Washington International Horse Show in our nation ’ s capitoi . Despite clear indications that everyone would be chastised to the utmost degree ; despite the fact that they knew the Tydings Bill sponsors would be out in force ; despite warnings that they would be subjected to the most grueling inspection ever accorded this or any other breed prior to showring competition . . . eighty-three horses were entered and most of them competed in eight Walking Horse classes .
On hand to greet the first group of Tennessee Walking Horses before their entrance into the showring was a committee of inspectors . This group consisted of Bob Thompson , DVM , Columbia , Tn .; Ralph Knowles , DVM , Washington , DC , state officer for the Department of Agriculture , Equine Division ; John Clark , Assistant U . S . Attorney General , Washington , DC ; Mrs . W . E . McNeil , A . H . S . A . Steward , Independence , Va .; three representatives of the American Horse Protection Association ; and two Federal Park Rangers complete with a two-horse trailer and all equipment needed to impound a horse and / or person . They were ready !
For three days every horse entered in a Walking Horse class was checked before entering the ring . The inspection consisted of a diligent search of the horse ’ s front feet by hand . The veterinarians did their job well . They were looking for " sore horses " and tried , according to the detailed descriptions provided by the authors of the Tydings Bill , to find some . They looked at the fetlock and coronet areas both in front and in back . They looked for indications of " scooting juice ” or any other foreign substances . They looked for screws in the feet or nails in the frog . They looked for wedges . They looked and looked . . . and the other members of the group stood by , eagerly awaiting their first victim . On Saturday evening , after the last Walking Horse class had gone into the ring , Dr . Knowles was subjected to a one-hour harangue by the three members of the American Horse Protection Association . Something was wrong ! The inspectors must not be doing their job . The horses that were in the ring were still hitting a big lick and shaking their heads and their back ends were up under them . They must be sore or else they couldn ’ t perform like that . The two park rangers stood by , ready to do their job . The discussion continued ! Couldn ' t they find just one horse . . . just ONE . . . that could be described as a " sore horse "?
It is now known that every horse that every horse that was brought before the inspection team was passed for competition , and every horse performed well and was a credit to
CHECK THESE ACTION PICTURES OF WALKING HORSES AT THE WASHINGTON HORSE SHOW
THEY SAID IT COULDN ' T BE DONE . . this breed called the Tennessee Walking Horse . There were some callouses and some spots with hair off , but
there was no blood and no black smear and none of the other things that have been alleged by opponents of the breed .
We didn ’ t see any horses stumbling off trucks or creeping and crawling around either before or after the show . Needless to say , everyone had made an extra effort to present nothing but the best examples of our breed , and it paid off . On hand for the show w ' ere several trainers from Tennessee . Their participation added even more sting to the fact that all horses were passed by the inspectors , because these men are not supposed to know how ' to " make ' em ” any other way . Well , something happened because there were horses represented from Louisiana to New York and they all passed inspection . It can be done ! We can have our horse and our honor , too !