This is a message from a guy who is showing his flatshod horse amongst the BL horses:
Mornin Wendy.... I read with interst your comments and say thank you ...actually for all of it...I respect your opinion and your thoughts...you and I have never really sat down and talked about anything...but it's early in the morning and everybody is still in bed...I got my cup of coffee and I'm always the freshest in the AM... Wendy you are what my kids call a "Old Head"...:>) it's not a slam...it's a way the kids today refer to an older person that's been around.....and respect. You know this breed started out from what we do with our horses...flat shod and versatile...think about it...1954 was the last year a flat shod horse won their WGC...and it was by simple attrition that the padded horses took over by showing up in greater numbers than the flatshod horse who virtually ...submitted to the bigger moving horse...they never changed the rulebook to exclude them because people just simply didn't show up anymore..... You have read comments from me in the past and I often refer to military tactics in my stories or examples....mainly because they are tried, tested and true.. I feel if you want to change something you have to approach it from the point of view that ..."I want that piece of land, or space, but it is occuppied by someone else....So I must first of all exercise them from it and then I can move it" I want, WE want...the breed to go back to where it started...but it is occupiied by a force that "Hijacked" it some 60 years ago...what to do? First you assess the opposing force, their strengths, weakness, and the support system...then you do the same for your side...can your side out match them point for point? Then you amass your forces, formulate a battle plan and then execute it with precision and confidence. We (our movement) has had lots of help, from outside organizations trying to work on our behalf...but we sit around and wait for them to do it for us...that's a mistake...we need to mobilize! But we do so much in-fighting and there is no clear leader...someone has to pick up the standard and press forward. I know this is long and verbose but please bear with me....it is the reason to the question you asked WHY?, I do what I do.....there is no quick simple answer, rather a detailed battle assessment and plan.... A standard on the battle field is a flag representing your forces....before radios...all a soldier had to do was look for his flag, the flag of his side and the flag of his company...because the flag was always where the fighting was...that's why if the flag bearer was to fall someone else stepped up picked it up and continue to communicate with the rest of the unit how far we have moved .... To every major event in history...there was an "Polarizing Event" that made everybody stop fighting amongest themselves and rush to the battlefield to fight against the enemy...for example...Pearl Harbor...The Alamo....Fort Sumter...Rosa Parks...9/11....these events raised the conscieousness of the masses and they rallied to give support to the cause with mind, body and soul.... By putting Watchout out there in the WGC class...we are the standard, the flag, if you will....rallying the masses to center in on the cause that THIS IS THE TYPE OF HORSE THAT OUR BREED STARTED OUT WITH...IT HAD BEEN "SHANGHAI'D FROM US BY THE BL...AND WE WANT IT TO GO BACK TO WHERE WE ONCE HAD IT!" This does not destroy the breed, all they have to do is Comply with the rules and the law, which they are fighting so hard to keep their way as the status quo...they are the minority....like the French Aristocrats sitting their in their castles partying and the masses were starving with rotten food...eventually "Let them eat cake!"...so infuriated the masses that the French Revolution broke out and they stormed the Bastile and took over the controlling party and restored things back to the people instead of a few "Chosen Ones"... Whether you think he "Belongs" out there or not is not the point....he is right now the Only public example of the tip of the iceberg of thousands of people who say...no more BL horses, it's not right, it hurts the horses and we want a purer more natural example of our breed to be in control.... He's not out there to win a ribbon!...a ribbon is the opinion of 5 people out there...now if all went right...28,000 people will see him out there and maybe make the majority go "Hmmmmmm? Would I want to breed to that caricature of a horse called the BL or that natural going horse that I can see with my eyes as being closer to the type of horse I will be riding...." Do you know I told them way back in the 90's that the TWH is the only breed in America that does not crown it's own WGC? It's has been controlled by a private organization called the Celebration Inc...and they do it for profit only... We need to re-establish the will of the majority in our breed...and that majority would be US!, you and I Do you think if we did not have the Civil rights Movement that I would be sitting in the same place I am now? Waiting for "my inalienable rights to be gifted to me when they thought it was the right time?" There were many Blacks who took the same stance as you when this event happened..."They are hurting us more than they are helping us!"....and as numbers goes with our race...a few of them took it to the streets and laid down their lives for the cause... MLK jr said "I want to take this to the streets, I want these actions to be seen on every TV every night, I want America to see what is going on!" He put women and children out there to stress the point of how mean, nasty and wrong these people were...and when you look at old clips of the mmovements, you'll see hundreds of whites who left their homes and families to go see that justice was done....and many lost their lives fighting for what they thought was right...it's the same here...we are taking this fight to the streets and showing the WORLD how wrong this is...yes, it starts out about the horse...but it's really about the condition of man's heart....dogs, horses and cats are viewed as pets, companions, friends....and that's why people get up in arms about the issue...how could you hurt something as sweet as these domesticated animals....sure people don't like chicken fighting or bull fighting...but it does not carry the same weight as these..... cuz we eat them..... Next year, (if there will be a Celebration) which I don't think there will be...because TWHBEA is already formulating a way to be the presenter of our breed's WGC....(i.e. last year they tried to come behind the Debacle of The Clebration and hold a WGC show, which the trainer's rejected, they showed their hand and intentions then)...they did this because that is their position and DUTY as the breed's registry....I hope there are 5-10 more flat shod horses that would go out there and "Claim" what is rightfully ours....That horse they currently crown does NOT represent my horses as the best in the breed...and I will never accept it!...sure there are horses out there "Better?"...than WO...shod as he is...but until they come out there and vie for that title....WO remains the best flatshod TWH going for WGC status....mainly because he's the ONLY one out there! I'd love to look across the ring and see you out there with one of yor finer horses doing the same....you have the credibility, the talent and the horses to show the world what a wonderful breed of horse we have here....you work your fingers, bones, muscles, mind and soul every day on these horses! Shoot Wendy!...you are an "OLD HEAD!" and should NEVER take a back seat to these barn chemist and feet engineers (pressure shoeing) THEY should be asking you .."How do you get your horses to move like that?"....they display no horsemanship...noses turned to the rail...controlled falls they call a canter....gimmicks they use to make these horses go.... Do you know in 1999...there were 12 5 year old stallions in that class....and today 7 of them are dead?...DEAD! Wendy....what does that say about our WGC's that represent you and me?...Don't accept it as the status quo!....you're a product of the 60's....we are the generation that changed the world!...we still need to stay at the head of these kinds of movements and show them how it's done, right! Our time will come when we'll sit back and marvel at what we have done to better the world...but right now that time is not now to sit on our hands and watch.... Whew!...I know you did not expect a sermon this morning...but here ya go....I'll get eveybody up here shortly and prepare for tonight's battle...I hope you are there if by no other way.... in spirit...cheering us on...to make our breed the most sought after breed of horse to own and ride.... Have a blessed day The Preacher PS...please say Hey! to your mom and dad for me
