46 SIDELINES NOVEMBER 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
Celebration. Priscilla explained that the trainer told
her that although Ebony’s Double wasn’t a champion
show horse, because this was the last horse Elvis
bought, he wanted to present the horse at the show
and do a retirement ceremony.
During the Grand Champion awards, Priscilla
awarded the Graceland Challenge trophy that she
had donated. She thought the trophy was to be a
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given to the Champion Tennessee Walking Horse at
the Celebration show every year since.
Priscilla initially felt honored to present the
Graceland Challenge Trophy, but two years ago she
was made aware of a practice within the Walking
Horse show world that made her embarrassed to
be associated with the industry. That practice is
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Association as: The unethical and illegal practice
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motion of horses to gain an unfair advantage in the
show ring.
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high walk that impresses the crowds at the shows
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soring is known in the industry as the “Big Lick.”
Concerned about having Graceland and Elvis’
name associated with an abusive treatment of
horses, Priscilla called the Tennessee Walking
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for the Graceland Challenge Trophy to be returned
to Graceland. She was unhappy with his response
and felt that he wasn’t taking her seriously, but after
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trophy.
“He was trying to convince me that the
information I got about the industry and the tactics
that were used [were not correct],” Priscilla said.
“I listened to him, but I do know the facts and I’ve
talked to people who have Tennessee Walking Horses who say it
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Midnight Sun. He has spoken of trainers soring horses in the past
to be successful in the show ring and says that the pads, chains
and caustic chemicals to achieve the signature Big Lick is wrong
and efforts to stop it are not working. He expressed concern that
Tennessee is getting a reputation as a horse abuse state and that it
is killing the Walking Horse industry.
Priscilla said, “I want to see soring become a part of Tennessee’s
past, and the only way is for Congress to pass the Prevent All Soring
Tactics Act, the PAST Act.”
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of pads and chains placed around horses’ front ankles that are used
to achieve the exaggerated Big Lick show gait. Priscilla has spoken
to a number of Senators and Congressmen, including Majority
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of enforcing humane treatment of show horses to the U.S.
Department of Agriculture. However, the HPA lost its effectiveness
when an amendment to the act in 1976 established a program
that allowed the industry to police itself. The PAST Act will ban
the devices involved in the soring process, increase penalties for
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recommended these changes after an audit in 2010.
In response to the PAST act, Representative Marsha Blackburn
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to the Walking Horse Trainers Association, whose board of directors
has more than 100 violations of the HPA. Her legislation does not
eliminate pads and chains. Rep. Blackburn has said banning pads
and chains will cause economic damage by killing off the Walking
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Tennessee’s most treasured traditions.”
Her views are directly opposite to breeder and owner Bill Harlin,
who believes the practice is actually killing the Walking Horse
industry. He cites the facts of a decline of over 15,000 Tennessee
Walking Horses registered in 2000 to a mere 3,350 in 2010.
Members of other show horse breeds say keeping the Big Lick
is hurting everyone. Jay Hickey, president of the American Horse
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effect on other show breeds with an animated gait and that the public
can’t tell the difference.
Priscilla is disappointed and frustrated because there hasn’t yet
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Representatives. How much more do they want?”
Priscilla with Elvis and their daughter Lisa
