Larry saw the horse at fellow trainer Joe Fleming's stable in Shelbyville, Tennessee, called the McSwains, and purchased Honors the next day.
[2] In 2012, ridden by Larry Edwards, Honors won the Four-Year-Old World Championship at the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration.
[6] In April 2016, McSwain had filed a lawsuit against the USDA, alleging violations of due process, and seeking a number of legal remedies including reversal of Honors' past disqualifications and injunctive relief.
[7] In May, federal district court judge Richard W. Story granted a preliminary injunction, noting that there was no appeals process for owners to contest disqualification, and the ruling prevented veterinary inspectors from disqualifying Honors from future competitions without having a hearing where a disqualification could be challenged.
[9] Because of the accusations of soring, the morning after the World Grand Championship, the Edwardses volunteered to have Honors biopsied to prove he was sound.