Horse show judge suspended after arrest

A National Horse Show Commission official has suspended one of more than 200 horse show judges as a result of his arrest on two charges of indecent exposure at different times to motel housekeeping staffers, according to the NHSC's executive vice president.

"I'm just looking out for the best interests of the commission," Executive Vice President Lonnie Messick said Wednesday about his suspension of Jeffery L. Givens, 43, of Murfreesboro. "I've suspended his judging license pending the outcome of the situation out there."

It's the first time Messick could recall that a commission-sanctioned horse show judge had been suspended because of an arrest.

Givens' arrest was just before a show at Berry Woods Farm in South Carolina.

Simpsonville, S.C., Police Lt. Ralph Bobo said Givens was arrested at the Palmetto Inn, a two-story motel where Givens was a guest on May 6 when he allegedly exposed himself, apparently while in his motel room.

Calls to, and answering machine messages left by the Times-Gazette at Givens' home and barn in Murfreesboro resulted in no contact on Wednesday and today. When contacted by two other newspapers, he declined to comment other than to say that some of what one published was inaccurate.

"It was not circumstantial," said Lt. Bobo. "It was intentional. He said something to them to indicate he knew what he was doing and drew attention to his genital area.

"The women were not together when this happened," Bobo said. "My understanding is that they (the women) were on a breezeway and passing by his room. I don't know who opened the door. I think Mr. Givens made a forward type gesture. He came forward."

The interval of time between the two allegations "was not that great," Bobo said, "maybe 30 minutes to an hour."

Bobo said Simpsonville Police Patrolmen John Cummings and Aaron Edwards responded to a police radio dispatcher's call at 12:17 p.m. and Givens was booked by 1:26 p.m. Shortly thereafter, he was released on $6,000 bond from the Greenville County Detention Center which is run by the Greenville Police Services Bureau.

It's unclear when Givens might appear in Greenville County General Sessions Court where charges are presented to a judge who might dismiss them, accept a guilty plea, or send the charges to a grand jury for the prospect of further prosecution in Circuit Court.

Givens' arrest warrants had not been received by the Greenville County Solicitor's Office by Wednesday evening, according to Marsha Barker, the spokeswoman for that office. As a result, no court date had been set.

Givens has been a frequent visitor to the winner's circle at various horse shows and he serves on the board of directors of the Walking Horse Trainers' Association, according to The Daily News Journal of Murfreesboro, which reported he disputed some of the information published by The Walking Horse Report.

Walking Horse Report, a Shelbyville-based periodical specializing in Tennessee Walking Horse news, has conducted an on-line poll asking readers if they support the NHSC's suspension of Given's license to judge shows pending the out come of the charges against him. The response reported on-line Wednesday night was 79 percent favoring the suspension.

"He's been a licensed judge since 1992, for sure," Messick said after a quick review of an NHSC file at its offices on Colloredo Boulevard.

Other show judges' licenses have been suspended as a result of alleged violations of the federal Horse Protection Act, Messick said.