USTA District 7 Meets

Published: January 18, 2020 07:22 pm EST

The annual meeting of District 7 (Pennsylvania) of the United States Trotting Association was held Saturday afternoon at the Bedford Springs Omni Resort in this southwest Pennsylvania city.

Sam Beegle, Chairman of District 7, presided over the meeting; also in attendance were District 7 Directors Barry Brown, Rich Gillock and Tom Leasure. It was announced that Mark Loewe would be taking Mr. Leasure’s place on the USTA national Board of Directors at the annual March meetings in Ohio.

Fred Strathmeyer, Deputy Secretary of the PA State Department of Agriculture, attended the meeting, as did Anthony Salerno, Bureau Director, Standardbred Racing, of the PA Horse Racing Commission. Kim Hankins and Mike Harant, the Executive Directors of the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association and the Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen’s Association, respectively, were also present; those associations’ presidents are respectively Gillock and Beegle.

After the Pledge of Allegiance, the USTA rule change proposals were discussed among the 41 attendees, so that the Directors could represent their wishes at the upcoming national Board of Directors meeting. Below is how the District 7 members voted:

1. Eliminate heat racing – REJECTED

2. “Extended pari-mutuel meet” now defined as 6+ days – REJECTED

3. Prohibit “gene doping” – ACCEPTED

4. Pylon physical requirements – REJECTED

5. Standardized saddle pads – REJECTED

6. Define “proper racetrack action maintenance” at extended pari-mutuel tracks – REJECTED

7. Claiming price after horse claimed – REJECTED

8. Purse distribution after interference – REJECTED

9. Post position conditioned by money won – REJECTED

10. Starting “pole” at starting point – REJECTED

11. Adjusting date in qualifying rule – ACCEPTED

12. Location of “fair start” pole – REJECTED

13-14. Definition of “amateur driver” – TABLED

15. Requirements for training license – ACCEPTED

16. Require “P” drivers to register colors – ACCEPTED

17. Restructuring of “whipping rule” – REJECTED

18. Mandatory notification for new geldings/spayed mares – First moved to TABLE, but that motion failed for lack of a second; then REJECTED

19. Track measurement rule – REJECTED

20. Percentage of ownership to be noted – REJECTED

21. Allowing embryo transfer donor mares to register two foals per year – REJECTED

22. Clarification of term “Standardbred” – ACCEPTED

23. Clarification of term “non-standard” – ACCEPTED

It was determined that the meeting attendees were satisfied with the system by which Pennsylvania fair entries are being taken.

The matter of horses wearing / not wearing trotting hopples, and consistency of their usage, along with the responsibilities of various parties in ascertaining the situation, was also discussed.

(USTA District 7)

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