Page 12 - February 2021

AQHA RACING UPDATE
Despite the anticipated detrimental impact of COVID on racing and related revenue, we were still able to offer an outstanding array of races, with values comparable to previous years.
2020 AQHA CHAMPIONS
Since writing my last article, we have conducted the announcement of the
2020 AQHA Racing Champions Awards at Heritage Place. The event, held on Jan.
14th, afforded in-person attendance (socially distanced within the auditorium), or the option of viewing the production on AQHA.com, Facebook Live on Q-Racing, or the Cowboy Channel Plus app. A replay has been posted
on Facebook, and highlights of the show have since been shown on The Cowboy Channel as well. All in all, I am so pleased with the show. Through the different platforms, we reached 7500 homes via our website and Q-Racing’s Facebook Live. I have not yet received the analytics from the Cowboy Channel, but regardless, the additional exposure of our sport via their network is wonderful. What a way to showcase our beloved racing Quarter Horse!
It is great to have this opportunity, not only
for the American Quarter Horse, but also for the people who are our industry’s stars. There were laughs and there were tears, all from the folks who love horses as much as you and I. For me, the evening is just plain fun. It is an honor to visit with all the award recipients because I understand how lives are changed that night, and that memories are made that will last a lifetime. I hope you were able to watch it and enjoyed it as much as I did.
NOW WE MUST TURN OUR EYES ON 2021.
While most of you are anxiously anticipat- ing the unveiling of this year’s two-year-old crop and their impending schooling races, we in the AQHA Racing Department are prepar- ing for the AQHA Convention. This year’s event is on schedule in-person and is slated for March 18-22 at the Hyatt Hill Country Resort in San Antonio, Texas. Our Racing discipline is represented by three meetings: the Graded Stakes Committee on Friday, March 19th, the
Racing Committee on Saturday the 20th and Sunday the 21st, and finally the Racing Council meeting conducted on the afternoon of Sunday, March 21st. The Racing Committee meet-
ing agenda will be available online, found at AQHA.com’s Convention page. Most years we open the Racing Committee and Council meet- ings to guests, but this year our ability to do so will be dependent on the space we are assigned, and the respect for each other’s safety relative
to social distancing. Know that some of the activities usually associated with Convention are being deferred due to limitations on social activ- ity. But also know that we are planning church on Sunday morning, and I am always particu- larly pleased that our Race Track Chaplaincy of America Executive Director, Dan Waits, comes to lead us in this opportunity to worship. This year he will likely be joined by local Chaplain from Retama Park, Michael Bingaman. Please be sure and check the website for full details. We hope to see you in San Antonio and encourage you to register in advance of the event at https:// www.aqha.com/aqha-convention.
OTHER UPDATES:
Horse Racing Integrity Act:
You are probably aware that the Horse Rac- ing Integrity Act was passed amongst a stack
of Bills united under one spending package
at the end of the year. Now what? We remain concerned about the federal oversight of our sport for reasons that I’ve articulated in several previous articles. Moving forward, I can tell you several individual states are considering the constitutionality of the Bill, and I will be stay- ing involved in that discussion. We at AQHA are also in pursuit of a study to substantiate a Quarter Horse’s increased vulnerability to ex- ercised induced pulmonary hemorrhage. Upon implementation of HISA the opportunity to use Lasix to prevent bleeding will be denied us. We hope to have science on our side to support
a modification to the regulation and allow for breed specific administration of the important therapeutic medication. As always, I will keep you apprised on any developments.
AQHA Racing Challenge:
We were pleased to release our 2021 AQHA Regional Challenge Stakes schedule in Decem- ber. Despite the anticipated detrimental impact of COVID on racing and related revenue, we were still able to offer an outstanding array of races, with values comparable to previous years. That is outstanding! Moreover, some of our Regional Stakes are being offered at new loca- tions, and we are excited about that. You can find the two-page schedule in this issue.
For the second year, the finalists to all regional races will be hair tested. Implementing this protocol in 2020 was well received by our participants, and the collaborative effort with local regulatory bodies was appreciated.
New Horizons:
Know that AQHA is always willing to assist in efforts to grow the industry. Such was the case last year when Nebraska pursued legislation that will enable growth of Quarter Horse racing in their state. AQHA supported the endeavor via distribution of geographically specific email blasts, and the measure passed. As a result, the opportunity to have Quarter Horse race meets in the Cornhusker State is on the horizon. In
an age of diminished racing opportunity, it is refreshing to have good news! I will keep you updated as plans unfold.
As I bring this report to a close, I pray that 2021 is a year of healing. Healing for ourselves, our racing industry, and all that has been impacted by COVID. I pray that normalcy resumes. If nothing else, I will have a new appreciation for the opportunity to convene in person, and I’ll sure be happy to see all of you!
February 2021
by Janet VanBebber, AQHA Chief Racing Officer
10 SPEEDHORSE February 2021