Celebration takes over NHSC's role

Less than a month after the walking horse owners and trainers agreed to dissolve the National Horse Show Commission and hand its duties over to the Celebration, the transfer is a done deal. The speed of the turnover surprised many, including Doyle Meadows, CEO of the Celebration, who said the feedback on the entire affair has been positive.

"With the trainers and owners supporting this move, I fell confident it will be a success," he said.

The National Horse Show Commission voted Monday to accept the proposal from SHOW, The Celebration's horse industry organization (HIO), to assume all responsibilities currently conducted by the NHSC. The actual transfer will take place today, but Meadows wanted to stress the importance of the role NHSC has played since its inception in 1971.

"We've come a long way," he said. "From horses with wounds on their feet to putting horses in the ring that look good."

He gave the NHSC credit for the progress made in improving the health and welfare of the walking horse.

"We would be remiss if we didn't recognize the work overall of what the NHSC has done to promote the sound horse," said Meadows.

The NHSC board voted unanimously to make the transfer after a lengthy discussion about assets and the ultimate dissolution of the Commission. The Celebration board of directors voted last Thursday to proceed with the proposed action and began immediately to initiate the revival of the horse show season.

USDA agreed to accept the transfer of Designated Qualified Persons (DQP's), all horse shows and sale affiliations previously contracted with NHSC and all shows to begin operating under the SHOW HIO immediately. Pat Marsh, chairman of the SHOW HIO planning committee, and Meadows represented The Celebration at the meeting.

The first order of new business was the action item everyone came for, the dissolution of the NHSC and the activation of SHOW.

"We appreciate being here and this has been what seems like a long time coming," Meadows told the NHSC board. "The last 30 to 40 days have seen a lot happen and even though we don't necessarily want this task, we have agreed and are ready to take it on. We don't just want to do it; we want to do it correctly and are going to need everyone's help."

Both Mark Farrar and David Pruett asked about the amateur card monies that currently support the WHOA business operations.

"It is our intention to leave those monies with WHOA this year and decide moving forward the best way to handle these," said Meadows.

Farrar asked if there was any way to guarantee WHOA and WHTA that the monies they currently collect from licensing would be allowed to stay there in the future. Marsh added, "We don't want this to be like the TWHBEA plan from a couple of years ago and cause conflict in the industry. We want to get along with everyone and include everyone for the betterment of the industry."

He continued, "The plans that the industry have asked us to implement up front are going to cost more money than what currently comes in through the NHSC and we want to do these things up front in order to be successful."

It was agreed that time was of the essence and all in attendance agreed that the decision needed to be made today in order to move the industry forward.

"There has been ample time for these questions to have been asked. We have to move forward with trust and we have to make a change," said David Landrum. He concluded his remarks with the resounding statement, "We can't divide this industry."

Link Webb, president of WHTA and chairman of the now-dissolved NHSC, was unable to attend because of injuries suffered in a car wreck over the weekend. Webb is said to have been released and is recuperating at home.

In regards to fees and what SHOW would charge, Meadows assured the NHSC, "In 2009 we will charge the same fees and after the Celebration and fall shows we will see how short we are and come up with a plan to make up for the shortfall."

When time for the vote came due, a little curve ball was thrown in that the USDA had not assured SHOW that it could begin conducting itself as an HIO at existing affiliated shows with the NHSC. Meadows felt sure they would allow SHOW to move forward and conduct the Jackson, Miss., horse show as a SHOW-affiliated horse show. In the unlikely event that doesn't happen, the NHSC will remain active until May 1, or whatever date SHOW requests. This provides the security that all horse shows can currently happen and will be under SHOW management, if not the official name as well.

When asked about what will be different when SHOW takes over, Meadows said, "I can't assure you that anything will be different effective immediately. What I can tell you is the single biggest difference will be the trainers and owners out of the inspection process.

"We have two or three veterinarians that are Designated Qualified Persons (DQPs), including Dr. John Bennett and Dr. Steve Mullins. Dr. Bennett will be at the Jackson Horse Show and Dr. Jim Baum and Dr. Mullins will be at the Panama City Show. None of these will be checking horses as a DQP but will be there to assist in the inspection area. As Compliance Coordinator of SHOW, Dr. Mike Harry will also be at these shows, as will Andy Messick," said Meadows.

Messick will serve as a DQP during the shows as will other DQPs assigned by SHOW. Messick was named the NHSC executive vice president and director of animal welfare/DQP services just before the trainers moved to dissolve NHSC. He and the other NHSC employees will remain in the same building, although Meadows said the operation might be moved to the Celebration grounds in the future.

"These are hard workers and good people," he said. "We're keeping them."

Meadows concluded the meeting with this personal statement.

"There are no guarantees and in a year, you may not like the job I have done but I promise you that I am going to do everything in my heart and soul to make this better for you and to do a good job," concluded Meadows.

Frank Neal, WHOA president, ended the meeting stating, "everybody here today, whether they personally agree with everything or not, is doing what they feel is best for the industry and is supporting this change."

The industry faces an April 4 scar rule clinic and the following week will mark the debut of the SHOW HIO at the Jackson, Miss., horse show. It is the intent of all members of the NSHC board to assist the SHOW HIO in any way possible, according to a news release, and SHOW promised to have an open-door policy and to form committees of owners and trainers to assist in the activities moving forward.

-- T-G staff writer Mary Reeves contributed to this report.