LEWISBURG, Tenn. - After much deliberation by the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ and Exhibitors’ Association (TWHBEA) Executive Committee, it was decided that the association would not offer an amnesty period in 2011. The previous amnesty period was offered in hopes that it would encourage owners of unregistered aged Tennessee Walking Horses to register those horses with TWHBEA. In reality, this was not the case as the majority of those that took advantage of the previous amnesty period were owners of horses under three years of age.
Registration costs at TWHBEA remain competitive when compared with the fee structures at other equine breed registries. A new foal registration costs only $40 for members of the association and even if a breeder waits until the foal is over six month old, the fee increases minimally to $70.
In an effort to reduce expenses for breeders, the TWHBEA International Board of Directors did approve the following reduced nomination fees for the National Futurity. If a breeder chooses to nominate a foal to the National Futurity at the time of registration (within six months of foaling), he/she can now nominate both the foal and the mare for $30 each, which will result in an overall savings of $40.
The Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' and Exhibitors' Association (TWHBEA), headquartered in Lewisburg, Tennessee, is the oldest and most prestigious organization devoted to the promotion of the breed. Founded in 1935, the breed registry was established to record the pedigrees of the Tennessee Walking Horse. Its goal is to maintain the purity of the breed, to promote greater awareness of the Tennessee Walking Horse and its qualities, to encourage expansion of the breed, and to help assure its general welfare.