D. HIO COMMITTEE CERTIFIED DQP’S
All TWHBEA sanctioned HIO’s currently licensed DQP’s will become HIO Committee certified DQP’s upon the HIO’s entry. The Director of DQP/Animal Welfare will thereafter provide comprehensive meaningful DQP training to all sanctioned HIO DQP’s. All sanctioned HIO DQP’s who successfully complete the training as required will not only be licensed by their respective HIO’s, but will also continue to be certified by the HIO Committee. Any sanctioned HIO licensed DQP that does not successfully complete the training will be disciplined by the sanctioned HIO, and will thereafter successfully complete a re-training program by the Director of DQP/Animal Welfare prior to serving as an event DQP. The Director of DQP/Animal Welfare, or his designee, will have the authority to annually evaluate all DQP’s in the field, and to monitor DQP’s on an as needed basis. The annual evaluation, and any monitoring, will be considered in whether or not each DQP successfully complete training in the next ensuing year.
If, in the course of the annual DQP evaluation or at any other time, the Director of DQP/Animal Welfare, or his designee, determines that a DQP is ineffective and is not adequately performing at an event, the Director of DQP/Animal Welfare, or his designee, will have the authority to suspend that DQP for the balance of the event. The Director of DQP/Animal Welfare, or his designee, will complete the event for the suspended DQP. The suspended DQP will thereafter be reported to the sanctioned HIO for such discipline, as the HIO deems appropriate. Additionally, the DQP would be required to successfully complete a re-training program by the Director of DQP/Animal Welfare.
E. HIO COMMITTEE LICENSED JUDGES
ALL TWHBEA sanctioned HIO’s currently licensed judges will become HIO Committee licensed judges immediately upon the HIO’s entry. The Director of Judges will thereafter provide comprehensive meaningful judges’ training to all sanctioned HIO judges. All sanctioned HIO judges who successfully complete the training as required, will be licensed by the HIO Committee. Any sanctioned HIO licensed judge that does not successfully complete the training will not be licensed. The Director of judges, or his designee, will have the authority to annually evaluate all judges in the field and to monitor judges on an as needed basis. The annual evaluation, and any monitoring, will be considered in whether or not each judge successfully completes training in the next ensuing year.
If, in the course of the annual judge’s evaluation or at any other time, the Director of Judges, or his designee, determines that a judge is wholly and obviously ineffective at an event, the Director of Judges, or his designee, will have the authority to suspend that judge for the balance of the event. The Director of Judges, or his designee, will complete the event for the suspended judge. The suspended judge will thereafter be disciplined.
F. HEARING COMMITTEES
TWHBEA hereby establishes a local independent Hearing Committee for each sanctioned HIO, which will be drawn from and will meet in a locale to be selected by each individual HIO. The Hearing Committee will consist of five (5) individuals. These individuals, as well as their immediate family members (parents, brother(s), sister(s), spouse, spouse’s parents, children, spouse’s children, children’s spouses, children’s children), must not have owned, trained, or exhibited Tennessee Walking Horses, and must not have been a DQP, a Tennessee Walking Horse Judge, or a Tennessee Walking Horse show official. This Committee will be chosen by the Director of DQP/Animal Welfare, or his designee, on a random basis from a master list of individuals qualified and expressing a willingness to serve in response to an open invitation, in accordance with adopted rules and procedures, and may change from one hearing to another at the discretion of the Director of DQP/Animal Welfare. The Hearing Committee will meet for the purposes of hearing protests, complaints and violations brought in accordance with written policies and procedures. The five (5) members of the Hearing Committee will function in accordance with a written policy that outlines its duties and responsibilities.
TWHBEA will pay the members of the Hearing Committee a fee commensurate with the locale. In addition, the Director of DQP/Animal Welfare will, at TWHBEA’s expense, select a competent lawyer to prosecute the matters on behalf of the sanctioned HIO, as well as a competent Hearing Officer, at rates commensurate with the locale. The prosecutor and Hearing Officer may be local or may be the same for all HIO’s in the sole discretion of the Director of DQP/Animal Welfare.
The rules of procedure in regard to the Hearing Committee will include such matters as the procedure for the invitation to serve, maintaining the secrecy of the master list, the process of random selection from the list, the remuneration of members, allocation of costs, evidentiary requirements, order of proof, continuances, attendance at hearings, and such other matters as will provide for a more orderly handling of the matters coming before that body. (The initial rules of procedure are attached hereto.) Upon the scheduling of a hearing, a copy of the rules of procedure for the hearing will be provided to all parties. The Hearing Committee members will likewise be provided with a copy of the rules of procedure, the Horse Protection Act, the Horse Protection Regulations, the current Operating Plan, if any, the TWH Rule Book, and an outline of their responsibilities. On the day of the hearing(s), the Hearing Committee members will appear thirty (30) minutes prior to the first scheduled hearing for a brief orientation.
