Letter To The Editor
(Editor’s Note: The following was sent to The Report by Gorden Timmons as a proposal to assist local charities benefiting from horse shows during these turbulent times.)
Damage Control For Our Charities
1. Impact to Tennessee and Communities if Walking Industry Fails
a. Real estate values will plummet.
b. Unemployment will rise.
c. Loss of sales tax revenue from supporters to support your towns and communities.
d. Hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, tack stores, clothing stores, etc. would realize drastic reduction in sales if not total business failure.
e. Local charities who count on horse shows will lose this source of revenue. In a declining economy this will be more difficult for charities to get these revenues.
2. Damage Control for the Horse Shows that Support Your Charities
a. If the current show manager decides to cancel future horse shows because of losses incurred due to the USDA, our industry will decline rapidly if not fail.
b. We must support these charities through these rough times while we work out our differences with the USDA.
c. Horse shows should start collecting the minimum registration fees for every horse as each trailer enters the show grounds. If the entry fee is $30 and the trainer has 10 horses on the trailer, he would pay $300. No horse names or owner names are required. If you decide to show your horse, the money previously paid would be applied to the entry fee. If you elect not to show, the charity would keep the initial fees.
d. If USDA shows up and the number of horses in each class is down, reduce the prize money so that no class becomes a loss to the charity.
e. Shows that were financially impacted in 2006 by the USDA should be allowed to apply for financial relief from a fund that I propose we establish. We have to support them though our rough times with the USDA.
f. I will be happy to receive the donations and establish the fund and welcome anyone who would like to be involved. We will work with the show managers who apply for relief and distribute funds. We can make these transactions all public through our industry publications.
g. If these shows fail, we as an industry fail.
h. Any excess funds would remain for 2007.
i. I ask that collection boxes be located at the Celebration to support this cause and to also help in the legal costs that we as an industry will incur to protect our right to show this wonderful Tennessee Walking Horse.
Send contributions to:
TWH Charities Support Fund
c/o Gorden Timmons
247 Hill Branch Rd.
Ridgeville, SC 29472
email: [email protected]