I'm sure many of you have heard about the problems that happened at the National this past September. Now I was not there, so I'm not privy to what happened. I've posted the article from the Walking Horse Report below to put in some of the information.
Shoeing regulations were the issue. Per show management's instructions, some horses were targeted specifically from certain trainers' barns as to if they were too large or if they had tungsten shoes on. As far as I understand it, these were horses that were not local and were beating some of the EC and board members' horses. I also heard a rumor that the measurements for shoeing changed mid-show to accommodate a local trainer, but it's not included in the below report so I don't know if it's true or not.
However, let me point this out, folks: NO HORSES WERE FOUND SORE OR IN VIOLATION OF THE HPA AT THE 2011 NWHA NATIONAL.
Let me say that again:
NO HORSES WERE FOUND SORE OR IN VIOLATION OF THE HPA AT THE 2011 NWHA NATIONAL.
These were all shoeing issues that we're dealing with here. Shoeing regulations are not included in the HPA--they are governed by each individual HIO. Now the fact that the show management tried to influence the DQPs IS a violation of the HPA, as stated below. So that is something that needs to be addressed in whatever way is necessary for the USDA and NWHA.
I honestly am befuddled by this and have not signed the petition because of how I feel. However, I stand by the fact that NWHA is STILL the largest sound horse venue and the most flexible available to those who want to compete on a high level. This problem is minor compared to the issues with SHOW, TWHBEA, WHOA, WHTA, and all the other HIOs that continue to allow soring at their venues and continue to fight with the USDA about it. At least NWHA members are ready and willing to see this investigated and have the USDA help them if necessary. That is a big deal--they want not only to see the integrity of NWHA preserved but also the HPA upheld. This is a far cry from SHOW, TWHBEA, etc. who want to keep things status quo and continue to break the law.
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NWHA Faces Scrutiny Over Improper Contact With DQPs
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Copyright WHR 2012
By Jeffrey Howard
The National Walking Horse Association (NWHA) is under
intense scrutiny over alleged improper contact with Designated Qualified
Persons (DQP) at The National, the championship show of NWHA held September
26-October 1, 2011 at Miller Coliseum in Murfreesboro ,
Tenn.
The contents of those interviews show members of show
management and the executive committee allegedly ask DQP’s to “target” certain
exhibitors and to check those horses more closely than other horses, which
included entries owned and shown by members of the executive committee and/or
their family.
When asked if they attempted to instruct you or influence
you, a DQP working the show answered, “Yes…Ms. (Connie) Holbrook told us to
look for different people on several occasions.
She really was talking more to David (Scott),” said the DQP. Another DQP David Scott added when asked who
tried to influence the DQP’s answered, “Gordon Lawler, I think that was his
name, he came one time and Connie Holbrook, she came several times,” answered
Scott.
Scott, who has been a DQP with NWHA for eight years and has
never had a complaint or conduct violation, was terminated during the
show. A petition was passed around at
the show and garnered about 60 signatures to reinstate Scott. However NWHA refused to reinstate Scott. When asked who he was to “target”, Scott
stated, “The names that were given to check, Connie gave me one name which was
Jeff Givens…Other board members that were at the show, and I can’t tell you
which ones it was, but Martha Day (DQP Coordinator of NWHA) said they (board
members) were calling and telling us to check Charlie Moore and his wife, I
think and Jared Carrier’s horse. And
when they did that, they went out and bought us brand new rasps and magnets and
wanted us to check for tungsten shoes.”
When the Walking Horse Report contacted Holbrook to ask if
she attempted to influence DQP’s, she answered, “That did not happen and that
is all I have to say at this time.”
Scott also reported this conduct to the USDA. When asked if he had heard from the USDA, he
stated, “I have not heard from them, but Martha has and all I know is that she
said they were going to investigate.”
Dr. Rachel Cezar, Horse Protection Coordinator with USDA confirmed to
the Walking Horse Report that the department was looking into the matter. “Yes we are aware of the allegations of
misconduct at The National and the USDA is looking into those allegations and
seeing where we need to be involved and if there have been any violations of
the HPA,” said Cezar.
Scott stated he was asked during the show to measure shoes
differently than had been done all year and when he explained what the change
potentially meant on shoeing to a trainer, he was relieved of his duties. “I got a phone call from Martha (Day) saying
that Lori Lowe (then President of NWHA) had told her she wanted me to leave and
not come back,” stated Scott in his interview.
Ivins stated her interviews were only done after Lowe
refused to release to the NWHA board the statements taken from the DQPs by
Day. The Walking Horse Report contacted
Lowe and she said she knew nothing of the interviews. When asked if she knew of the statements
taken by Day, she said “Yes I am aware of those statements.” When asked the contents of those statements,
Lowe answered, “I will not answer any more questions and you will need to
contact Sheryle Long of Schenck & Long, legal counsel of NWHA for further
questioning.”
The Walking Horse Report was able to contact Day and she
confirmed the contents of the interviews of the DQPs. “I have no reason to believe there is
anything in those interviews that is not factual,” confirmed Day. Ivins also questioned Day as part of the
interviews but did not release that interview to the NWHA board. When asked why that interview was not
released Day commented, “I asked Linda not to release the interview to the
board after I received an indirect threat from Lori (Lowe) that she would file
a lawsuit against me if it was released.”
Lowe also did not allow Day to release the statements to the NWHA board
of directors. “Lori told me if I turned
over the statements to the board that it would be considered insubordinate
behavior and since I am an employee of NWHA I did not turn those over,”
confirmed Day.
“I have been conflicted during this entire process because
of what Lori told me to do yet I have a responsibility to the department and to
NWHA,” continued Day. Day did confirm
that the interview and its contents have been turned over to the USDA and Day
has asked the USDA if she is covered under the Whistle Blower provisions of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act. To this point, Day
has not heard back from the USDA on her protections.
Ivins interviewed David Scott, Polly Smith, Kathy and Emily
Mortensen, all of whom worked as DQPs at The National. Ivins turned the interviews over to Jason
Crawhorn, new President of NWHA, and at this point said he had not done anything
with them to her knowledge. Crawhorn
emailed a statement to the Walking Horse Report which stated, “I can not
comment on the situation that occurred at The Nationals as it is currently
under investigation.” Crawhorn did not
clarify who was investigating the matter.
Ivins stated her purpose for the interviews, “I did this out of the best
interest of NWHA, not to prove any wrongdoing by anyone or to punish anyone.”
The allegations made by the DQP’s at The National would
constitute a Horse Protection Act (HPA) violation by those executive committee
members. Section 11.20 (b) (1) of the
HPA states, “Further, management shall not take any action which would
interfere with or influence said DQP in carrying out his duties or making
decisions concerning whether or not any horse is sore or otherwise in violation
of the Act or regulations.”
An online petition has been started by an advocate of NWHA
which states the following, “In an effort to preserve the integrity and mission
statement of the National Walking Horse Association (NWHA), this petition
requests the NWHA to assign an Investigative Committee (IC) to investigate the
alleged improprieties at the 2011 NWHA National Horse Show (Murfreesboro , TN
The petition asks the committee to investigate alleged
improprieties relating to influencing judging and/or DQPs and the committee
should consider information from both 2010 and 2011. It also asks the committee to consider
unethical abuse of power, improper conduct and conflict-of-interests and
requests that the information obtained through the investigation be published
to the general membership of NWHA.
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