Hearings conducted before the Hearing Committee will be open to the public and will be transcribed by a Court Reporter. Any party aggrieved by a decision of the Hearing Committee may appeal to the HIO Committee by filing with the TWHBEA Secretary-Treasurer a written request for an appeal, posting a Four Hundred and Fifty Dollar ($450.00) non-refundable administrative fee to be paid to TWHBEA, and filing twelve (12) copies of the transcript from the hearing, all within twenty (20) days of the decision (the aggrieved party will be responsible for the cost of preparing the transcript.) If the aggrieved party is a sanctioned HIO or an agent thereof, or horseshow management, then the fee will be waived. Upon complying with the foregoing, the Hearing Committee decision will be stayed until the HIO Committee reviews the transcript. The Committee will review the transcript and render a decision within sixty (60) days of the proper filing of the appeal. The HIO Committee may reverse or amend the Hearing Committee’s decision upon the finding by eighty percent (80%) of the total authorized votes held by the members of the entire HIO Committee that the transcript lacks substantial evidence to support the decision of the Hearing Committee.
G. EXISTING SUSPENSIONS AND PROBATION
TWHBEA sanctioned HIO’s will recognize all other sanctioned HIO’s HPA suspensions and probation periods in accordance with the minimum penalties set forth in the Operating Plan, as amended, and such other minimum penalties as the HIO Committee may deem appropriate and unanimously adopt. TWHBEA sanctioned HIO’s will recognize all other sanctioned HIO’s suspensions or probation periods, in accordance with the minimum penalties set forth in the current Operating Plan or any prior Operating Plan, pending or in existence on the date of the inception of this plan, and they will be served or continued as if they arose under the terms of this plan.
H. TWHBEA SANCTIONED HIO EVENTS
TWHBEA sanctioned HIO events will be all events that affiliate with TWHBEA sanctioned HIO with an HIO Committee certified DQP and an HIO Committee licensed Judge, pay a fee of Twenty-Five Dollars ($25.00) to TWHBEA, and conduct the event in accordance with the TWH Rule Book, which requires, among other things, that all exhibitors possess a TWHBEA Show Card or TWHBEA Guest Show Card, that all Tennessee Waking Horses shown be duly and properly registered with TWHBEA, and that a violation of any rule, regulation, or Operating Plan that requires a hearing be heard by an independent Hearing Committee. At TWHBEA sanctioned HIO events, the affiliating HIO will be paid such affiliation fees and inspection fees as they determine appropriate. All show records generated at TWHBEA sanctioned HIO events, which are forwarded to TWHBEA within thirty (30) days of the sanctioned event, will be entered into TWHBEA’s IPEDS program and accumulate points in TWHBEA’s High Point Championship Program.
I. TWHBEA SHOW CARDS
TWHBEA hereby establishes the TWHBEA Show Card and the TWHBEA Guest Show Card.
1.Show Card. At a TWHBEA affiliated or sanctioned HIO event, every exhibitor, whether he or she be a trainer, owner, exhibitor, or amateur, as a condition precedent to showing, selling or exhibiting, must possess a TWHBEA Show Card or a TWHBEA Guest Show Card. The annual fee for a TWHBEA Show Card will be the sum of Forth Dollars ($40.00) for non-TWHBEA Members and the sum of Twenty Dollars ($20.00) for TWHBEA members. The TWHBEA Show Card will qualify the holder for the TWHBEA International High Point Championship System.
2.Guest Show Card. The TWHBEA Guest Show Card will allow the holder to show, sell, or exhibit six times at one event only. The fee for the TWHBEA Guest Show Card will be the sum of Thirty Dollars ($30.00) for TWHBEA members. The TWHBEA Guest Show Card will qualify the holder for the TWHBEA International high Point Championship System on points earned at that one event.
J. WASHINGTON ATTORNEY
At TWHBEA’s expense, the HIO Committee will maintain an attorney with an office in Washington, D.C. to keep it informed of important issues related to the breed, and to aid in responding to and cooperating with the USDA. In addition, the attorney will liaison with various other horse-related organizations and their respective staffs. The Attorney will be paid by TWHBEA at reasonable rates commensurate with services previously provided.
K. RESEARCH
TWHBEA will fund such research and studies as are recommended to it by the HIO Committee, approved by TWHBEA's Executive Committee, and may be completed at reasonable cost. TWHBEA and the HIO Committee will maintain relationships with several major University Veterinary Medical Schools, the American Association of Equine Practitioners, and the American Veterinary Medical Association to aid in any research undertaken or in the interpretation of the results of any study.
L. TECHNOLOGY
TWHBEA will fund continuing technology to aid TWHBEA sanctioned HIO's at horse shows, sales, and exhibitions. Such technology may include show management software and laptop computers with the latest wireless technology, and the ability for show management and sanctioned HIO's to communicate on a real time basis. Research may also continue towards providing sanctioned HIO's DQP's with PDA's to use in the inspection process assuring uniformity in the conduct of those inspections and the reporting of the same on a real time basis to show management and the sanctioned HIO.
I. TWHBEA HIGH POINT CHAMPIONSHIP PROGRAM ( to be developed)
Editor's Note:
While TWHBEA's High Point program plans were previously published on www.walkinghorsereport.com, the Report has been notified that there were some inaccuracies in TWHBEA's first release regarding this section. We have pulled this information off of our site and will post the correct information about TWHBEA's High Point program as details of the program are finalized and the information becomes available to us.
Click here for page 3