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AQHA RACING UPDATE
“I think the good news is directly related to proactive measures that are ongoing behind the scenes.”
Hello friends, It’s yearling sale season. When I trained, the yearling sales were of critical importance to my opera-
tion, and I looked forward to them with great anticipation. I studied the catalogue for good pedigrees that I thought would also be a good value. I worked the barns aggressively and appreciated the professionalism with which the consignors would lead their charges to me for inspection. To use a comparison to other sports, you must keep your bench filled with fresh athletes. The challenge was to find the ones that would have the ability to take you to the Winner’s Circle. I loved it! I am sure that many of you do, too.
I think it’s fantastic that the state of our industry is such that we have a great market for our “product,” the yearlings themselves, and how sale results have been phenomenal in the last couple of years. Supported by growing purses, the demand for yearlings has remained high and we anticipate the same for the 2021 sales.
I think the good news is directly related to proactive measures that are ongoing behind the scenes. Your leaders are always working to ensure the viability of the busi- ness. Positive legislation that supports purse revenue, lucrative stakes programs, regula- tory measures to both deter cheaters and protect the horse’s wellbeing, are all among the components that build confidence in the business. AQHA supports these measures, and I have travelled to many meetings to help further these causes.
As of this penning, I have just celebrated my fifth year as your association’s Chief Racing Officer. I embarked in the role with little knowledge of what it might entail but knew that I could use my personal experience in rac- ing to the betterment of the industry. I wanted to serve a greater good, in that I would be working not just for VanBebber Racing Stables, but instead for the good of each of you. That is still my primary endeavor today.
Looking back, the objectives that were assigned to me in 2016 were straight forward: support mechanisms that enhance the integrity of the sport, lobby for uniformity in regula- tion, encourage the use of hair testing to guard against prolonged use of certain performance enhancing drugs, and strengthen programs that support the industry. While the journey has not been easy, we have made strides in many of these areas. I lobbied the Association of Racing Commissioners International to prohibit both clenbuterol and albuterol for use in Quarter Horses. They modified their model rules accordingly, and most jurisdictions have, or are in the process of adopting such regulation. Five years ago, few states used hair testing to deter those seeking an unfair advantage. Today, most do – including all of our 48 AQHA Regional Challenge Stakes that are hosted throughout the country and internationally. Speaking of the Challenge, the Bank of America Racing Challenge is a good example of programs
that support the industry. Five years ago, the program suffered from overpayment of purses
and we had to reconcile the finances. Today, we have recovered from that problem and built the program back up! We have enjoyed 3 years of being fully funded, with purses growing, and have already secured the same for 2022. While this is merely an overview, I am very proud of each of these accomplishments. It takes a vil- lage to achieve these things, and I so enjoy the collaborative effort in the pursuit.
While I prefer to focus on the good things accomplished, I would be remiss if I did not recognize that our work is still cut out for us. We still have concerns about the presence of perfor- mance enhancing drugs and are working on new means to address the issue. We are worried about Federal oversight and the Horse Racing Integrity Act and, consequently, are actively involved in
a legal complaint against it. We see some states offering fewer racing opportunities and want to support our affiliates in their efforts to maintain the quantity of race days. Whether it’s among these issues or others, know that I am indeed willing to avail myself to aid in your cause to foster Quarter Horse racing. If your jurisdiction has a concern, a lobbying effort, or needs my testimony in front of a Racing Commission to support a Quarter Horse issue, I want to help you. I am only a phone call away.
In closing, as you contemplate the upcom- ing yearling sales, have faith that your associa- tion is here to make racing all that it can be. We love our industry and work every day to ensure its future. It is indeed a good time to buy or sell an American Quarter Horse!
SALE SEASON
July 2021
by Janet VanBebber, AQHA Chief Racing Officer
“Positive legislation that supports purse revenue, lucrative stakes programs, regulatory measures to both deter cheaters and protect the horse’s wellbeing, are all among the components that build confidence in the business.”
SPEEDHORSE July 2021 21