from RUS America

RUS America is pleased to announce it has released a position paper regarding the proposed rule changes regarding racing under saddle which will be discussed at USTA district meetings and considered at the 2017 USTA annual meeting.

The position paper discusses in further detail the reasoning behind the proposals RUS America has put forth and with regards to RUS proposals submitted by others; discusses them and makes recommendations and in one case, proposes an amendment to the proposal.

Being RUS is still relatively new in the United States, RUS America has released this position to provide further background regarding the rationale for the proposals impacting RUS. USTA members may appreciate the additional discussion regarding horses being able to compete in RUS without jeopardizing their ability to race ‘in sulky,’ when weigh-ins/outs will be mandatory and optional in other situations, and the tightening of licensing requirements for riders.

USTA members are invited to become familiar with the proposed rules prior to their district meetings to facilitate any discussion which may take place, especially with 32 proposals (RUS and non-RUS) overall for consideration.

For those interested in reviewing the position paper, they may go to the Horsemen section of the RUS America website.

RUS America is an advocacy group whose mission is to promote racing under saddle for trotters and by doing so, aims to strengthen harness racing by increasing the fan and ownership base of the Standardbred sport. RUS America’s vision is for RUS to complement traditional harness racing, not supplant it. Further information regarding RUS and RUS America may be found on RUS America’s website.