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Six Republican members of Congress have written to Inspector General Eric Thorson claiming that the level of lobbying activity conducted by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is incompatible with HSUS’s 501(c)(3) tax exempt status. Previous letters written to IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman and Director of Exempt Organizations Lois Lerner have been unproductive. Three of the Congressmen—Jo Ann Emerson, Sam Graves, and Billy Long—represent constituents in Missouri where a recent ballot initiative established new regulations for dog breeders there. The initiative was supported by more than two million dollars in HSUS contributions to its front group in Missouri. The Congressmen question whether HSUS attempts to influence legislation constitute a “substantial part” (the IRS test) of HSUS’s activities. Under the IRS code, no group is allowed to maintain tax-exempt status based on its political leanings or power, as taxpayers would be effectively subsidizing a political organization. For more details, read Glen Wunderlich’s article in the Argus-Press. Posted May 16, 2011

The Masters and Hunt Committee of the Tennessee Valley Hunt (TN) have announced the appointment of Samuel “Sandy” Beall as Joint-Master of Foxhounds. Beall is founder and CEO of Ruby Tuesday, and his wife Kreis is founder of Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee. A Relais and Cheateau Resort, Blackberry Farm hosts hunting at the Three Sisters fixture and offers superb hunt breakfasts at the estate. Sandy and Kreis’s son Sam is proprietor of Blackberry Farm. Sandy and Kreis started riding to hounds with the Tennessee Valley Hunt in 1998, and a love affair with foxhunting began. “I am more committed than ever to the sport and being part of something great!” said Sandy upon accepting the Mastership. “I am excited that Kreis is enthused about hunting, and we look forward to great times in the field. I hope my business and hospitality experience will add value to the hunt and the post hunt food and celebration. I believe camaraderie and fun, with happy hunt people, makes the experience whole.” Beall joins four other Joint-Masters of the hunt: Carla Hawkinson, Grosvenor Merle-Smith, Rosemary Merle-Smith, and Gretchen Pelham. Posted May 12, 2011

The Caza Ladron Hunt (NM) has announced the appointment of Richard S. Patton, Ph.D. as Joint-Master of Foxhounds. Dr. Patton is the former president of the hunt. According to hunt president Nancy Ambrosiano, Dr. Patton has been a staunch supporter of the hunt, people, hounds, and territory over the years. Patton is an animal nutritionist. His new book is Ruined by Excess, Perfected by Lack: The Paradox of Pet Nutrition. He joins the two other Masters: Brian Gonzales and Guy McElvain. Posted May 12, 2011

Rosie Napravnik is a goal-oriented girl. After her first pony race at the age of seven, she decided she wanted to be a jockey. Done. Check. At the age of sixteen, she decided she wanted to be the first girl to win the Triple Crown. Pending. Now at the age of twenty-three, her first opportunity on the road to that goal is tomorrow, the first Saturday in May, 2011, at Churchill Downs in the Kentucky Derby. Napravnik is riding Pants On Fire, the horse she rode to the wire in the Louisiana Derby on March 23. In that race she bested two other well-regarded Derby entrants, Nehro and Mucho Macho Man. Those who profess to know these things tell us that Dialed In is the favorite in this year’s Derby. Uncle Mo, a horse thought by some to have the potential to win the Triple Crown has been scratched from the Derby due to a gastrointestinal problem. For sure, Rosie Napravnik has proven herself. In her career debut at age seventeen, she brought home a winner. By the end of her apprentice jockey year she had three hundred wins, earning nearly $6.5 million. This season, she was the leading jockey at The Fairgrounds in Louisiana. Napravnik will be the sixth female to ride in the Kentucky Derby. Napravnik is a hard worker. She attributes her discipline to growing up on the family farm in New Jersy and doing farm chores from the time she can remember. Her mother was a show rider. “She’s one tough cookie,” said John Parisella, a trainer. “She’s a killer!” “I don’t take any crap from the guys,” she admits. Posted May 7, 2011Updated May 8, 2011

Sportsmen won a major courtroom battle when Federal Judge James S. Gwin in Columbus, Ohio denied a lawsuit seeking to close hunting on fifty refuges within the National Wildlife Refuge System. The lawsuit was filed in 2003 by the Fund for Animals, which later merged with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA)—an organization strongly supported by foxhunters—and other sporting organizations intervened on behalf of sportsmen. Judge Gwin’s ruling counters the attempt by HSUS to use the National Environmental Policy Act to justify the closing of hunting on the refuges. The judge relied heavily on language in the 1997 Refuge Improvement Act, championed by the USSA, which mandated that hunting and fishing be “facilitated” on the refuges. In his ruling, the judge noted that the plaintiffs “are not entitled to an inviolate sanctuary for their preferred uses….Congress has determined that, to the extent possible, hunters, fishers, observers, photographers, and educators must share the refuges.” It is not yet known if HSUS will appeal the ruling. Click for more details. Posted April 21, 2011