Page 27 - December2022

AQHA UPDATE
December 2022
by Janet VanBebber, AQHA Chief Racing Officer
Tis the season...
“I prefer to send my wants and needs to our Lord and Savior, as He is the source of all things, and the reason for the season.”
Having enjoyed nine people around my Thanksgiving table, I feel very blessed. At the head of the table sat my 92-year-old father, who many of you know as ‘Papa Gene’, and he said grace over our feast. That is a blessing I never take for granted.
Now it’s time to turn our attention towards Christmas. I remember as a young girl, writing letters to Santa and listing items I would love for him to place under our Christmas tree. As a grown up, I realize that instead of a Christmas list, I prefer to send my wants and needs to our Lord and Savior, as He is the source of all things, and the reason for the season, and He can and will hear our prayer. So, what do I pray for? Many of my prayers are focused on this industry of ours that I love so much, and here are a few of them:
• At the races, I pray for the safety of both the horse and rider in each race.
• I pray for the horsemen, that they make decisions that are in the best interest of the horses entrusted in their care.
• I pray for fairness in racing, that those who seek an unfair advantage are caught and their cases adjudicated in a timely manner.
• At the farms, I pray that all the mares have healthy pregnancies and deliver healthy foals next spring. • I pray those foals enjoy a good start in their lives, and go on to reach their potential.
• I pray all the youngsters that are put in training are offered a solid foundation, adequately preparing them to be racehorses in the coming race meets.
• I pray that all our industry management teams, including racing offices, track management, horsemen’s representatives, and even your breed registry, is adequately staffed and thereby able to serve all of us well in their given role.
• I pray that owners, whether of breeding stock, racehorses, or both, realize what a God-given blessing it is to have the privilege of engaging with horses, and that while we may be faced with challenges along the way, every day that you get to have a horse is indeed a great day.
I hope you will join me in saying similar prayers. Not only at Christmas, but all the year through. If you have some better ideas, let me know, and I’ll add your thoughts to my prayer list.
From my house to yours, wishing you a very Merry Christmas!
-Janet
SPEEDHORSE December 2022 25