On June 3, 2016,    I  attended a “Big Lick”  Tennessee Walking Horse Show in Columbia, Tennessee with fellow Citizens Campaign Against Big Lick Animal Cruelty advocates.  

While there,  two female Big Lick supporters attempted to bully and intimidate me because I wore a T Shirt which read “Boycott ‘Big Lick’ Animal Cruelty”.    They “yelled” at me, and demanded that I leave the horse show.  

I did not leave because  - “We, The People” - Citizens Campaign advocates speak for “The Horses” who cannot speak for themselves.  We represent over 85,000 people from all over the World.  We have effectively led the fight against the “Big Lick” Animal Cruelty.

Just like the two “Big Lick” women who yelled at me,   Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY) is now “Threatening and Yelling” at U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for trying to end “Big Lick” Animal Cruelty.

 On June 1, 2016,   78 year old House Appropriations Chairman Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY) wrote a“hostile and intimidating” letter to the United States Department of Agriculture headed by Secretary Tom Vilsack.   

 Rep. Rogers (R-Ky) gave Secretary Vilsack an ultimatum to respond to the letter by June 15, 2016.

 Rep. Rogers (R-Ky) is being “influenced” by his former employee Mr. Jeff Speaks.

Mr. Speaks is a professional Washington, D. C. lobbyist.  It appears Mr. Speaks has been paid approximately $500,000.00  by “Big Lick” millionaires to keep the “Big Lick” Animal Cruelty. 

This Animal Cruelty has hurt Tennessee Walking Horses for the past 50 years. It is a blight on our great State of Tennessee,  and our wonderful People.  

The Citizens Campaign led public protests boycotting the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, at MTSU (Middle Tennessee State University), and at Panama City Beach, Florida. 

 MTSU (Middle Tennessee State University) Horse Science Vet native Tennessean Dr. John Haffner says the‘Big Lick’  “is a business based on the suffering and pain of horses”.

 It is now time for America and the World to support Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack with his courageous move to end the "Big Lick" which is supported by the President of the United States.  

We need to tell House Appropriations Chairman  Hal Rogers (R-KY) to “knock it off” and “back off”.    Please stop harrassing  Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for trying to Protect Horses in the spirit and intent of the Horse Protection Act (1970),  which for 50 years has not been able to stop the abuse.

Enough is enough.

Please sign this Petition, and let’s send Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY) a clear message.

 And in the days ahead, I will ask you to please do other things to let Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY) to know that the whole world is watching,  and it’s not going to be “business as usual”.