Letter To The Editor- Tom Davis
Friday, September 28, 2007
I am responding to the article in the Sept. 24, 2007 walking Horse Report titled: TWHBEA Election Dominates Executive Committee Meeting.
I am not responding to anything concerning the TWHBEA Election as I have already expressed my opinion by returning my ballot.
I am responding to the statement by Jamie Hankins about the Judges at the TWHBEA National Futurity.
I am a TWHBEA HIO Certified judge & a TWHBEA member that has 4 active Gaited Horse Judges License & 3 former License's that I no longer renew. I hope that my reputation as a judge, that judges above the saddle, is as good as most & as good or better than those that wish to "degrade" or ridicule me. I was able to judge the TWHBEA Futurity because I have no connection to any organization that could threaten me with expulsion & since I do not show anymore I was not concerned about not being allowed to earn an honest ribbon in any affiliated Horse Show. I was well aware that, because of the hate for some at TWHBEA, we Futurity Judges would be ridiculed & was willing to accept same however I NEED to set the record straight concerning the following statement by Jamie Hankins in a public forum/TWHBEA executive board meeting on Monday, Sept 24, 2007 as reported by the Walking Horse Report. .
There was some discussion about the attendance at the National Futurity, and there were some complaints about the judging at the Futurity. “That two-year-old performance class was a disgrace,” said Jamie Hankins. “If that’s what you’re training them to do Craig, then you’re doing it wrong. Ray Charles could have tied that class.”
“An honest person who doesn’t know is as bad as a crooked person who does know,” Hankins continued with agreement around the table from Craig Evans and Jerrold Pedigo.
I do not know or care which category Mr. Hankins would place himself in as stated in the above paragraph but for Mr. Hankins to imply that the Futurity Judges didn't know how to judge & or being compared to being crooked is about as "tired" as the Ray Charles reference. I think since Mr. Hankins has seemed to make "bashing the Futurity Judges" a priority at Ex. Committee meetings I would like to remind him of an observation by Mr. Sam Rayburn, Speaker of US House Of Representatives. 1940--61
"No one has a finer command of language than the person who keeps his mouth shut".
I can't & won’t speak for the other judges but my reasons for tying the 2yr old performance class as I did is as follows:
If I have a choice "I will not tie a horse first that is not executing a true walking gait no matter how high the feet come up & or how fast it goes especially when it only "nods" his head every 2 to 3 strides." A head shake should be timed with the stride/footfall.
I had another horse to tie first that did not have as much action but met the TWHBEA rule book requirements & I thought a better overall stride & a better example of a "balanced & timed" horse with a good head shake.
In every class except 3 the winning horse was FIRST on my cards.
I have never publicly expressed an opinion of Jamie Hankin's judging before but will now. I could care less how, when or where he judges & hope he can get over his dislike for the TWHBEA Futurity & stop "bashing" the judges. If he likes a high stepping, off beat fast striding horse with an irregular head shake then maybe he could use some of Craig's training.
Tom Davis--2007 Futurity Judge