(Editor’s note: The following letter is reprinted from the May 2010 NCWHA Newsletter.)

The Board of Directors met on Monday, May 10 to discuss the state of the industry and to make decisions relative to the NCCWHS for this fall. As all of you are aware, the Tennessee Walking Horse industry has undergone numerous changes in the past year in an effort to meet the compliance issues set by the USDA for exhibition of our horses.

Some of the industry HIOs have been discontinued and new ones have emerged. All of the industry HIOs have actively been seeking a relationship with the USDA which would foster an environment in which our horses can continue to exhibit and our industry can continue to grow. This has been an evolving and continually changing process. All of the industry HIOs are currently striving to meet the compliance guidelines for exhibition as required by the USDA.

The NCWHA has had a long and positive relationship with the KY-HIO and we appreciate their efforts to support our organization. In an attempt to insure that the NCWHA is an industry leader in promoting compliance issues for exhibition, the Board of Directors felt that now was the time to review the HIO affiliation for our fall championship show.

It is very apparent that we must work harder than we have in the past if our horses are to meet the compliance issues and if our industry is to continue to grow and prosper. This means we must review what we have done in the past and evaluate what we believe we need to be able to move forward in the future. The Board reviewed our past relationship with the KY-HIO and information presented by a new HIO, PRIDE. PRIDE, a newly licensed HIO, has been developed in an effort to seek out a more positive working relationship with the USDA and to strengthen the efforts at keeping our horses compliant and in the show ring.

At this time, the Board of Directors of the NCWHA felt that it was necessary to display a good faith effort to the USDA and to the industry at large, that the NCWHA is a leader in the efforts to continue to meet the compliance issues required if we are to maintain our show horse industry. For these reasons, the 2010 NCCWHA will be affiliated with the new PRIDE HIO.

Joe Manis
President
North Carolina Walking Horse Association