Columbus, OH – On Thursday (Oct. 16), USTA District 11 held its annual meeting at Harrington Raceway, led by Chairperson Matt Sparacino along with Directors Dan Bittle, Corey Callahan, and Dr. Scott Woogen.
The meeting focus included discussion and voting regarding the nine proposed 2026 Proposed Rule and Bylaw Changes slated for the annual USTA Board meeting in March, 2026.
District 11 members in attendance voted on each proposal as follows:
- Resigning membership while under investigation – APPROVED
- Horse race fatalities reported to USTA— APPROVED
- Shoes off/shoes on — TABLED
- Horse retirement contribution from claims— REJECTED
- Start caps for 2- and 3-year-olds — Amended to 2-year-olds only
- Deposit for appeals — APPROVED
- Stallion Cap of 160 Mares— REJECTED
- Standardbred as embryo transfer recipient mare – APPROVED
- Executive committee composition – APPROVED
Matt Sparacino was re-elected to serve another term as Chairperson of District 11.
Over the coming months, the remaining districts will convene to discuss key topics specific to their regions and cast votes on the proposed initiatives. Final results of these district votes will be compiled and presented to the full USTA Board of Directors at the Annual Meeting in Columbus.
A full calendar of district meetings, including agendas and post-meeting summaries, can be accessed here.
Members are also encouraged to participate by voting online through their USTA accounts. Full instructions are available via this link.