WASHINGTON — A federal judge has granted the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration Association’s request to intervene in Humane World for Animals’ lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, giving The Celebration, on behalf of the industry, a formal role in defending the agency’s decision to delay implementation of its 2024 horse protection rule.

In an Oct. 28 order, U.S. District Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan granted permissive intervention, which allows The Celebration to participate as a defendant alongside USDA. Humane World opposed the request. The federal defendants opposed intervention as a matter of right but did not oppose permissive intervention. Sooknanan did not decide whether The Celebration had a right to intervene.

The judge found that The Celebration filed its request on time, that its defense addresses the same question already before the court and that its participation would not unduly delay the case or prejudice the existing parties. Sooknanan also found that The Celebration had standing because it could be harmed by inspector shortages and costs if the rule took effect as planned. The judge said a separate showing of standing was unnecessary because The Celebration and USDA seek the same outcome.

The ruling follows Humane World’s Sept. 25 decision to drop three of its four original claims after a federal court in Texas sided with The Celebration and other industry plaintiffs in Gould v. USDA. The Aug. 28 judgment vacated the scar rule, the no-showback rule and the challenged disqualification procedures.

Humane World’s remaining claim challenges USDA’s postponement of the surviving provisions of the 2024 rule. Those provisions would replace the industry’s designated qualified persons, known as DQPs, with horse protection inspectors trained and authorized by USDA. Humane World argues that the repeated delays effectively withdrew the rule without following required procedures. The Celebration argues that postponement was warranted given the shortage of trained inspectors and the costs show organizers would face.

The order sets Nov. 12 as The Celebration’s deadline to respond to the amended complaint and directs the association to follow the same deadlines as the federal defendants going forward.

Sooknanan also said she was “deeply skeptical” that transferring the case to the Northern District of Texas would be appropriate, citing the final judgment in Gould and the narrower scope of the amended complaint. The order did not decide venue or whether USDA lawfully postponed the rule.