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All of this said, know that you do not have to be a member of any committee or council to have your voice heard.
AQHA is the largest equine breed registry in the world. There is a lot of governance involved in steering such a ship, and
there are tiers of leadership that help us navigate the journey. Let’s explore the different levels, including the details involving Racing.
At the very top of the pyramid is the Executive Committee, led by five people. Each year at the AQHA Annual Convention, the presiding President’s term ends, the next in
line moves up, and a new member is added. Our current Executive Committee is Lori Bucholz, Jim Brinkman, Jeff Tebow, Jim Hunt, and President Ken Banks. Among that group, racing is represented by Jeff Tebow, and he represents the Executive Committee on the AQHA Racing Council. More can be learned about these leaders by visiting AQHA.com/ current-year-aqha-executive-committee.
The AQHA Racing Council serves to provide oversight to the AQHA Racing Committee. They meet in-person at least
three times a year and have virtual meetings
on an as-needed basis. On June 1, we finalized elections for this year’s group. Krissy Bamberg, Dino Perez, and Rick Young prevailed, and will join Jeff Tebow, G.R. Carter, Ross Brigden, Dr. Larry Findley, Ron Bullock, Bobby Simmons, and Rick Baugh. Each elected Council member serves for three years, and this year Duayne Didericksen, John Hammes, and Lloyd Yother completed their terms. Thank you, gentlemen, for serving.
Our largest group is the AQHA Racing Committee. Members of the Racing Committee serve in this capacity after submitting an application that is reviewed by the incoming AQHA President, who ultimately makes the appointments. The terms are either two or three years, depending on if the member is a Director or a member at large, and are often renewed unless the person has requested to be removed, or failed to meet the attendance
requirement dictated in the bylaws. This
year we have several new members, and I am particularly proud to see representatives of the younger generation get engaged in this manner:
Michael Acton Rick Baugh
Brad Bolen
Tom Dawson Naia Graham Orlando Gutierrez Jorge Haddad Cody Joiner
Cole Morehead Leigh Perry
Cade Peterson Mallory Robbins Wyatt Stinebaugh Joe David Yates
The 96 members of the AQHA Racing Committee meet twice a year: at Convention and at the AQHA Racing Conference held in conjunction with the Bank of America Racing Challenge. I do my best to work with the Chairman (currently G.R. Carter is serving his third consecutive year) to bring relevant topics to the meeting and to afford the group the opportunity to offer feedback. We also welcome the Committee members themselves to bring forward topics that they think are important to furthering the industry. The action items that stem from these gatherings are then brought before the Racing Council for approval, and ultimately presented to the Executive Committee.
Now that you know the tiers of leadership, let’s examine how an AQHA rule change occurs. A member can submit a rule change proposal to be considered at the AQHA Annual Convention and must do so by December 31 of the previous year. The matter is then put on the relevant Committee’s
agenda and is discussed during their meeting at Convention. In our case, if there is a motion to accept the rule change and the Racing Committee passes it, it then goes before the Racing Council. If that body passes the measure, it is then read at Convention’s general membership meeting and affords
the entire membership an opportunity to comment. Once vetted in that meeting, the rule proposal then goes before the Executive Committee for final approval and will be part of the rulebook the following January 1. It is a tedious process, but the intention is to avoid crafting rules with unintended consequences.
How about an idea that doesn’t involve a rule change? Well, that is where either Racing Committee members, or even yours truly, comes in. We have open ears to your ideas to create improvements in our Association, or our Association’s influence over the industry, and are happy to present them during our meetings. The important thing to note, however, is that we are the breed registry, not the body who regulates races. I do indeed have a good rapport with most of the racing commissions, and
often lobby for certain changes, but know that they hold the reins. For more on this topic, see https://www.aqha.com/racing-regulation. You might find it insightful.
All of this said, know that you do not have to be a member of any committee or council to have your voice heard. I am happy to visit with you at any time, and I also welcome you to come to our meetings. We merely ask you to register. Mark October 20, 2023, on your calendar, as that is when the next AQHA Racing Committee will be held at Lone
Star Park. Be sure and make plans to stay
and watch the Bank of America Challenge Championships that will be contested there the next evening, Saturday, October 21, 2023. Look for more information about this premier event over the course of the summer.
22 SPEEDHORSE July 2023
AQHA GOVERNANCE
July 2023
by Janet VanBebber, AQHA Chief Racing Officer