Stan Butt, Executive Director of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ and Exhibitors’ Association, is being widely criticized for two recent decisions that have embroiled the TWHBEA in a major controversy.  Butt’s supposed endorsement of the recent petition filed with the USDA by various humane groups and the barring of padded show horse pictures in the VOICE magazine have created a firestorm and the blame is being placed squarely at his feet.

But wait a minute!  Stan Butt is a staff member and doesn’t have the authority to make those decisions, or at least he shouldn’t.  From all indications, the Executive Committee not only did not make those decisions, they were unaware of them and had an emergency conference call last night to discuss them.

All that leaves is TWHBEA’s top two elected officers – President David Pruett and Senior Vice President Dee Dee Sale – with the authority to make those decisions.  Butt’s job is to carry out policy, not make it and it appears he is being made the fall guy for two misguided decisions.

TWHBEA will reportedly be making a statement his afternoon based on last night’s conference call and hopefully will clarify who made these two decisions and the reasoning behind them. 

If Stan Butt made them on his own, he should be replaced.