Copyright WHR 2007
By Christy Howard Parsons
The semi-annual meeting of the International Board of Directors of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association proved to be contentious as the split between industry factions widened. Throughout the eight hour meeting, questions regarding the HIO Sanctioning Plan continued to come up from the directors and answers were tabled until later in the agenda. Eventually the subject was addressed and after some discussion Tracy Boyd made the motion to “rescind, remove, abolish, or whatever the proper term is the HIO Sanctioning Plan.”
TWHBEA General Counsel John T. Bobo was prepared for the motion as Daniel Starnes had posed questions regarding the legality of such a motion to Sid Baucom, Vice President of By Laws. Bobo concluded that the international board was not able to make such a motion as that authority had been delegated to the Executive Committee by the bylaws. After an hour of questions and legal wrangling among the group, Marty Irby challenged the Plan with a motion to pass a resolution to recommend to the Executive Committee that they abolish the HIO Sanctioning Plan.
A roll call vote was taken and the motion was defeated 36-32. Throughout the discussion there were impassioned pleas on every side of the argument. Watch
www.WalkingHorseReport.com for complete coverage of the meeting later today.