The two have amazing similarities, because a fallen human nature permeates them both. “To thine own self be true”, is an often used quote that is rendered meaningless to those with no depth of thought. Would you say to Jeffery Dommer or Hitler those words without qualifying their meaning? Hitler would probably say, yes I’ve been as true to my eugenics program as humanly possible. I believe the concept behind those words is a rallying cry to cling to character and the values of kindness, honesty, and the values that even a little child knows as right and wrong. Along comes what we call maturity and new concepts arise such as: No absolutes…everything is relative, if it feels good do it…follow your instincts, be good to yourself theirs only one you…look out for number one, and of course other death row character anesthetizers fall under the umbrella of thought that you don’t want to be a hypocrite …so heaven help you if you aspire to, and advocate perfection but out of the necessity of being human continually fall on your face, but still try and encourage others to try. Life is so much easier if you think “right” is whatever one wants to do, and aspire to nothing but what is good for ones self. Ahh the freedom of self god-hood…or is it the enslavement.

It’s the season to consider electing our nations president and an overwhelming majority would agree that we don’t have much to choose from. How did we paint ourselves into such a corner? The tea tax was a minuscule percentage of tax compared to what we now pay on everything. Some talk shows report that our gas tax is around 18% but they haven’t even factored in the “embedded” taxes. There are State and Federal businesses licenses, (Some drilling licenses are over $1,000,000) fees, property tax, withholding and etc. They multiple mega tax each business all along the way; on the trucking firms, refineries, gas stations, and whoever until it reaches us. Our founders said the power to tax was the power to enslave, and taxation without representation was tyranny. Now news commentators proudly say that we have a two party system but it certainly wasn’t always so. Now it’s impossible to be a major party without “ballot access”, and to kick either party out and insert a new one like the time we kicked out the Wigs and inserted the Republicans. (I personally believe we are now in the situation of being tossed around by promises from traitorous spend happy Republicrats.) In some states it requires several million dollars just to get ballot access. Proper representation originally required us to have one representative for roughly every 30,000 people. Now we have around 11,000,000 people in Mississippi alone and we have 5 representatives. The “A” in Political Action Committee has gone from action to access to allocated votes. According to the recently revealed Wal Mart internal tapes, there are around 4,000 PACs. Wal Mart had one of the poorest at around $1,000,000, which is now around $3,000,000. That is approximately $8,000,000 - $24,000,000 per representative! Could it be that we shouldn’t have elected them because we liked the way they looked, smiled, or promised us some spending program? Maybe we should have considered character as the number one requirement even if it was an Alan Keys type of religious fanatic. Like the old Sci-Fi movie; “monster of the ID” (inner drive) we seem to have grown a ruling elite whose peers are not their constituents but special interest groups and fellow congressmen…and it’s far worse in the senate. Ahh but we do love our programs and we believe that the government can fix anything and everything. We’ll just throw a little of someone else’s money at the problem and maybe some of it will even make it into our own little pockies. This is why we as a people will probably be unable to shake our oppressors. The idea of self reliance as an attribute of character or that covetousness, and theft is sin or at least a bad character flaw isn’t even taught from our pulpits any more. Those two ingredients are a couple of the very basic character requirements for the people of any nation to maintain even a semblance of freedom.

It all comes down to trying to grab a piece of someone else’s pie or on the other hand the government protecting the pie makers so that more people can make more of the proverbial American pie, and go back to an America where there is room for charity but less need. We as a nation face a fearfully faster evolving value system, with just the passage of time and whatever the outcome of this election, I’m not optimistic. It is said; “A nation or people get the kind of government that they deserve.” Our creator has said; (Ps 9:17) “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” It’s kind of like an airplane that has gone into a stall. It’s very hard to go back and restart or to pull it out of that tail spin. Long ago a Frenchman named de Tocqueville was on a mission to discover the source of America’s greatness and essence. He was sent by the Minister of the Interior of France, and under the unofficial auspicious of researching our prison system. He researched what we as a people were all about. He finally at length entered our churches, and witnessed our overwhelming faith in God. He concluded; “America is great because America is good, and if she ever ceases to be good she will cease to be great.” A point to ponder is why didn’t de Tocqueville choose the political structure, education, resources, or a new governing system that had recently while he was still in the U.S., eliminated “debtor’s prison”? Prosperity always seems to minimize poverty, along with the food to promote good health. Today likewise we could say that we now on an average have vastly bigger and nicer housing, more toys, appliances, and have a whole lot more than “a chicken in every pot”. Aren’t we told that it’s poverty that creates crime? Yet there are generations of people who have angrily never felt the need to work. The angry “ME god” of entitlements is everywhere… even in driving. The number of illegitimate and fatherless is staggering. We have an STD, abortion, murder, rape, theft, drug, and general crime rate PER CAPITA, that people just 177 years ago men like de Tocqueville absolutely could not fathom, let alone characterize us as “good”. I’m with Monk “It’s a jungle out there.”

