Cortner Statement on S-1406
Friday, April 11, 2014
On behalf of the Performance Show Horse Association and the 20,000 men and women who make up the Tennessee Walking Horse industry, I want say how extremely disappointed we were with the Senate Commerce Committee’s passage of S. 1406 – the Ayotte – Humane Society Anti-Walking Horse legislation.
This bill, passed with no discussion or debate, will have a devastating impact on so many communities across the country and I think it is telling that the only Senators supporting this legislation are ones who aren’t affected, who won’t have to look constituents in the eye and tell them they voted to destroy their livelihoods.
Our industry is working hard to institute real reforms and eliminate those who would abuse our horses and give our industry a bad name. We want to thank Senator Lamar Alexander, Senator Mitch McConnell, Senator Rand Paul and Senator Johnny Isakson for working with our industry, with veterinarians and other experts in order to craft a good common-sense solution that will help us achieve these goals. This legislation, S. 2193, was introduced last week and, as the Senate version of the House legislation introduced by Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Congressman Hal Rogers of Kentucky, we are looking forward to continuing this fight and presenting our common-sense solution, one that has been endorsed by the American Farm Bureau, that will protect our horses and save this proud industry.
I must say that I am most disappointed in the fact that the Ayotte – Humane Society bill is being presented in such a deceptive and deceitful fashion. This legislation is presented one way but the real impacts are quite different. This Humane Society-authored legislation eliminates the vast majority of the walking horse industry, it will cost taxpayers millions of dollars because the bill results in a significant increase in the bureaucracy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Justice and the bill opens the door for federal agencies to come on to a farmer’s property and inspect their barns and operations and trumps state laws and, additionally, it eliminates the funding that hundreds of charities such as Lions Club International receive from our shows. That’s what the bill does.
While disappointed, I know the thousands of men and women associated with this industry are fighting every day for the horses that they love and we’ll continue to fight the Humane Society’s agenda and the elimination of our industry. We hope that members of the House and Senate will join our efforts to fight for this industry to save jobs and a way of life for our rural communities.
Sincerely,
Jim Cortner
More Stories |
-
The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration is proud to announce the completion of a significant infrastructure upgrade across the Celebration Grounds. In partnership with Jake Jacobs Construction, The Celebration has successfully installed concrete aisles in all barns on the property—excluding the historic white barns.
Read More
-
Entries are now open for the Spring Fun Show, taking place May 22–24, 2025. Exhibitors can submit their entries online at entermywalkinghorse.com, with online entries accepted daily until 1:00 PM throughout the show. For those who prefer to enter in person, the show office will be open each day from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
Read More
-
WHBEA is currently taking applications for a youth summer intern to work at the TWHBEA Headquarters in Lewisburg, TN. Interested youth should fill out the application and email it to [email protected] or bring by TWHBEA Headquarters at 250 N. Ellington Parkway, Lewisburg, TN 37091 by May 31, 2025.
Read More
-
Going to the barn, morning and night, was a way of life for Carol Branam. Carol made her last trip to the barn May 1, 2025, feeding horses at the Triple Oak Farm that she led for six decades before suffering a heart episode at age 88.
Read More
-
Thomas Wakefield, Jr., age 85, of Lewisburg, Tennessee, passed away Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at his home with his loving wife and family by his side.
Read More
-
The Walking Horse Trainers’ Association General Membership meeting that will be held on Wednesday, May 21, at 4:00 will be held in the Hall Of Fame Club inside Cooper Steel Arena. It was originally planned to be held in the Blue Ribbon Circle. For more information contact the Trainers’ Office at 931-684-5866.
Read More
-
The Marshall County Horseman's Association announced that Amy Trimble of Lynnville Tennessee will be judging the 49th annual horse show on July 25th. The show has a new revised schedule with thirty-one action-packed classes. Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy one of the best shows in Middle Tennessee. The show is affiliated with SHOW HIO, WHTA Riders Cup, Mid-South Horse Show Association, and TWHBEA International High Point.
Read More
-
Today, the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' & Exhibitors' Association, and the Walking Horse Trainers' Association submitted a joint comment to the USDA regarding its 2024 Horse Protection Act rule.
Read More
-
Dean Johnson Video will provide live streaming coverage from the Spring Fun Show, scheduled for May 22-24, 2025. The entire show will be available for $50.00.
Read More
-
The SCWHA has announced a date and location change for the Championship Show. Originally scheduled for October 10–11 in Clemson, the event will now take place November 7–8 at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds in Columbia, SC. This change allows the association to avoid overlapping with larger multi-day shows in October while also reducing event costs by more than $15,000.
Read More
|