The whole story about swabbing at GWHEA Summer Classic show:

Last week, I was contacted by someone from TWSHO and told that they would be sending someone to the GWHEA Summer Classic to swab. I told them that I had received no information about it and our owners and trainers had a lot of unanswered questions about it. Also, it was my understanding that the swabbing initiative was voluntary, like it still says on their website. The person who called said it was NOT voluntary – it was mandatory, but she could not answer any of the questions I had about it. That same evening, I wrote TWSHO a letter and emailed it to their only contact information listed on their website. They have no address, phone numbers, officers, etc. listed on their website. No one responded to my letter nor did anyone from TWSHO call me back. A couple of days later they had Larry Wheelon representing the WHTA call me back. I spoke at length and shared my concerns with him, and he assured me that the WHTA understood my concerns and that swabbing would be voluntary this weekend, since they knew they had not done a good job of getting the word out to their trainers. He also assured me that there would be no repercussions from this decision, given that there had not even been a general membership meeting of the WHTA to inform them about this “swabbing initiative.” I spoke with PRIDE officials on Thursday, and they assured me that the WHTA had agreed that this weekend the swabbing was voluntary. As you can see from my letter to TWSHO, I feel there are too many unanswered questions about this initiative, and lacking any written information, I declined to participate this particular weekend, as I was assured that I could do with no repercussions.

I guess all those assurances about VOLUNTARY and “no repercussions” really didn’t mean much, since TWSHO couldn’t wait to publish a negative press release and article. It was also on a website before I arrived home from the show! I have been told by 2 different people that TWSHO doesn’t have time to publish the facts, process and protocol on their website – or even who their officers and BOD are, yet they sure had the time to get that negative press release on their website within hours! Their press release and article was also inaccurate regarding the facts and they actually named someone that had not been involved with this show for several weeks! And to this moment, no one from TWSHO has called me or responded to my original letter! Why would they have not gotten in touch with me to give me the information that I was asking for? Wouldn’t it have made more sense to take the time to explain this to me and enlist my willing cooperation, rather than trying to shove something that I knew nothing about down my throat? What purpose did it serve to bash a state organization and encourage people not to participate in their show? We have more than enough negative publicity in our industry right now, so I would love to know what their thinking was about creating more — without even having their facts straight!

My actions were a sincere and honest attempt to find out information, and in no way intended to cause trouble with or for anyone. I have since discovered (and can prove) that I was lied to by several people and I actually suspect that I was set up in order to be used as an example for other shows that might want to decline the swabbing initiative. I feel that TWSHO acted in a vindictive, unprofessional and immature manner and because of their irresponsible actions over the last few days, I am very glad that I made the decision not to support their initiative! How can they be trusted to do anything right if this is the way they operate??

Sincerely,
Susan Paul

770-267-7647