Page 15 - Speedhorse November 2019

AQHA RACING UPDATE
Trejo, Wyoming Racing Commission Executive Director and Quarter Horse Chairman of the Association of Racing Commissioners Interna- tional Charles Moore, and steward and Racing Official Accreditation Program Chairman Dan Fick were the gentlemen leading the presen- tation. Each imparted their expertise when discussing the following topics:
• Facilitating Uniformity Among Jurisdictions.
• Using Out of Competition Testing as a
mechanism to even the playing field.
• How should regulators handle repetitive of-
fenders?
• What should be done to control ‘program
trainers’?
The conversation was engaging, even passion- ate! There were approximately 100 people in the room, and based on the feedback of those who participated in the conversation, it was evident the membership wants stronger sanctions from the regulators. I believe the panelists were enlightened by the members’ perspective, and I am certain those in attendance left the gathering with an enhanced view of the regulatory process. The membership made it clear to me that, in my role at AQHA, I
should pursue two issues: reengage in the effort
I made in 2017 to ensure standard operating procedures amongst laboratories and to work with members of the ARCI to draft language that would increase the penalties for Out of Competition testing. As your Chief Racing Officer, my actions are born in these meetings. If you want to affect the direction AQHA takes on behalf of its members, please come to these events and voice your opinion.
We next engaged in discussion regarding “program trainers”. Dan Fick provided very detailed information on how a regulatory body’s investigators can decipher if, in fact, the trainer of record is responsible for a horse. I plan to share his information with the Quarter Horse jurisdictions, as well as the investigators that
are involved with the AQHA Integrity Teams. While we are certain they already have access to the information, our sending the criteria should serve as a helpful reminder and assist them in addressing this issue that is plaguing our sport.
Saturday, October 26, we enjoyed a very nice Owner’s Recognition Brunch, where I partnered with Eric Alwan to emcee the awards. Qualify- ing to a prestigious event like the AQHA Racing
Challenge Championships is a very special achievement, and we hope the connections enjoyed this ceremony.
I don’t need to chronicle anything about the race results as other articles will cover that, except to say that I was pleased to see that most races were a blan- ket finish at the wire. This tells me that our efforts to deter those who sought an unfair advantage were ef- fective. Each horse that entered the gates had to pass a hair test as part of AQHA’s commitment to integ- rity in the sport. It is evident to me that this effort is appreciated. All the races were exciting competitions right down to the wire, and I am certain that each of the 8,979 people in attendance enjoyed them.
The morning after the event was over, I was inundated with texts and calls from folks express- ing their delight with both the Racing Conference and the races. If you didn’t make it this year, make plans to join us in 2020. Next year’s installment will also be hosted by The Downs at Albuquerque and will be conducted October 21-24. What a delight it will be to once again partner with owners Paul and Leigh Ann Blanchard, and Director of Racing Don Cook and his team for AQHA Rac- ing’s premier event. I hope to see you there!
The conversation was engaging, even passionate!
Janet Van Bebber Dan Fick Eric Alwan
SPEEDHORSE, November 2019 13