are clean, sound and honest. Horse abuse for cheap ribbons must stop. America has clearly had enough. This also sounds like they're stomping their feet and saying the government are big meanie poo-poo heads and are out to take all our money!
CLAIM: “Creates a Federal bureaucracy at a huge cost to taxpayers ….”
FACT: You want to see a bureaucracy? Go to Shelbyville, TN and just follow the money. The Breeder’s Association just fired its president, allegedly so his boss could win a ribbon. The same Breeder’s Association is floundering in a stinking sea of public perception and there is, in fact, “so much smoke that anyone can tell the Dirty Lick is ablaze in troubles.” The National Celebration has turned into a fiasco with heavy financial losses. I'd also like to see their basis for this assumption. Do you have estimates of these supposed costs? Sounds like the kind of crap that Humane Watch spews--exorbitant amounts with no basis in fact.
Yet the press release from PSHA claims the Whitfield Amendment, if it stays on the next effort to get the Farm Bill through Congress, will ruin the walking horse industry. If ever there was a press release written by Pinocchio, Thursday’s missive from the so-called PSHA was surely it.
royexum@aol.com
**********
"In 2012, the USDA commissioned a study to determine what economic impact changing certain regulations/penalties, might cause for the walking horse industry. The study was done by an independent firm, outside of the government.
"The study shows:
"1) There were fewer than 650 total horse shows in the states most involved with walking and racking horses in 2012. This represents an 18% decline in recent years of affiliated horse shows. Horse show attendance is also down, with many classes having less than five entries per class. Revenues from horse shows are estimated to have decreased by 40% overall.
"2). Although supporters of the Big Lick horse stress the economic importance of the breeds to local economies, in the areas of highest concentration of these horses, the study rated the impact from neutral to very high, with the high end related to the charities that benefit from horse shows which are more affected by the losses of the show industry than the community at large.
"3). Where are the horses coming from? According to the study, in the Ohio Valley, (IN, KY, OH, and TN) there are an estimated 120,000 walking and racking horses. Only 6% or about 7,200 horses are actively being shown. In the Southeast Region (AL, FL, GA, MS, MO, NC, SC, TX, VA) there are an estimated 65,000 walking and racking horses and only 6% or about 3,000 horses actively participate in shows. In the West Region ( CA, CO, MT, NV, OR, WA) there are an estimated 15,500 walking and racking horses and 2% or about 310 horses actively participate in shows. In short, where these shows are most common, fewer than 15% of the horses in these areas are involved in show ring activity."
It's also VERY important to read this study done by RT International concerning the economic analysis of the TWH and Racking Horse industry. I have copied and pasted a quote that relates to PSHA's claims after Roy's article. (thanks to Sandy C. for the information!)
**********
Roy Exum: The ‘Lickers’ Are Desperate
Friday, June 21, 2013 - by Roy Exum
Roy Exum The Performance Show Horse Association (PSHA), desperately trying to cling to the now-seedy image that has resulted in a half-century of abuse to Tennessee Walking Horses, accused U.S. Congressman Ed Whitfield (R-KY) of “misleading and inaccurate testimony” on Thursday when, in fact, the Shelbyville-based organization is today considered a haven of false propaganda.
PSHA is the latest acronym of a club that those responsible for the Walking Horse Celebration has just launched to hide the tarnished reputations of other groups that revere the “Big Lick,” an unnatural gait that many believe can only be achieved by torturing and soring the magnificent animals. Whitfield had sponsored an amendment to the Farm Bill that would have instead helped cripple those who apply caustic chemicals and agents to the horse’s forelegs so they’ll pick their painful legs up higher.
The Farm Bill was defeated for the second straight year in Congress yesterday, 234-to-195, and while it is unknown what Congress will do next, there is no doubt the horse welfare advocates will swat away any attempts by the PSHA to sell itself as a legitimate entity after years on consistent and rampant horse abuse in what is laughingly now called the “performance” animal.
In a poorly-advised press release, [click here to read it] PSHA charged that “Whitfield failed to tell his former members of Congress that:
CLAIM: “The amendment eliminates a total division of the equine breed, impacting more than 10,000 horses that would be deemed no longer fit for their intended purpose.”
FACT: Horse shows wouldn’t skip a beat. “Dirty Lickers” might lose their jobs but if a massive effort to remove the cheaters from the game is successful, it only stands to reason that more people would show because the playing field is level. Believe this, the cheaters are well-known. Plus, there are only 8,500 horses registered in the TWHBEA database, and it's estimated that only 10% of them are BL horses. As far as I can tell, 10% of 8500 isn't 10,000.
