by Kimberly A. Rinker, for Harness Horsemen International
Chicago, IL — Harness Horsemen International’s annual meetings are set to begin this Sunday (March 1) at the Embassy Suites Deerfield Beach Resort & Spa, Deerfield Beach, Fla.
Sunday’s activities include registration beginning at 2 p.m., and a welcome reception from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. HHI Board members will meet briefly beginning at 4:45 p.m. that afternoon as well.
Monday’s (March 2) General Session begins promptly at 9 a.m., with opening statements from HHI President Tom Luchento and Jay Hickey, President of the American Horse Council. Topics to be reviewed that morning include HHI business and association reports, along with a panel discussion concerning current racing commission issues on whipping and kicking.
The General Session on Tuesday (March 3) begins at 9 a.m. and features keynote speaker Dr. Mary Robinson of the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center, Chester, Pa., who will articulate “Equine Drug Testing in the 21st Century.” Later, HHI committees will convene to deliberate insurance, finance, legal, convention and foundation issues.
Wednesday’s (March 4) General Session begins at 9 a.m. with HHI elections and committee reports, followed by the annual HHI Awards Luncheon at 12:30 p.m. where racing’s Gene Oldford, Jerry Knappenberger and Derick Giwner will be feted with HHI’s prestigious honors for 2014.
Oldford, an HHI past president, is the 2014 Dominic Frinzi Person of the Year; Knappenberger, former GM of the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association, will accept the 2014 HHI Appreciation Award; and Giwner, the Daily Racing Form’s harness racing editor and writer, is the 2014 Clyde Hirt Media Award winner.
HHI is comprised of horsemen’s associations from the United States and Canada who collectively represent the agriculture based industry of harness racing in North America. HHI’s governing body consists of representatives from its member associations.