May 29-June 5, 2020 The Mid-South Tribune Page 2 Sports Military News and more...

Detour to the States lane Animal Wellness Action wants PAST Act on Senate on The Mid-South Tribune and the Black Information Highway. Submit news and floor for a vote to prevent further cruelty to photos for all 50 states to: .By Marty Irby practices, and the use of large the legislation. ‘stacked’ shoes and ankle chains. And after six long years of [email protected] “I’ve never seen anything like it The majority of those that served watching a handful of lawmakers before. That filly started out on the executive committee I block a fair vote on the measure MST [email protected] scared to death, trying to climb presided over were staunchly — Members mainly from Ten - over the pen, and when he fin - against eliminating the large nessee and Kentucky — we fi - MSTentertainment ished with her, she was as gentle stacked shoes and ankle chains nally got a vote on the bill in the @prodigy.net as she could be. After 40 min - and refused to comply. The result House in 2019. Lawmakers utes, the filly who had taken five was Monty did not continue to passed the PAST Act overwhelm - [email protected] men 15 minutes to load in a come and we cancelled the con - ingly, in part thanks to the readers trailer, walked back into the ference. It was discouraging, and of Nation who’ve contin - BlackInfoHwy@ trailer as though she had done it I did feel quite defeated, but nev - ued to take action and support the prodigy.net all of her life.” It was in 2006 ertheless I persisted in the effort bill. that Hall of Fame Tennessee to make change. But as many on Capitol Hill Walking Horse trainer Larry Ed - I saw the release of the ABC often say: most good bills and Welcome, Travelers! wards, a man who’s likely won News Nightline expose as the causes die in the U.S. Senate, more world championships that pivotal moment that could be the which has an array of parliamen - any living trainer in the breed, key turning point for the breed – tary options for obstructionist spoke those words. the point that could be the begin - senators to invoke. Despite the 52 Travel on the We were at Waterfall Farms in ning of the end of . In the Members of the Chamber that Black History Lane on Shelbyville, Tennessee that day Veterinarian Angie Lingl investigates for signs of soring at Fall of that same year, an amend - have cosponsored the measure, we have been unable to get the The Mid-South with Monty Roberts, “the Man the stables of well-known trainer ment to the Horse Protection Act bill to the floor for a vote of all Tribune Who Listens to Horses,” and he Jackie McConnell in Fayette County, Tenn. The undercover of 1970 was introduced in the U.S. Congress – the Prevent All Senators, who if given that and the “We were at Waterfall Farms investigation led to felony criminal indictments against Mc - Soring Tactics (PAST) Act. I chance, would pass it in a land - Black Information in Shelbyville, Tennessee that Connell for multiple violations of the federal Horse Protec - began to feel a calling to support slide. We must all continue to Highway tion Act. Evidence was found of soring, the application of day with Monty Roberts, “the the legislation, and in May of the press for passage of the bill, but at www.Black Man Who Listens to Horses,” painful chemicals, and heavy metal chains applied to the next year made a public declara - we must do more. If a new Ad - Information (Photo/Courtesy by Lance Murphey for the and he was teaching us how horses front legs. tion to support the bill and began ministration takes the White Highway.com HSUS) to Join-Up, a method of natu - a crusade to pass the PAST Act. House this Fall, then there’s a See the 25th Annual ral and non-violent training Others joined in: Monty and strong chance that the U.S. De - known as the “big lick.” For at change, then we must provide partment of Agriculture will rein - Black History 2020 that those of us in walking Debbie; Priscilla Presley, who least two generations trainers in them with knowledge and a new shared a deep love for the Ten - state a regulation to eliminate the Special Edition horse world had never seen the walking have path forward. The conference nessee Walking Horse with use of large stacked shoes and on the before.” continued a pattern of behavior was scheduled to occur in June Elvis, and who still maintains ankle chains that are utilized in Black History Lane that perpetuates this abuse quite of 2012, and Monty agreed to walkers on the grounds of Grace - soring and worn on the feet of was teaching us how to Join-Up, honestly because they don’t join us to help teach others about a method of natural and non-vi - land to this day; Donna Bene - walking horses in the “big lick” 2019 Juneteenth Special know anything different. his non-violent methods as he field, a movie producer who has world. Edition olent training that those of us in A few years later, in 2011 had done at Waterfall Farms in walking horse world had never performed at the Summer We must also continue to intro - while I was serving as President previous sessions. Olympics, and who has worked duce methods of natural horse - Welcome, Travelers! seen before. of the Tennessee Walking Horse Then in May of 2012 ABC News The walking horse breeders and for more than 30 years to eradi - manship and non-violent training Breeders’ & Exhibitors’ Associ - released an undercover video of cate the scourge of soring; Carl to the walking horse world and trainers were in dire need of ation, I decided to reach out to Jackie McConnell – one of the being educated in the ways of Bledsoe, a former “big lick” educate them. There are numer - From Monty and his daughter Debbie