CLAIM: “Take from hard-working taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars in investments and income without cause or any scientific evidence”
FACT: In just the last year, five men have pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from horse abuse and two trainers – convicted Jackie McConnell and just-caught Larry Wheelon – still face state charges. If Wheelon is found guilty on all 19 horses that were “scientifically” found to be abused, he could technically die in jail. We have more “cause” than the war in Iraq!
CLAIM: “Eliminate … self-regulation … which is far superior to federal government.”
FACT: Over half of the top horse show judges in the group SHOW have past violations of the Horse Protection Act and a recent check of the Trainer’s Association showed its members were rife with violations. (Wheelon headed its ethic committee) Trainers president Mickey McCormick has over a dozen suspensions – all by the US Dept. of Agriculture. “Self-regulation” in Shelbyville would outlaw mirrors. It's also quite common for amounts violations to go up when USDA VMOs arrive, indicating that people are not being ticketed when they should be. And wouldn't adding more VMOs actually create jobs, something that this country desperately needs?
CLAIM: “Eliminate … self regulation (in order to make the federal agency bigger).”
FACT: If mankind is ever going to do away with the “Dirty Lickers,” honest USDA veterinarians and inspectors are the only answer. How many USDA inspectors to you see at a dog show or county fair? The sleazy side of the Walking Horse industry has smeared the reputation of 95 percent of owners who are clean, sound and honest. Horse abuse for cheap ribbons must stop. America has clearly had enough. This also sounds like they're stomping their feet and saying the government are big meanie poo-poo heads and are out to take all our money!
CLAIM: “Creates a Federal bureaucracy at a huge cost to taxpayers ….”
FACT: You want to see a bureaucracy? Go to Shelbyville, TN and just follow the money. The Breeder’s Association just fired its president, allegedly so his boss could win a ribbon. The same Breeder’s Association is floundering in a stinking sea of public perception and there is, in fact, “so much smoke that anyone can tell the Dirty Lick is ablaze in troubles.” The National Celebration has turned into a fiasco with heavy financial losses. I'd also like to see their basis for this assumption. Do you have estimates of these supposed costs? Sounds like the kind of crap that Humane Watch spews--exorbitant amounts with no basis in fact.
Yet the press release from PSHA claims the Whitfield Amendment, if it stays on the next effort to get the Farm Bill through Congress, will ruin the walking horse industry. If ever there was a press release written by Pinocchio, Thursday’s missive from the so-called PSHA was surely it.
royexum@aol.com
**********
"In 2012, the USDA commissioned a study to determine what economic impact changing certain regulations/penalties, might cause for the walking horse industry. The study was done by an independent firm, outside of the government.
"The study shows:
"1) There were fewer than 650 total horse shows in the states most involved with walking and racking horses in 2012. This represents an 18% decline in recent years of affiliated horse shows. Horse show attendance is also down, with many classes having less than five entries per class. Revenues from horse shows are estimated to have decreased by 40% overall.
"2). Although supporters of the Big Lick horse stress the economic importance of the breeds to local economies, in the areas of highest concentration of these horses, the study rated the impact from neutral to very high, with the high end related to the charities that benefit from horse shows which are more affected by the losses of the show industry than the community at large.
"3). Where are the horses coming from? According to the study, in the Ohio Valley, (IN, KY, OH, and TN) there are an estimated 120,000 walking and racking horses. Only 6% or about 7,200 horses are actively being shown. In the Southeast Region (AL, FL, GA, MS, MO, NC, SC, TX, VA) there are an estimated 65,000 walking and racking horses and only 6% or about 3,000 horses actively participate in shows. In the West Region ( CA, CO, MT, NV, OR, WA) there are an estimated 15,500 walking and racking horses and 2% or about 310 horses actively participate in shows. In short, where these shows are most common, fewer than 15% of the horses in these areas are involved in show ring activity."
Sunday, June 9, 2013
NEWS and ARTICLES - Jackie McConnell Will Enter Guilty Plea; Articles from Shelbyville Times-Gazette
FINALLY. Jackie McConnell was in court on Friday. The results are that he will enter a guilty plea on June 18, as will Jeff Dockery and John K. Mays.
Remember: McConnell was arrested before the new TN animal cruelty law that states that animal cruelty is now a felony in TN. So these will be considered misdemeanors. However, he faces just less than one year of jail for each cruelty charge. Unfortunately, he will most likely be available for probation, but at least he will most likely spend time behind bars. He deserves it.
