An exhibitor at the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration is under investigation for allegedly attempting to bribe a Designated Qualified Person (DQP) during a pre-performance inspection.

DQPs are employed by horse show managers to examine horses for compliance with Horse Protection Act (HPA) rules against soring. Soring is the deliberate injury to horses’ feet and legs to achieve an exaggerated gait.

Horses that DQPs deem noncompliant during pre-performance inspection are not allowed to compete.

Celebration Chief Executive Officer Doyle Meadows, PhD, declined to disclose details about the incident details pending an official statement from the organization in charge of Celebration operations