top World Grand Champion ‘big world champion trainer who’s ous individuals living in the non-violent horsemanship, and a Loucks because several of us lick’ Tennessee Walking Horse paradigm shift was beginning to now completely centered his life hotbed of Middle Tennessee that The Fishing had the thought that we should trainers caught brutally beating and practices around natural continue to push for change occur. It’s widely known that the create an annual conference and soring horses. Monty stead - breed has been plagued by a horsemanship; Mark Miller, the within the breed. The Walking Wire within the industry that provided fastly refused to come to Ten - lead singer of the band Sawyer Horse Owners Association has Got an event? Send it to painful practice called soring for education and courses in non-vi - nessee to give courses, speeches [email protected]. more than six decades. Soring is Brown who I had worked with eliminated all “big lick” classes olent horsemanship and more or any other connection to the on building his walking horse and events from their shows, and the intentional infliction of pain humane methods of training. We Tennessee Walking Horse unless ALERT to horses’ front limbs to produce bloodstock; Alyssa Milano, the National Walking Horse As - felt that if we expected the re - the industry would pledge in Note: Please check with events an artificial high-stepping gait Kesha, Willie Nelson, and count - sociation has never had them. sistance and the soring culture to writing to eradicate all soring less others who continue to back Despite the negativity these peo - for cancellations due to ple continue to stand by the breed COVID-19 – it’s amazing to see how much pain the Tennessee Walking Patriot Angels CEO writes letter to Pres. Trump Horse has endured but still lives June 11-12 - ACA Summer on. Slam Lake Murray, SC - and Sec. Wilkie to help U.S. wartime veterans and There’s also efforts by a Citizens https://www.collegiatebass - Campaign Against Big Lick Ani - championship.com/summer- mal Cruelty that is pushing local slam-lake-murray-south-carolina widows get pensions with Aid and Attendance municipalities to disallow “big NASHVILLE, TN., approved. lick” events in their domains, and PRNewswire/ -- Suzette Graham, Major General Dan York says they’ve been quite successful Celebrating Patriot Angels CEO asked Presi - "Patriot Angels is a major game- eliminating traditional pain- dent Trump and Secretary Wilkie changer! I will always be pro - based shows full of soring from The Mid-South in a letter dated May 22 to use foundly grateful to them for their Jackson, Mississippi; Panama Tribune’s 25th her company to help elderly U.S. rapid assistance in helping my City Beach, Florida; and the Anniversary! Wartime Veterans and widows parents get the financial help North Carolina State Fair. These get approved for their Pension These Veterans and widows are ing WWII. VA applications gen - they needed." people have continued to display with Aid and Attendance from in need of their Pension with Aid erally take 90-120 days, they Patriot Angels helps U.S. their Constitutional right to Thank you for the U.S. Department of Veterans and Attendance. waited over 555. Together, they wartime Veterans and widows peacefully protest events in pub - making it so! Affairs. She asserts that senior Wartime Veterans fear they won't are eligible for $2,233.00 a with obtaining their Pension with lic, and the wagons are circling veterans are high risk against be able to pay their rent and face month, plus back pay for 18 Aid and Attendance by solid ed - and the majority of walk - COVID-19 and they need their eviction. Senior living communi - months. ucation, a pinpoint pre-eligibility ing horse abusers into a five or pensions to fund their protection. ties are bearing the financial bur - Michael, an elder law attorney in consultation assessment and six county area centered around Email sports news and Rochester, NY has been working Shelbyville, Tennessee. The letter is below: den because these Vets are not streamlining the application photos to receiving their pensions. If bold for over a year seeking approval process. One of the most prominent vio - [email protected] Secretary Robert Wilkie, action isn't taken, Veterans and for his mother, Joan, widow of I would be honored for your con - lators of the Horse Protection U.S Dept of Veteran Affairs spouses will soon be without care Robert who served in the Air sideration to be a part of the so - Act, Russ Thompson, who sored President Trump and housing, magnifying their Force during the Korean War. lution. horses just outside of Los Ange - Email entertainment news risk against COVID-19. I am Michael says, "I cannot imagine les since the 1980’s has now be - to asking you to allow Patriot An - an average person trying to go Sincerely, come a permanent fixture in MSTentertainment@ Thank you for your ongoing gels to help expedite the applica - through this process. I have spent Suzette Graham Bedford County. This marks the prodigy.net work bettering the lives of our tion process. 50+ hours on gathering and put - CEO Patriot Angels end of the last pocket of soring in Veterans. Marie, of Minneapolis, MN, calls ting together all the information Please see sports page 4 the benefits system "truly bro - necessary for the application, I am requesting additional help ken". She is a caretaking family only to be erroneously denied." for the Wartime Veterans and member of Naomi and Jack who Patriot Angels stepped in, two widows who are high risk seniors served as a Merchant Marine dur - and a half months later, Joan was fighting against COVID-19.

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