Here's the link to the article. You may have to be a subscriber to read the article, so I copied and pasted the text below.
**********
Collierville area horse trainer, two others to plead guilty on cruelty charges
Humane Society videotaped soring, other abuse inside stables
By Lela Garlington
Posted June 7, 2013 at 6:42 p.m., updated June 8, 2013 at 3:08 a.m.
Collierville area horse trainer Jackie McConnell and two co-defendants told a judge through their attorneys Friday that they were ready to enter guilty pleas in the animal cruelty charges they are facing involving more than a half-dozen Tennessee Walking horses.
Circuit Judge Webber McGraw set a June 18 plea date for the three men to return to court at the Bill G. Kelley Criminal Justice Complex in Somerville.
As McConnell, 61, left the courtroom with his wife and several others he told a reporter, “I don’t have any comments.” Afterward, his Somerville attorney David L. Douglas said his client is ready to put this behind him.
McConnell is charged with 22 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty.
His co-defendants, Jeff Dockery, 56, of Collierville, is facing three counts of animal cruelty and John K. Mays, 48, of Holly Springs, Miss., has 14 counts of animal cruelty. Both Dockery and Mays worked for McConnell at Whitter Stables in Fayette County, just over the Shelby County line near Collierville. Each count of animal cruelty carries just less than a year in jail.
In 2011, the Humane Society of the United States secretly shot video inside a training stable owned by McConnell showing caustic substances being applied to Tennessee walking horses’ legs and hooves and the animals being beaten to make them stand. The soring is meant to create a longer exaggerated stride and gait which is a more extreme version of what the horses do naturally.
Dane said McConnell has been disqualified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture numerous times for violating the Horse Protection Act. “This was the first time there was enough evidence to prosecute him criminally. Justice should be service. Violators should suffer consequences.”
“We anticipate probation,” Douglas said. “The federal prosecutors didn’t ask for jail time because of his age and lack of criminal history.”
In September 2012, McConnell pleaded guilty to felony charges of violating the Horse Protection Act. He received three years probation and a $75,000 fine.
“I think his barn is for sale. He essentially is shutting his barn practice down,” Douglas added. “I think the conditions of any plea will be that he no longer be involved in any horse training or ownership.”
Other horses, including Mucho Bueno, Taj Mahal, Master Streaker, Paroled In The Night and Cash Sweep had chemical compounds painted on their legs to make the horse “sore” solely for training the horses to compete in horse shows.
The allegations of animal cruelty occurred on various days in April 2011. Dist. Atty. Gen. Mike Dunavant said one possible condition for probation is that McConnell will be prevented from owning animals in the future.
Regarding the horses that were tortured, Dunavant said, “They were seized when the warrant was executed. They are now in the custody with the Humane Society of the United States.”
Both Douglas and Dunavant said McConnell only owned one of the horses. The rest are owned by private individuals.
Dane said the disposition of the horses has not been determined: “We would like to see them relinquished to us or to someone else.”
© 2013 Memphis Commercial Appeal. All rights reserved.
**********
Jason Reynolds of the Shelbyville Times-Gazette has been writing articles concerning the TWH. Unfortunately, it's just SSDD. Here are the links to the articles--I won't post them here.
Perception vs. reality as Tennessee Walking Horse industry faces adversity
Equipment at heart of controversy
Most noteworthy is this quote by Mickey McCormick: "I love these animals," McCormick said. "My kid shows. I'm not going to abuse one of these animals to make him do something he can't."
Yet McCormick has eight violations, according to the HPA database. The most recent was in 2012. I sincerely don't know how he ISN'T abusing horses.
I think Jason needs to do some more research rather than just rely on the same lies the industry continues to tell. His articles are pretty one-sided. He has not facts to back up the information, such as Inman's claim that attendance at shows are going up--just going on what people are saying. (It's pretty obvious that attendance has gone down when you look at the videos and photographs and see empty seats and only a few horses per class.) However, at least the majority of the public is realizing that these men are continuing to just make excuses for their need to profit from the sored horse.
Remember: McConnell was arrested before the new TN animal cruelty law that states that animal cruelty is now a felony in TN. So these will be considered misdemeanors. However, he faces just less than one year of jail for each cruelty charge. Unfortunately, he will most likely be available for probation, but at least he will most likely spend time behind bars. He deserves it.