I use to think that we could incrementally take this country back. It was taken over incrementally. Dr. D. James Kennedy who recently died held a yearly “Reclaiming America Conference”. He hoped to teach others to inform and inspire Christians to make a difference in their own communities. “Reclaim” Americans hearts, minds, and lives, to Christ. The U.S. Taxpayers Party which is now called: The Constitution Party has repeatedly tried at great expense to gain national ballot access unsuccessfully. Bob flew out as a speaker to fundraisers. Even with the give to get mantra, “Give it now or lose it later”, I don’t see any headway. Our constitution is being shredded daily by our state and federal court system. It’s called judicial tyranny. Judges no longer interpret our established laws but lawlessly make their own law. They are only to serve; “In good conduct”. What IS good conduct? Our court system doesn’t even seem to know what the meaning of the word “is”, is. Impeachment has proven practically impossible. The far left and these judges call our constitution a “living document”, feigning respect and justifying their shredding of it. Many of our founders would not even sign the constitution unless we established a “Bill Of Rights” to be signed first. Now our rights are not “endowed by our creator”, but doled out by the federal government and only if they see fit. Now what could all this possibly have to do with HORSES.

For the very fact that we call it politics when the best horse doesn’t often seem to win makes the connection. Representatives, or judges, are people that often vote for friends instead of the better horse if they don’t have the necessary strength of character…or skill. Increasingly they vote for their own profit. They vote their own favor and to be favored, their own pockets, and petty envies, because their conscience seems to be in a stall on the way to death. Unless we can believe that they are really that bad at judging horses. Some Appaloosa horse judges think that perhaps other horsemen watching them, will doubt their own ability to judge a good horse, or since it didn’t affect them they will soon forget, or just like themselves it just won’t matter at all because; don’t you know this is how it works. Like little kids in front of mom saying; “they did it first, and other judges have done it. Of course since someone else did it…it’s OK. Conscience is too easily put to sleep and like an airplane in a stall it can hardly be revived.

In the framework of politics let me introduce our own trainer Monte Horn. He is also a Paint, AQHA, and Palomino trainer. Monte is not an Appaloosa judge, and cannot return a favor. This is about our third year using him exclusively unless he had another of our own horses in the same class or could not attend an ApHC event. He was recommended to us by Terry Sartain a well known and liked judge and multibreed trainer. Terry was also the first to recommend Tim Finkenbinder to us. He was an AQHA trainer who presented Dynamic Kid To A Te for us to win both of their own first ApHC World titles. We are thankful to both trainers for that. We had some rejections from Tim, but since that time he has shown successfully many appaloosa champions for other people. Terry Sartain twice worked for us full time, so we have a long reciprocal history. Along with several other well known trainers we were the beneficiaries of Terry’s charm and skill when he worked for us for approximately four years. Several years ago he did two, approximately two year stints. Since then Terry and other trainers (some well known) have both, “catch led” and fit horses for us. We have also recommended Terry to several people including Dom Orlandi to catch lead, and buy from. Cynthia Smith was also our horse customer; she was one of several we recommended for Terry to do the training. Terry has reciprocated by recommending Monte…I suppose because he could do a good job and we have found that to be true. (Terry must not have seen him a threat to the Appaloosa horse training industry, and he hasn’t been.) Terry had often been too busy for us on several horses. Monte, like us lives in Mississippi so he is conveniently located. We have both hired and recommended trainers for other people like Steve Cruse, to our customer Maxine Morrison, the winner of this years Jackson Nationals YEARLING colt class. (More on that later…uh oh.)

