On Oct. 26, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit entered an order denying the plaintiffs’ petition for rehearing of the opinion that rendered judgment for the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) in the cloning lawsuit. Specifically, that opinion held that the plaintiffs’ evidence did not prove a conspiracy to restrain trade and that “AQHA is not a competitor in the allegedly relevant market for elite Quarter Horses.”
On Jan. 27, 2015, the Plaintiffs, Jason Abraham and Dr. Gregg Veneklasen, filed a petition for rehearing en banc in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. For the Plaintiffs to be seeking rehearing “en banc” simply means that the Plaintiffs would like for all of the active judges of the Fifth Circuit to rehear the case that was decided originally by the three-judge panel of Judges Jolly, Jones, and Africk (the Panel).
The AQHA does not have to register clones or their offspring, according to a Jan. 14 appellate court ruling.In a ruling of international significance in the horse industry, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday, Jan. 14, overturned an earlier court decision that found the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) violated antitrust laws by barring cloned quarter horses from its registry. The ruling means that the AQHA will not have to register cloned quarter horses.
As the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) continues its appeal of an August Texas district court ruling requiring it to start registering clones and their offspring, a coalition of organizations including the American Kennel Club, The Jockey Club and the Cat Fanciers Association has voiced their support, filing an amici curiae brief.
Each entity involved in the motion provides breed registry services for animals and serves as an information clearinghouse for owners and persons interested in these animals. New Orleans attorneys Phillip Wittman and Lesli Harris filed the legal document on the new coalition’s behalf.
On Sept. 23, the last day possible, attorneys for the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) filed a notice of appeal with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, in Amarillo, Texas, indicating the AQHA will contest the court’s recent ruling ordering it to change its rules to accept the registration of cloned Quarter Horses.
On Monday, Aug. 19, U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson signed an order granting the plaintiffs’ application for attorneys’ fees totaling nearly $900,000 in the ongoing cloning lawsuit against the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA).
Two area horse breeders who won a jury verdict last month in a federal antitrust lawsuit against the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) will square off again with the AQHA Monday in an Amarillo court hearing on the future of horse cloning.
Last month, an Amarillo federal court jury found the AQHA and one of its committees violated two sections of the Sherman Antitrust Act and Texas statutes by barring cloned horses from the organization’s registry. Jurors also found that the AQHA’s actions harmed the plaintiffs’ business, but the jury awarded no damages in the case.
Clones such as this one may soon be able to be registered with the AQHA.A 10-person, Amarillo, Texas, federal court jury unanimously ruled today that the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) violated the rights of two horse owners by not letting them register their cloned horses.
At the same time, the jury did not award any financial damages to the two plaintiffs, Canadian, Texas rancher Jason Abraham and Amarillo veterinarian Gregg Veneklasen. The verdict also does not compel the AQHA to start allowing the registration of clones. Attorneys for the plaintiffs, though, said it opens the door for an upcoming ruling by the judge regarding whether the AQHA has to register clones and their offspring.
Dr. Gregg Veneklasen and Jason AbrahamAn Amarillo federal court jury will resume deliberations Monday in an antitrust trial pitting horse cloning proponents against the American Quarter Horse Association.
Jurors deliberated two hours Friday before deciding to return to deliberations Monday.
