Celebration takes the helm; new date sought for Trainers' Show

The Celebration is one step closer to assuming the HIO duties of the dissolving National Horse Show Committee.

"We voted a half an hour ago to proceed forward with this," said Celebration CEO Doyle Meadows at the Noon Rotary Club meeting Thursday, just after the Celebration Board of directors voted to activate SHOW, the Celebration's Horse Industry Organization. Meadows and a committee of directors will meet with the staff of the NHSC on Monday and begin the transition.

He said the board would be meeting with the NHSC, owners and trainers next week to finalize details and go over each point in the resolution approved by the NHSC board of directors Monday. That resolution spells out the distribution of assets ("and liabilities," said Meadows), as well as staff.

"It is my desire that we're going to continue with those employees," he said.

Brief history

Meadows gave the Rotarians a brief history of the issue, as well as his own history in the horse world and how the two are related.

"My history was in the quarter horse," he said. "Then, 20 years ago, I moved here and got into walking horses."

As a show judge with the American Quarter Horse Association, Meadows said everything operated under the AQHA umbrella -- judges, breed registry, owners' and trainers' groups, and show affiliations.

"I was shocked when I moved here -- we (the walking horse industry) are so segmented."

He referred to the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' and Exhibitors' Association, the Walking Horse Trainers' Association, the Walking Horse Owners' Association, the 14 USDA-approved Horse Industry Organizations, and, of course, the Celebration.

But, he insisted, bringing the NHSC HIO duties under the Celebration banner did not mean any kind of coup was being staged.

"They key thing is -- we were asked to do this," said Meadows. "It wasn't a case of 'The Celebration wants to control everything.'"

Earlier steps

The WHTA voted earlier in March to withdraw from the NHSC, half of whose eight-member board is comprised of WHTA members and half WHOA members. Last week, WHOA also agreed and on Monday, the NHSC voted to dissolve with the duties and responsibilities going to SHOW, the Celebration's HIO.

SHOW, which stands for sound horses, honest judging, objective inspections and winning fairly, had been a Celebration HIO for several years, but has not been active in that capacity.

One reason for the shift, said Meadows, was public perception, especially from non-industry groups such as the USDA and humane organizations.

"The biggest perception of things that have been related to inspection was that the oversight was with the trainers and owners," he said.

Meadows said whether the inspectors were doing their job well or not was not the problem as much as the perception, as though, he said, "People were saying, 'If these people are showing horses, how can they have oversight of the inspection process?'"

He commended those who made the move.

"It's pretty historical of them to give up that kind of control."

Meadows warned that moving the NHSC inspectors (Designated Qualified Persons, or DQPs) under the Celebration umbrella did not mean they were going to go easier on the inspections.

"We're not going to do anything that violates the Horse Protection Act," he said. "We want sound horses."

"We feel the Celebration has been criticized for being too rigid," he added later. "All we've done is raise the bar."

One of the things Meadows stressed is that SHOW will be pushing for uniformity in the inspection process. If the Celebration is raising the bar, he said, it is because they want trainers and owners to expect the same level of treatment at a small one-night show as they will get at the national championship itself.

Bumps in the road

Meadows said he expects the Celebration to receive criticism, and he reminded everyone the job is one that was offered to the organization, not one that was sought after.

"We think we can do it," he said, "or we sure wouldn't have taken it on. There will be some rocky times, some bumps in the road."

He said some of the current judges and DQPs will be "weeded out" if they can't perform to standard. SHOW will ultimately be under the direction of an independent board that oversees policy and takes the necessary steps to bring credibility and accountability to the inspection process.

Tied together

Meadows said there are three main entities everyone needs to work for: The Celebration; Bedford County; and the walking horse industry.

"They are interrelated," he said. "Improving one only improves the others. If we take care of the walking horse industry, that's going to make the Celebration better. If the Celebration is better, that improves Bedford County."

He said at least $50 million is documented coming into the area during the Celebration, but that doesn't cover the undocumented benefits the walking horse industry provides, from taxes to church contributions and construction.

Transition time

TWHNC Chairman Charles McDonald appointed the following committee to work out the transition: Pat Marsh, chairman; John T. Bobo; David Howard; Doyle Meadows (non-voting); and Charles McDonald (Ex-officio). The Celebration board also authorized Andy Lile, from Winnett Associates, to meet with the NHSC accountant, also from Winnett Associates, and review financial information.

All shows that have affiliated with the NHSC will still be able to have their shows and will have judges and Designated Qualified Persons (DQP) assigned by the NHSC during this transition period. Once SHOW is operational, all shows that had previously affiliated with the NHSC will be affiliated with SHOW, which will also recognize the licenses granted to judges by the NHSC.

The Celebration and SHOW are urging trainers and owners to continue to show during this time of transition under the direction of the NHSC. Meadows said "it is critical that we get horses in the ring and get show season moving forward immediately."

"The Celebration realizes the difficult situation the industry finds itself in and we are prepared to step forward. We will need the help and cooperation of every organization and individual, especially since we are getting such a late start," said chairman McDonald.

Meadows said they are working on a new date for the Trainers' Show, which was postponed until the HIO issue could be settled.