For these last few years Monte has been faithful to us and we intend to be faithful to him. Monte has so far not trained or catch led any appaloosas but ours. In the future he probably will not choose any in conflict with ours. Shouldn’t some of you judge/trainers be out there trying to make more of the proverbial pie… then stepping IN the pie, or worry about someone else’s pie? (Watching you guys we breeders may start getting confused as to what to breed for…uh should we be breeding for solid horses with long heads and little muscle, very tall fat ones with little muscle, or colored ones with high very sickled cow hocks?) Monte is neither an entertainer, or back slapper. He’s his own man, a quiet gentleman that both knows horses, and how to train. Monte is in the enviable position of being a third generation horseman. He works with the prestigious Heck Ya Quarter Horse Ranch, in a very large new breath taking multi building facility. Monte has a pretty young wife Anna. More than a pretty face she is a skilled hard worker at his side, but it was her parents who first introduced her to horses. Quality horses or people are to be admired, not envied, and should make the world feel better and more hopeful.

Good people also usually don’t hold grudges but try to work out reasonable complaints. “Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy.” (Prov. 27:4) You can’t blame this now infamous, “Nationals debacle” on; “paying our dues”. Neither we nor all the other outraged members are new to the breed. (In any case that’s a ridiculous excuse to be dishonest). We’ve been in halter Appaloosas for a very long time, and I for one say; “Thus far and no farther.” If my guess is correct the person threatening the lawsuit has also invested a few hundred thousand dollars and doesn’t deserve this kind of treatment. The twenty or so men that got together after we left vowed to loudly cheer or boo at future judge decisions regardless of rules or decorum. (Just like other breeds.) We weren’t there but some are apparently pushing for judging cards to be pulled. Anyway at 64, I don’t believe judges or anyone should be expecting either Bob or me to be out there training horses ourselves, wearing cowboy hats, or paling around judges and trainers at shows telling jokes, back slapping, and garnering favor with them. Of course everyone should enjoy, smile, and generally be polite and cordial to everyone. Being our friend is no big deal, we’re often stupid, occasionally smart, busily distant, opinionated, annoyingly flamboyant yet God conscious, and we are just as likely to bring home a skid row bum as pal around with the Crown Prince of Brunei, and we’ve done both. Bottom line we’ve all trusted you guys to be judges of APPALOOSA HORSES even if we ourselves were the biggest, stupidest inept stinkers in the world, and our trainers had to hide their horns under their hats. THIS IS A REASONABLE REQUEST! Without a “trainer”, for Mr. Orlandi we trained Mr. All Inclusive for his first unanimous World Championship. We trained, (Res. Ntl. & Res. W.) Awe Sum Maid, plus a couple others with only our south of the border help. In any case we’re even tired of training our far south imported help to train our horses. The government makes sure that pool cues keep us busy enough. (We’re making bricks without straw as fast as possible.)

A big THANK YOU to the three (of the four) judges that placed Transcendant first in the Yearling Colt/Gelding Slot Futurity. He probably will never again have the chance to win another American World Championship, or in this case his class at the Nationals. Breeders, AQHA people, and judges that saw Transcendant at the world, on video, and again in person at Monte’s also expressed their judgment that Transcendant was a strong contender for the National Grand Championship. This was not just because he was the World Champion in a class of 24 just eight months earlier. (One gated him!) For the 2008 Nationals Transcendant sadly finished 5th in his class of 8, by 4 of the 5 judges with one judge placing him first. Transcendant had beaten the best of most of these same horses plus champion geldings in an open competition the night before. (I believe these separate judges were selected by the owners?) He placed first under three of the four different judges! One futurity judge placing him 4th.
Transcendant was sold to Italy. Mr. Giovanni Butterini is his new owner. We would have hoped Transcendant would stay in the U. S. This would bring breeding and training dollars to trainers at home… if Appaloosa increasingly blatant POLITICS were more inviting. They watched both classes from Italy. This wasn’t done under a bushel, is no one going to notice and the whole world all play pretend? It’s a smaller world thru the internet. Politics as usual makes a bigger splash. We entertained three of these separate customers from Italy, for a few days and they also bought some mares. The Slot Futurity was closed to us, but by popular demand reopened awhile back with a late fee entry. (It was an accidental late entry surprise.) Monte also didn’t lead Transcendant, it was Roy Donn. Monte couldn’t make it until the next morning for the yearling class. Transcendant nor his get will be a reoccurring winning show contender, and ambassador for our ranch or for Ronny Dominque’s Al Bay B,. In addition to the Breeders Trust money, Bob and I also won’t recieve the sales and recognition we normally would have. (It’s not a victimless crime.) At least I know the “Yearling Colt/Gelding Slot Futurity” was more of a prestigious win than the yearling colt class, but ineligible for Grand. We’ve often been to or stayed in casinos in six or more states (tradeshows and tournaments) and neither Bob nor I have ever placed a bet, or pulled a handle. In the Slot Futurity owners and breeders were betting that their champion colt or gelding had excellent odds to win, and payed a high price to compete, not because they had the current popular lucky handler, but because they knew the HORSE they brought was good enough to bet high on. (We never check who’s judging…If we have to we needn’t enter. The vast majority of these judges we neither know nor can remember who they are.)

