Waldrop Waffles

Never being one to say "I told you so," I will simply point out that I was not surprised to learn of NTRA president Alex Waldrop's recent refusal to out and out support the current bill (HR 6598) trying valiantly to make it to the floor of the House of Representatives. The Bill, which would actually amend a current chapter of the enforcement codes of the U. S. legal system, would make it illegal to transport horses across state lines for slaughter.

While we all know that slaughter has been effectively outlawed in the United States, horses are still being transported to Canada and Mexico to be slaughtered. Of course, this bill is not without its problems--transporters could say they were hauling horses to shows or breeding farms, but the chances of any inspector with a brain believing that when they see horses crammed into conditions beyond horrendous, are hopefully pretty slim.

Anyway, it's a new tactic and worth a try since it is slowly gaining bi-partisan support. That is, it was until Waldrop wrote a letter to the Judiciary Committee noting that his organization had "concerns" over the legislation. "Essentially, it's an unfunded mandate, unlike the prior bill that had significant dollars in there for retirement and retraining or horses, and would help to address the problem of unwanted horses," Waldrop told Thoroughbred Times reporter, Jay Hovey. "It also puts enforcement in the hands of the wrong group," Waldrop continued. "The attorney general is not the place to be dealing with animal-control issues. Clearly the Department of Agriculture is the right place."

Right--that same Department of Agriculture that permitted downed cows to be slaughtered for meat and got its hand slapped in the recent spinach fiasco. That same Department of Agriculture that is inexorably tied to the very strong farming/ranching lobby--you know the ones that want to feed cattle corn and hormones to fatten them up more quickly so they can make more money, regardless of what it does to the cattle or to us.

That same Department of Agriculture that is tied to all the farmers who worry that if they outlaw the slaughter of horses, that their livelihoods could be next. Never mind that horses were never part of the human food chain in this country. Never mind that the existing horse slaughterhouses are not even on American soil.

Certainly this "no-position" position of Waldrop's--this feigning of concern and refusal to out and out support the bill--is not very good for his image to say nothing of racing's image. You might think that Mr. Waldrop, who seemed so eager to make things right with the fans after the demise of Eight Belles earlier this year, might bend over backwards to demonstrate his loyalty to the animals that make his job possible. But no--he's hedging his bet and in so doing, continuing to give the sport a bad name.

Honestly, if he had supported this legislation is still might not have made its way through Congress before the end of the year and at least he would have gone on the record as being pro-horse instead of pro-pocketbook.