Page 115 - Speedhorse October 2018

There are five of us in the AQHA Racing Department: I am the chief racing officer and I oversee the department as a whole and work hard to implement the Association’s policies to better racing - Janet VanBebber
These are among the things that the staff works on in the office. Of course, what isn’t mentioned above is the tracking of medication rulings to maintain the standards set forth in the AQHA Awards and Media Policy that AQHA leadership implemented earlier this year. That is a full-time job, and there will be more news on that front in the immediate future.
WHAT DO I DO?
While I do my best to help the team within the office, I have found that the strongest asset I offer AQHA is the work I do outside of AQHA Head- quarters. Having a lifetime of involvement in the industry, I understand the significance of all the “working parts” that must collaborate to improve our sport. I work closely with members of the As- sociation of Racing Commissioners International, the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, Racing Officials Accreditation Program, Jockeys’ Guild, and the individual racing commissions, growing those relationships to enhance our As- sociation’s ability to further the industry.
Since I started in 2016, we have seen an increase in uniformity of medication regulation among jurisdictions; we are advocating the pur- suit of information regarding immerging threats; we are actively involved in preserving the integrity of the sport, both for the welfare of the horse and in an effort to even the playing field on the track. In the organizations referenced above, I am often in a position to be the voice for horsemen, adding a perspective that my fel- low board members may not consider.
WHAT ABOUT AQHA AS A WHOLE, AND HOW IS RACING A PART OF IT?
Under the guidance of Executive Vice President Craig Huffhines, AQHA is charged with keeping the organization moving forward in all of our endeavors. We are the world’s
largest equine breed registry, but we are cur- rently stifled by an archaic computer system. To rectify this dilemma, AQHA has devoted substantial resources to modernize our tech- nology and the infrastructure that supports it. We have implemented a new telephone system that will enable us to do a better job of addressing the members’ inquiries. We are approaching the roll out of a new computer system and website that will greatly enhance our in-house capabilities and your interaction with the Association.
Please be patient with us through this pro- cess. There are a lot of growing pains that come with the transition – both to the staff that wants to serve you and for you the customer. Nonethe- less, I am confident that the end result will allow us, as staff, to be more effective and will provide you an enhanced experience as well.
In addition to improvements in technology, Craig is working with each department on what is called Enterprise Performance Management analysis. In this pursuit, we are defining the key performance indicators of each discipline, and then evaluating the return on our investment in the endeavor. The ongoing exercise is intended to make sure we are devoting the right resources to the tasks. I appreciate his leadership in this area, and I think that it is prudent to look at it closely.
As staff, we are here to serve you, our mem- ber. We want to ensure that we are doing so in a responsible manner.
I hope you have found this overview to be informative. It is my hope that you have a better understanding of what your Association does for you. In future installments, I will elaborate on proj- ects we are working on, our success, and even our struggles. The goal is to help keep you informed.
Until next time, I want you to know that ev- ery second of every day, it is our desire to better the Quarter Horse racing industry.
Under the guidance of Executive Vice President Craig Huffhines, AQHA is charged with keeping the organization moving forward in all of our endeavors.
SPEEDHORSE, October 2018 113