Now comes the interesting part where ya’ll get to be the judge. I’m going to do something new. (Some would say fool hearty or diabolical.) I’m sorry I have only 5 pictures of first and fifth yearling colts. We will also be playing the individual judge line ups on the video of both the Yearling Colt/Gelding Slot Futurity and the following mornings Yearling Colt class in one of the black boxes immediatly following this article. More telling is how radically different each judge placed the two classes. Was their skill level that different? Was their taste in horses that different? Could some have an agenda? I think it will be enlightening and amusing. Already posted is some of the video from the World. (Eight months earlier.) I’ve always said that we liked showing halter because in the end the horse is still standing there applauding or accusing the judges. With a ride they can claim to have seen or not seen something. We left right away and didn’t witness the other classes that there is also uproar over. We didn’t see the probable cause of this political debacle; GRAND AND RESERVE. The ApHC may have the power to pull judges cards among other things but just like “States Rights”, the power here is with the small local clubs. YOU hire the judges. Are you going to hire the men with character? Strait shooters aren’t always popular but they are there to judge HORSES. Whatever their supposed prestige or personality, our breed needs more of the fair and honest not just the likeable guy you think likes you or your horses…Cowboy up and get some real guts. For now just judge these few pictures and the radical placing:

We may not know why some of these judges may seem to have perverted judgment in this class, but to many of us our own eyes can judge that they did. Have any of them long established friendships some buy/sell working relationships? Do any often show under any of the trainer judges? Do any give an “I’m sorry” bonus for a planed put down in another class? Can we ask them nicely to only pick three friends and tank only one trainer or owner…then start judging the HORSE? It would help to isolate the judges who tanked the good horses in other halter classes as well, and those who placed bad ones too high. It’s high time to pull their judges cards. We exhibitors and breeders don’t go through all this in order to throw our money away, (without any direction or hope) because we like to gamble. The meaning of our show titles, also the direction and popularity of our breed IS at steak.

If I knew their moms I’d ask them to spank them too. They say a coward dies a thousand deaths but a brave man only one. Bob says women are sometimes outspoken because they’ve never been punched. Both are true … I suppose. Seriously, it IS still true that all it takes for evil to abound is that good men do nothing. Yes, I’m also outraged because I’m spoiled. I refuse to accept a “business as usual” outlook. I’ve a real lack of acceptance for the way things are when they are corrupt and threaten a whole industry, and no one should. When counting my blessings, my spirits are in good humor, but I too should be ashamed of any discontentment on my part for any circumstances like this that I’m in, because my God is in complete control. “For I know that all things work together for good to them that love God, and are the called according to his purpose.” (Someone finally had to say something so I’m glad it was me.)

Remembering what is real,
Ruth Meucci
PS. The only other horse we showed was Awe Sum Grandure. He was Res. Ntl. Ch. Weanling Colt, but he could have been last? Both colts were N/N. He was the most muscular in his class but not the tallest. Pretty head and hocks, but a little out of balance, with no shoes on the front. His picture is on our web. (Forget any title this year…just you judge the horses.)
Bob and I would like to express our sad regrets to Eric Beene for all the trouble he has endured on all…yes all of our behalves. As far as I know there has not been another president in our history that has quickly made as much money for our association. Memphis is the population center of the U.S. and was good for FEDEX. It’s not like the ApHC didn’t need the money. We aren’t even registering the solid colts that are a lot better than some of the solid stallions out there winning. The move to Jackson Mississippi was only for ONE of the two big shows. Eric didn’t use his position to push any horses and objectivity is very important for a leader. Eric doesn’t have youth, or a big string of his own to haul. He was objective and had no personal convenience agenda. The ApHC has lost a very good president…smart, with fresh ideas, personable, and a good looking young figure head to make us proud among the other larger associations. He possessed the potential of a modern leader to inspire our youth. Without conflicting interests, he also wasn’t encumbered with the weight of a big horse operation and an agenda with a lot of old friendships and favors. We only just heard and we haven’t spoken with him, (7/15/08) only his answering machine. Sorry we didn’t think more about you until we lost you. Again I say people get the kind of leadership that they deserve. I just hate to be one of them.