At the 2019 U.S. Trotting Association’s Annual Meeting this March in Columbus, Ohio, 26 rule change proposals will be voted on by the USTA directors.

The 2019 proposed rule changes can be found here.

But prior to the final decision on which rules will be adopted, amended or rejected, they are discussed at each of the USTA’s 12 district meetings. At each annual district meeting, USTA members in attendance will review then vote to provide a recommendation for each proposal that is submitted to the full Board of Directors at the annual meeting where the final decisions on rule change proposals are made.

All USTA members are encouraged to consider the proposed rule changes and attend their local district meeting to provide input or to contact their local directors prior to that meeting if they are not able to attend.

The names and contact information for directors in each district can be found online via this link. For a schedule of district meetings, click here.

The 26 rule change proposals cover a wide range of issues that include a number of racing rules involving breaks, start of races and starting gate procedures as well as driver violations that were submitted by chairman John Campbell on behalf of the Ad Hoc Universal Rules Committee.

Other proposals consider topics such as claiming eligibility, purse redistribution for interference during a race, the time horses should enter the track before races, procedures for taking entries and drawing post positions, the definition and licensing of amateur drivers, breeding requirements and the naming of horses.

Besides the Ad Hoc Universal Rules Committee, proposals were submitted by racetrack and horsemen’s association executives, a state racing commissioner, a fair official, owners, breeders and a driver.

Submissions came from numerous states including Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

(USTA)