Copyright WHR 2006

The Walking Horse Report has been told by representatives of the three horses who passed inspection and were eligible for last night’s Grand Championship class that they were willing to show if the class had been called into the ring. The three entries were Rowdy Rev and Bill Bobo, MG Above the Rest and Allen Abee, and A Strong Dollar and Link Webb.

The Report has confirmed that Mike Walden, part owner of Private Charter, offered each of these three entries $10,000 not to show unless all the horses presented for inspection were allowed to show. Five horses entered in the Grand Championship Class had previously been turned down during pre-show inspection.

When Assistant Show Manager Charles McDonald, Vice Chairman David Howard, and State Representative Jim Tracy entered the area adjacent to inspection to check with the three horses eligible to show, Walden and a large crowd of upset people told them that none of the horses were going to show and that he was going to pay them $10,000 in lost winnings for not doing so.

Walden told The Report this morning that he was asked by a group of trainers to raise the money for the three riders so they did not have to show in the class and he agreed to do so. Other people in the crowd shouted encouragement to Walden and offered to put up additional money.

As discussions continued, the crowd encircled the three officials and become more upset and upon the advice of law enforcement, they were escorted out of the area.

The show program had mistakenly listed ten horses for the class when the actual number was nine. It is our understanding that three horses passed inspection, five were turned down, and one did not come to inspection.

The horses turned down included the winners of both the Aged Stallion preliminary classes, Master of Jazz and Private Charter. The other entries reportedly turned down included NYPD, It’s Billy The Kid, and I’m Unarmed.

After the last class was cancelled and following the lead of Russ Thompson, three of the horses turned down – It’s Billy The Kid, NYPD, and I’m Unarmed – went to Champions Arena adjacent to Calsonic Arena and were joined by a large crowd as they staged their own “horse show.” These riders took turns riding their horses individually and a large and raucous crowd gathered and cheered.

Allen Abee and MG Above The Rest were asked to join the other three horses but returned to Abee’s stable on the showgrounds. In refusing to join the other three horses in Champions Arena, Abee told The Report that he was concerned for the safety of the people and his horse and had to have help getting his horse out of the crowd without hurting anyone.

Private Charter was brought back to Champions Arena but when trainer Knox Blackburn found out he immediately went and brought him back to the barn and he was not exhibited.

None of the other horses turned down returned to Champions Arena despite calls for them to do so.