Dear Editor:
 
I have to commend the majority of the trainers for doing a great job in showing horses that are compliant. The shows have been successful with numbers of horses and numbers of spectators. All adding up to a positive for our industry and for charities and horseshows successfully raising money all at the same time.
 
I have to commend the DQP's and the USDA.  They are doing an excellent job of checking these horses and working together all for the betterment of our industry.
 
Now, I said it before, if the trainers bring their horses to the show "right", and the DQP's and the USDA do their job and inspect these horses fairly and "right", everything in our industry will be "all right". HOWEVER, we must factor in one more thing to the equation.....
 
Our judges must have the utmost of integrity. They need to tie the free going horse that exemplifies the sound, compliant standard in every way.  Every judge must make a pledge to do this and as an industry we must demand that this be enforced.
They must NOT reward the horses that do not meet these standards. This is so important for the future of our industry. We must all work together and now add the judges into this simple equation.  The judges must step up and tie horses and tie the "right" kind of horse.
 
Jill Derickson