USDA Continues Bully Approach
Saturday, August 29, 2015
The USDA's Veterinary Medical Officers (VMOs) continued their assault of The Celebration by disqualifying 22 horses on Friday evening that passed inspection by the SHOW HIO Designated Qualified Persons. Those 22 horses had previously passed inspection 99 times in 2015 with the USDA VMOs in attendance for 71 of those 99 inspections. In two evening performances, the USDA has now disqualified 37 horses that passed SHOW's inspection. In 2015, those 37 horses had previously passed inspection 170 times with the USDA present for 118 of those, close to 70% of the time.
All 37 horses have been disqualified from competition without being proven in violation of the Horse Protection Act. The VMOs have simply taken information on potential HPA violations and in most cases the evidence will be insufficient for an enforcement action to take place.
After last year's show, we took an in-depth look at the USDA's enforcement of the scar rule. This year's stats are simply unbelievable. Prior to the start of the 2015 Celebration, the USDA has been present for 4,397 inspections and taken information on 52 horses for potential scar rule violations or 1%. In two evening performances of the Celebration with a total of 255 inspections, the USDA has taken information on 25 horses for potential scar rule violations or 10%.
For Friday evening's 126 entries the USDA had 22 people at The Celebration in inspection. Of those 22, nine were designated for security.
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