Columbus, OH – USTA District 11 members re-elected Matt Sparacino as chairperson and approved four of the 14 proposed rule and bylaw changes at their annual meeting Wednesday (Nov. 11) at Harrington Raceway. Sparacino hosted the meeting with directors Dan Bittle, Corey Callahan and Dr. Scott Woogen.
Members in attendance discussed the 2027 proposed rule and bylaw changes, approving four proposals, rejecting nine and tabling one.
- Elimination of claiming allowances for fillies and mares: Rejected
- Conflict-of-interest language for officials: Tabled
- Declaration of shoe removal: Rejected
- Drawing races by lot when oversubscribed: Approved
- Live video of the draw: Rejected
- Horses drawing inside or outside consecutively: Rejected
- Additional criteria for a general trainer’s license: Approved
- Prohibition of trotting hobbles: Rejected
- Sulky performance standards: Rejected
- Investigation hearing procedures: Rejected
- Information required for a Certificate of Embryo Transfer: Rejected
- Increase in the imported horse registration fee: Approved
- Director term limits: Rejected
- Time for hearing appeals: Approved
The remaining districts will discuss regional issues and vote on the proposals at their upcoming meetings. The USTA will compile the district voting results and present them to the full Board of Directors at the Annual Meeting in March 2027. Agendas and recaps are available on the USTA district meeting schedule.
Members can also vote on the proposals through their USTA accounts. See the online voting instructions for details.