By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
STATE COLLEGE PA – District 7 (Pennsylvania) of the United States Trotting Association met on Saturday, January 17 at the Nittany Lion Inn, with 28 in attendance – the third biggest attendance among Districts meeting so far, with the fourth highest turnout per percentage of USTA members and the highest ratio of attendees of any District with 1000 or more members.
Present were District 7 Chairman Sam Beegle, along with fellow member director Rich Gillock; track directors in attendance were Barry Brown and Rick Kane. Also present were USTA executive vice-president Mike Tanner, vice chair Mark Loewe, and secretary Michele Kopiec, in addition to Daryl Breniser of the PA Horse Racing Commission and Fred Strathmeyer of the PA Department of Agriculture.
Loewe led the assembled through the rule changes that were to go before the USTA Board, so that the Directors were made aware of their constituents’ attitudes. After lively discussion, the following proposals got the following reactions:
· Resigning membership while under investigation – APPROVED
· Horse race fatalities reported to USTA— TABLED
· Shoes off/shoes on — REJECTED
· Horse retirement contribution from claims— TABLED
· Start caps for 2- and 3-year-olds — REJECTED
· Deposit for appeals — APPROVED
· Stallion Cap of 160 Mares— APPROVED
· Standardbred as embryo transfer recipient mare – REJECTED
· Executive committee composition – APPROVED
Beegle and Russell Williams were not up for election among the District 7 members; Gillock was and was reelected. Among track directors, Brown will now be joined by Michael Carter of the Meadows.
The USTA gathering was preceded by a meeting of the Pennsylvania Fair Harness Horsemen’s Association, presided over by Darla DeCarlo Ritenour and secretary Michelle Daugherty. Among the topics discussed were the PA Fair Championships, to be held during a twilight card at The Meadows on Friday, October 9; the success of the livestreaming of racing from the Keystone fairs and of the PFHHA website; and an examination of the “A-B” levels of stakes racing at the fairs, with some modifications to be at least explored. These topics and others will arise at the PA Fair Convention this coming week.
PFHHA president Lisa Dunn and vice-president Harold Brocklehurst had previously indicated that they did not wish to return to these positions. In voting among those present, Tom Loughery Jr. was elected PFHHA president and Shawn Johnston vice-president; DeCarlo-Ritenour and Daugherty would continue in their present roles.
STATE COLLEGE PA – District 7 (Pennsylvania) of the United States Trotting Association met on Saturday, January 17 at the Nittany Lion Inn, with 28 in attendance – the third biggest attendance among Districts meeting so far, with the fourth highest turnout per percentage of USTA members and the highest ratio of attendees of any District with 1000 or more members.
Present were District 7 Chairman Sam Beegle, along with fellow member director Rich Gillock; track directors in attendance were Barry Brown and Rick Kane. Also present were USTA executive vice-president Mike Tanner, vice chair Mark Loewe, and secretary Michele Kopiec, in addition to Daryl Breniser of the PA Horse Racing Commission and Fred Strathmeyer of the PA Department of Agriculture.
Loewe led the assembled through the rule changes that were to go before the USTA Board, so that the Directors were made aware of their constituents’ attitudes. After lively discussion, the following proposals got the following reactions:
· Resigning membership while under investigation – APPROVED
· Horse race fatalities reported to USTA— TABLED
· Shoes off/shoes on — REJECTED
· Horse retirement contribution from claims— TABLED
· Start caps for 2- and 3-year-olds — REJECTED
· Deposit for appeals — APPROVED
· Stallion Cap of 160 Mares— APPROVED
· Standardbred as embryo transfer recipient mare – REJECTED
· Executive committee composition – APPROVED
Beegle and Russell Williams were not up for election among the District 7 members; Gillock was and was reelected. Among track directors, Brown will now be joined by Michael Carter of the Meadows.
The USTA gathering was preceded by a meeting of the Pennsylvania Fair Harness Horsemen’s Association, presided over by Darla DeCarlo Ritenour and secretary Michelle Daugherty. Among the topics discussed were the PA Fair Championships, to be held during a twilight card at The Meadows on Friday, October 9; the success of the livestreaming of racing from the Keystone fairs and of the PFHHA website; and an examination of the “A-B” levels of stakes racing at the fairs, with some modifications to be at least explored. These topics and others will arise at the PA Fair Convention this coming week.
PFHHA president Lisa Dunn and vice-president Harold Brocklehurst had previously indicated that they did not wish to return to these positions. In voting among those present, Tom Loughery Jr. was elected PFHHA president and Shawn Johnston vice-president; DeCarlo-Ritenour and Daugherty would continue in their present roles.
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