TWHBEA Cancels Horse Show
Monday, October 16, 2006

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Copyright WHR 2006

By Christy Howard Parsons

The Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' and Exhibitors' Association today voted to cancel their Invitational Horse Show originally set for Thanksgiving weekend in Murfreesboro, TN. The action was taken by the executive committee in an afternoon conference call.

The conference call included members of the executive committee including past president Robert Thomas, who infrequently participates in Executive Committee meetings. Four members of the Committee abstained from voting to cancel the horse show: Rhonda Martocci was out of town and had to leave the call before the vote was taken; Jerrold Pedigo (current President); Edie Wittenmeyer (current Horse Show Chairman); and Charles Wharton. The committee voted to cancel the horse show because, despite the best of intentions, the horse show was not well received by the industry as a positive step.

The Executive Committee also voted to take the top five candidates in the Tennessee election for the National Board. The ballot indicated that three candidates were to be elected in Tennessee.

Confusion arose about Charles Gleghorn's term of service. Originally Chris Messick was elected in December of 2003 to serve a three year term including 2004, 2005 and 2006. Messick moved in September of 2004, and Charles Gleghorn was appointed to the remainder of Messick's term. Apparently an inadvertent error by Sharon Brandon had Gleghorn's term expiring in 2007 instead of 2006. There was also some confusion about another Tennessee director who had relocated. As a result, there were five seats, not three, to be filled in Tennessee.

According to Sid Baucom, Vice President of Bylaws and a respected attorney, a new election was not possible in Tennessee. The bylaws require that names be submitted by August 1 and that the election be completed by November 1. Thus the Committee voted to take the top five names to fill the five seats.

“There is no best way to do it,” said Baucom. “This was a practical solution to an inadvertent error. The bylaws provide that in the event of a vacancy, such as a death or resignation, that the next highest vote getter assumes the position. The only practical thing to do is to let the top five highest vote getters assume the five seats.”

The licensed CPA firm, Cook and Company counts the ballots and will make the vote counts public when the election results are announced.

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