Page 18 - Speedhorse March 2019

AQHA RACING UPDATE
“Every single entity is dreaming about the world they can win if their dreams come true in 2019. ”
Janet VanBebber
March 2019 • AQHA Racing Update SPRING TIME
in the World of Racing
American Quarter Horses
by Janet VanBebber, AQHA Chief Racing Officer
“For those who dare to dream, there is a whole world to win.” - Dhirubhai Ambani
I read this quote and pondered how it reflects what is happening right now for all of us who love the American Quarter Horse. Foals are being born every day. Some with royal pedigrees, some more modest, but all with untapped potential. Two year olds are entering the gates for schooling races, where they will gain an opportunity to refine their skill as they embark on their career as racehorses. Older horses are coming off of layoffs, fresh for the upcoming year. Racing secretaries are pouring over stall applications and condition books, making sure they meet the needs of the horsemen. Every single entity is dreaming about the world they can win if their dreams come true in 2019. When I trained, I absolutely loved this time of year.
Now, I enjoy a different role. In Amarillo, we
in the AQHA Racing Department are supposed to help facilitate your dreams. Every day, we are work- ing behind the scenes to do so. We are working on the AQHA Racing Challenge to give opportunity to all divisions of horses. We are working to grow international opportunities for official races and to have those races become part of our database and thereby recorded in our pedigree information. We are working to provide a more uniform set of rac- ing regulation that better protects our horses. We
are working on moving our Association’s abilities to serve you forward by implementing improved technology. We are working to convey all of this information to our members through the meetings at the AQHA Convention.
As for me, what motivates me each day? It is my hope that the work described above, in some form or fashion, does indeed help you to realize your dreams. You may never make the connection, and that’s okay. But, when all the participants in a race successfully come back to be unsaddled because the race was run under stricter regulations, maybe we had a part in that. When your horse gets black type because of success in a Challenge Race, we definitely had a part in that. When you get to watch your horse run its race on Q-Racing Video, even though you’re a thousand miles away, we
had a part in that. When funding for your state’s racing was jeopardized, and your local leadership sought our support to beat the opposing effort, we had a part in that.
As of this penning, we are as busy as bees prepar- ing for the AQHA Convention (held March 8-11 in Fort Worth, Texas). All the while, we are working on the little things that may help your dreams come true. A majority of the race meets will be underway in no time. Don’t forget, “For those who dare to dream, there is a whole world to win.”.
14 SPEEDHORSE, March 2019