Here's the link to the article. You may have to be a subscriber to read the article, so I copied and pasted the text below.
**********
Collierville area horse trainer, two others to plead guilty on cruelty charges
Humane Society videotaped soring, other abuse inside stables
By Lela Garlington
Posted June 7, 2013 at 6:42 p.m., updated June 8, 2013 at 3:08 a.m.
Collierville area horse trainer Jackie McConnell and two co-defendants told a judge through their attorneys Friday that they were ready to enter guilty pleas in the animal cruelty charges they are facing involving more than a half-dozen Tennessee Walking horses.
Circuit Judge Webber McGraw set a June 18 plea date for the three men to return to court at the Bill G. Kelley Criminal Justice Complex in Somerville.
As McConnell, 61, left the courtroom with his wife and several others he told a reporter, “I don’t have any comments.” Afterward, his Somerville attorney David L. Douglas said his client is ready to put this behind him.
McConnell is charged with 22 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty.
His co-defendants, Jeff Dockery, 56, of Collierville, is facing three counts of animal cruelty and John K. Mays, 48, of Holly Springs, Miss., has 14 counts of animal cruelty. Both Dockery and Mays worked for McConnell at Whitter Stables in Fayette County, just over the Shelby County line near Collierville. Each count of animal cruelty carries just less than a year in jail.
In 2011, the Humane Society of the United States secretly shot video inside a training stable owned by McConnell showing caustic substances being applied to Tennessee walking horses’ legs and hooves and the animals being beaten to make them stand. The soring is meant to create a longer exaggerated stride and gait which is a more extreme version of what the horses do naturally.
Dane said McConnell has been disqualified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture numerous times for violating the Horse Protection Act. “This was the first time there was enough evidence to prosecute him criminally. Justice should be service. Violators should suffer consequences.”
“We anticipate probation,” Douglas said. “The federal prosecutors didn’t ask for jail time because of his age and lack of criminal history.”
In September 2012, McConnell pleaded guilty to felony charges of violating the Horse Protection Act. He received three years probation and a $75,000 fine.
“I think his barn is for sale. He essentially is shutting his barn practice down,” Douglas added. “I think the conditions of any plea will be that he no longer be involved in any horse training or ownership.”
Other horses, including Mucho Bueno, Taj Mahal, Master Streaker, Paroled In The Night and Cash Sweep had chemical compounds painted on their legs to make the horse “sore” solely for training the horses to compete in horse shows.
The allegations of animal cruelty occurred on various days in April 2011. Dist. Atty. Gen. Mike Dunavant said one possible condition for probation is that McConnell will be prevented from owning animals in the future.
Regarding the horses that were tortured, Dunavant said, “They were seized when the warrant was executed. They are now in the custody with the Humane Society of the United States.”
Both Douglas and Dunavant said McConnell only owned one of the horses. The rest are owned by private individuals.
Dane said the disposition of the horses has not been determined: “We would like to see them relinquished to us or to someone else.”
© 2013 Memphis Commercial Appeal. All rights reserved.
**********
Jason Reynolds of the Shelbyville Times-Gazette has been writing articles concerning the TWH. Unfortunately, it's just SSDD. Here are the links to the articles--I won't post them here.
Perception vs. reality as Tennessee Walking Horse industry faces adversity
Equipment at heart of controversy
Most noteworthy is this quote by Mickey McCormick: "I love these animals," McCormick said. "My kid shows. I'm not going to abuse one of these animals to make him do something he can't."
Yet McCormick has eight violations, according to the HPA database. The most recent was in 2012. I sincerely don't know how he ISN'T abusing horses.
I think Jason needs to do some more research rather than just rely on the same lies the industry continues to tell. His articles are pretty one-sided. He has not facts to back up the information, such as Inman's claim that attendance at shows are going up--just going on what people are saying. (It's pretty obvious that attendance has gone down when you look at the videos and photographs and see empty seats and only a few horses per class.) However, at least the majority of the public is realizing that these men are continuing to just make excuses for their need to profit from the sored horse.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
NEW For the Tennessee Walking Horse Facebook Page!
I'm proud to announce that For the Tennessee Walking Horse(R) now has an official Facebook page! Click below for the link!
The page is where we will have all of our blog updates, links to articles, information on how to help, and anything that I can't get up on the blog fast enough that folks need to know about. I hope that everyone will "like" our page and will help us continue to fight to end soring and get rid of the tools used to sore horses! THANK YOU everyone for supporting the horse, and no one else!
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