Due to an anonymous complaint filed against ANWARC, we were subjected to an unannounced inspection by the USDA at our first show of the season.  We were not told the specifics of the complaint, but it prompted their visit.  On Saturday night, they set up outside the arena and inspected every first and second place horse as it left the arena, to look for evidence of soring and/or violations of the Scar Rule, as well as taking swabs of the horses’ pastern area to check for foreign substances that could be considered an irritant.  (I was told their main agenda for the evening was the Scar Rule.)  These issues are part of the Horse Protection Act, mainly targeting Walking Horses and Racking Horses.

All of the large, “affiliated” Gaited horse shows have a DQP – Designated Qualified Person – to inspect all horses before every class; the first place horse is then re-inspected when it leaves the arena.  We technically were not doing anything wrong, we are NOT required to have a DQP; however, we have since learned that if we choose to NOT have a DQP, and there is a horse found in violation, ANWARC would be held liable, as well as the exhibitor/owner/trainer, AND the Show Manager.  Since we don't have a Show Manager, per se, it was MY name that wound up on their report Saturday night.  The liability I mention is up to two years in jail and up to $5,000.00 in fines.  ANWARC can not take that risk, and I most certainly will not take that risk.  If we have a DQP, we assume no liability.  Yes, it is expensive and involves a lot of "red tape", but we have no choice if we want to continue to have our Gaited Shows.  We simply did not understand the full extent of our liability prior to this.

The good news is that USDA could not find any horses in violation.  (They also came back on Sunday – to “observe” - but they did not inspect any individual horses that I am aware of.)  Of course, they will have to wait on the lab work to determine the results of the swabs taken on Saturday night, but we certainly don’t expect any of those to be out of compliance, either.  Unfortunately, when asked, the USDA told us that we would not be sent a copy of their final report.  The only way we will ever know that is to file a request through the Freedom of Information Act.  And, of course, the complaint will remain anonymous.

The ANWARC Board of Directors met Monday night, April 7th.  After discussion of the potential liability to ANWARC and anyone considered to be a part of Show Management, it was voted unanimously that it was our responsibility to protect ANWARC (and those who work so hard to provide these shows) by having a DQP at all future Gaited shows.

I was told by the USDA that we can not hire a DQP directly.  We must be affiliated with an HIO – a Horse Industry Organization – in order to get a DQP to come to our shows.  To that end, the ANWARC Board of Directors is working diligently to join the Heart of America Walking Horse Association (HAWHA) out of Missouri in order to insure that the rest of our gaited shows for the season are sanctioned by them so that we will be provided with a DQP.  Per their guidelines, an affiliated show is one that follows their classes, and points are earned in their association.  In order to keep our show schedule, our shows will be identified as sanctioned - no perks to our exhibitors for points in HAWHA, but it satisfies our need for a DQP.

ANWARC will cover the cost to HAWHA to have each show date sanctioned - $25.00 per show.  We may have to face some additional fees, if the judges we have already hired for the Gaited Division are not on HAWHA's Approved Judges List.  Most of our Gaited judges are already members of HAWHA, we just don't know yet how many are on their judges list.  I believe it also costs $25.00 to get a judge on their list, which ANWARC will most likely have to pay, as well.

The additional fees associated with having a DQP sent to our shows are something that ANWARC can NOT afford to absorb.  We have been told by HAWHA that we must charge an additional $5.00 per entry to cover the cost of the DQP and his/her expenses.  This only applies to the Gaited Division portion of our shows.

We will also now have to charge a $5.00 fee to our Leadline exhibitors in the Gaited Division.  (This will not be doubled for a double point show.)  On this issue, there may be a slim possibility that we won’t have to charge that fee, but for now we have to plan on doing that.

I will point out that if this change of venue significantly changes the number of entries we have at any given show, ANWARC will have to bear the expense of covering any DQP expense that we do not recover by the extra $5.00 per class fee.

Another important stipulation, per HAWHA, concerns our two Amateur classes.  They require an exhibitor to carry an amateur card.  For those who want to continue to show in those particular classes, if you do not already have an amateur card, the DQP will have them available at the shows for a cost of $25.00.  The amateur card can also be issued through other associations, such as WHOA, from what I’ve been told.

We will be using new entry forms from now on, with a line included for the DQP fee times the number of classes entered.  Please do not use the existing entry form currently available on our web site.  That will also be updated as soon as I can get to it.

Per our ANWARC Bylaws, the Board of Directors has the power to set fees.  However, in keeping with the emergency measures that must be taken prior to the May show, we will have to go back to 5:00 p.m. as the starting time for the Gaited shows, due to the added time involved in having a DQP inspect the horses.  The DQP will inspect every horse before it goes into the arena, every class.  He/She will also inspect the First place horse as it leaves the arena, every class.  This resulted in delays Saturday night, when a horse was entered in back to back classes.  The time change will be necessary to comply with the wishes of our arena owners – they want to be finished by 10:00 p.m., since they have to be back so early on Sunday mornings for our Open Division.

The inspection process will be done three classes ahead, so be prepared EARLY for your classes.  The DQP will have the class sheets to insure all horses are inspected, so the registration people will have to have time to get all entries on that class sheet for the DQP.  No more last minute classes to add – and no more late entries!  I won’t even have a final copy of the class sheet in the announcer stand until all horses have passed inspection.  I have asked the Marchants to have the outside speaker working on the long wall of the arena to facilitate this process.  However, it remains the exhibitor’s responsibility to know when you are to report to the DQP. 

Times are changing, and ANWARC must be protected from liability.  The changes that need to be implemented immediately are not changes that will be voted on by the general membership.  This may be contrary to our bylaws, but it must be done.  The only alternative is to cancel the remainder of our Gaited shows, and we do not want to do that.

And one last very important statement:  It has never been, nor will it ever be, the intention of ANWARC to condone the practice of soring any horse for any reason.