Editorial: The SHOW HIO’s Obsolete Reign—Why TWHBEA Must Reclaim Control of the Tennessee Walking Horse Industry

Editorial: The SHOW HIO’s Obsolete Reign—Why TWHBEA Must Reclaim Control of the Tennessee Walking Horse Industry

The Tennessee Walking Horse industry stands at a crossroads. With the USDA’s sweeping regulatory overhaul now mandating federal inspections and dismantling the Horse Industry Organization (HIO) framework, the SHOW HIO—a relic of a conflicted past—has outlived its purpose. Its continued existence is not merely redundant; it is a charade perpetuated by The Celebration’s power brokers, the late David and Jeffery Howard, to maintain control over judging and suppress transparency. It is time to dismantle this antiquated system and empower the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ & Exhibitors’ Association (TWHBEA) to restore integrity to the breed. Its terribly symbolic , why master craftsman lay the bricks to the new David L. Howard gate, and memorial bricks from everyday folks get piled up with garbage behind a barn. Maybe thats where the dreams of the average Joe should go, out behind a barn in a pile.

1. The USDA’s Rule Renders SHOW HIO Obsolete

The USDA’s Final Rule, effective February 1, 2025, abolishes the HIO-managed Designated Qualified Person (DQP) program and replaces it with USDA-trained Horse Protection Inspectors (HPIs) and Veterinary Medical Officers (VMOs) . This shift strips SHOW HIO of its inspection authority, leaving it with no functional role in enforcing compliance. The USDA’s rationale is clear: centralized oversight eliminates conflicts of interest inherent in HIOs, which historically prioritized show economics over horse welfare . SHOW HIO’s insistence on clinging to relevance is akin to a ghost haunting a hollowed-out institution.

2. The Celebration’s Stranglehold on Judging

SHOW HIO’s judging program has long been a tool for The Celebration to consolidate power. The 86th Celebration’s judges—selected exclusively from SHOW HIO’s AAA-licensed pool—exemplify this incestuous system 10. By monopolizing judge certification, The Celebration ensures that its events favor insiders, stifling impartiality. Recent “reforms” like body cameras and iPads for judges are superficial distractions , masking a deeper rot: trainers and show organizers, not independent experts, dominate the critique and selection process. This cronyism undermines public trust and entrenches favoritism.

3. SHOW HIO’s 2025 “Reforms” Are a Smokescreen

SHOW HIO’s 2025 reforms, including a public judge review program, are a desperate bid to placate critics. Allowing trainers feedback and not the public, feedback on judges sounds progressive but fails to address systemic flaws. Reviews lack enforceability, and SHOW HIO retains final authority over judge licensing and assignments . Compare this to TWHBEA’s proposed reforms: a merit-based, randomized judge selection process free from showrunner influence . SHOW’s reforms are cosmetic; TWHBEA’s vision is transformative.

4. The Texas Court Ruling: A Mandate for Change

A recent federal court ruling in Texas struck down the HIO system, declaring it a conflict-ridden structure that prioritizes show profits over horse welfare . This legal rebuke aligns with growing public outrage over HIO scandals and lax enforcement. The ruling is a clarion call: TWHBEA, as the breed’s foundational organization, must reclaim its role as the standard-bearer. No entity tied to a single show—like The Celebration—should govern judging or rulemaking.

5. TWHBEA: The Path Forward

TWHBEA’s mandate is clear:

Certify Judges Independently: Develop a transparent, science-backed certification process free from Celebration interference .
Enforce Universal Standards: Replace SHOW HIO’s fragmented rules with breed-wide guidelines that prioritize welfare, such as the USDA’s ban on action devices and pads 5.
Randomize Judge Assignments: Prevent shows from handpicking insiders by assigning judges via a TWHBEA-managed pool .
Amplify Public Accountability: Integrate third-party oversight and enforceable public reviews, moving beyond SHOW HIO’s token gestures .

Conclusion: End the Farce

The SHOW HIO’s era must end. Its alignment with The Celebration—a body that hosts the industry’s premier event while controlling its rules—is a textbook conflict of interest. The USDA’s reforms and the Texas court ruling have exposed this hypocrisy. TWHBEA, with its mission to “protect, promote, and perfect” the breed, is the only entity capable of rebuilding trust. The Howard dynasty’s grip on power must yield to a system where horses, not showrunners, come first.

The time for reform is now—before the Tennessee Walking Horse becomes a symbol of corruption, not excellence.