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A Clarification of TWHBEA Bylaws
Tuesday, July 31, 2007


Copyright WHR 2007

By Christy Howard Parsons

At the July meeting of the Executive Committee of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association, questions were raised about the upcoming election of TWHBEA Directors. Candidates have to declare their candidacy and be eligible to run as of August 1. Senior Vice President Jane Meredith requested TWHBEA staff release the bylaws determining eligibility requirements to seek election.

In the discussion yesterday, Wayne Dean highlighted the issue that husbands and wives who own horses on an “either or” basis are considered partnerships and therefore do not qualify as owners of a horse. Dean plans to propose a bylaw change to address this issue, when bylaw changes are allowed in April of 2008.

Craig Evans also highlighted an example in the meeting that could cause some confusion. When a seated director in the final year of his term sells a horse and does not have a horse in his name for as much as 59 days, he is allowed to correct this condition on or before the 60th day, and still continue his term. However, the director would not be eligible to run for reelection as the requirement to run for election is one of “continuous” ownership throughout the prior August 1 to August 1 year.

We have printed the related bylaws as a service to our readers:

“To qualify for election to the Board of Directors, a person must have been a dues paying member of the Association for at least the past five (5) consecutive years and a director may not be serving a Horse Protection Act suspension for thirty (30) days or longer from the USDA or from any horse industry organization sanctioned by TWHBEA or of which TWHBEA is a part during the director’s term or his/her term will be terminated.. Each potential director must have had at least one horse duly registered with the Association for a period of one year, commencing as of August 1 of the preceding year to be elected, and must keep at least one horse continuously registered throughout the duration of the election period and the term. For horses registered in the name of a Corporation, the name of the owner of records on the registration form or on the transfer form will be honored. Partnership horses will not qualify any of their owners for election. To ensure compliance, a monthly audit will be made on all directors, by the TWHBEA. If any director is found to be non-compliant there would be allowed a “grace period” of 60 days to comply. At the expiration of sixty (60) days, and if no other horse was registered to that Director, that director would be removed and replaced with the next alternate from his/her state or region.”

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