The USTA has served its members for more than 90 years, and that’s something we take considerable pride in each day. Some of our processes were developed long before anyone imagined a horseperson would be doing business with the USTA staring down at a smartphone while sitting on a bucket in the paddock. That’s the part we need to keep working on.
Tag: hoof beats
Hoof Beats: Still Standing
There’s no doubting that Ponda Jet has trotted his way to superstardom on the Indiana harness racing scene. When trainer Jay Hochstetler enters the 6-year-old Dover Dan gelding to race, Ponda Jet consistently delivers on his reputation of finishing on the board — or at the least giving his all when falling short. He’s tenacious. And … he’s a survivor.
Hoof Beats: Ardent Advocate
When it comes to how Andy Roberts, DVM, feels about the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA), the USTA director and treasurer not only talks the talk but walks the walk.
Open Mike: Baffling Biology
Occasionally, a story lands on the front page or drifts into your news feed, and you get that strange feeling that you’ve been here before. Not the details — they’re always different — but the questions underneath them. It’s like hearing an old song played in a new key. You find yourself momentarily paused, shaking your head a little and thinking, I know this story. I’ve seen it before, just in a place nobody would have expected.
August Hoof Beats: All Hail
The August issue of Hoof Beats features Allegiant, the American-bred and Swedish-based trotter who took the world by storm with her world-record 1:48 victory in the Elitlopp this May.
Hoof Beats: ‘Rules’ Breaker, History Maker
On May 31, Allegiant scorched Stockholm’s Solvalla Racecourse with a 1:48 mile, becoming the world’s fastest trotter ever with her victory in the Elitlopp.
July Hoof Beats: Class of 2026
The July issue of Hoof Beats shares the stories of this year’s Harness Racing Hall of Fame inductees, who received the sport’s highest honor on July 5, in Campbell Hall, N.Y.
Hoof Beats: Helping Our Horses
ver the last several years, conversations surrounding equine welfare and racing safety have increasingly moved from a general discussion to actual measurable expectations. Regulators, industry organizations, racetracks, horsepeople, veterinarians and the public are all asking similar questions: What information is being collected? What trends are being identified? And how is the racing industry using that information to improve the safety and long-term welfare of our horses?
Hoof Beats: Honoring the Past
Every year, on the first Sunday of July, harness racing’s greatest human and equine performers are enshrined into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame, in Goshen, N.Y., amid a large celebration on the lawn of the Harness Racing Museum. Every fan of the sport should attend the event at least once to appreciate the celebration and absorb the history that goes along with it.
June Hoof Beats: Standing Tall
The June issue of Hoof Beats highlights the efforts of harness racing’s movers and shakers to put the sport — and the Standardbred breed as a whole — in front of thousands of new eyes.