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Nashville’s Channel 5 News Interviews Harris
Wednesday, May 7, 2014


Nashville’s News Channel 5 traveled to Tullahoma, Tenn., this week to interview Jerry Harris of What A Horse regarding the inspection techniques being used by Veterinary Medical Officers (VMO) at recent horse shows. Harris had video of an inspection of Master Class that was turned down at the Kickoff Classic in Shelbyville. The horse, after being turned down by the USDA was quarantined at Dr. John Bennett’s clinic and neither Dr. Bennett nor any other licensed veterinarian that viewed the horse could find any evidence of a scar. The horse was turned down post-show by USDA for a scar rule violation.

The horse was kept at Dr. Bennett’s clinic and Congressman Scott DesJarlais went to Dr. Bennett’s to view firsthand the pastern of the horse in question for evidence of any scarring. Congressman DesJarlais found no such evidence. DesJarlais is a co-sponsor of legislation in the House of Representatives that would provide objective, science-based exams of horses instead of the current subjective exams that allow potential bias of industry or government inspectors to play a role in determining violations.

Click here to view the News Channel 5 story and video.

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