Columbus, OH — Sixteen rule and bylaw changes were approved at the annual meeting of the USTA Board of Directors which concluded on March 10.

Fourteen of the 16 changes will take effect on May 1, 2024. A rule defining purse redistribution for no contest races will take effect on Jan. 1, 2025, and a bylaw change to the terms of officers (chairperson, vice-chairperson, treasurer, and secretary) took effect immediately on March 9. The entire list of approved changes may be found here.

These changes apply to venues in which the USTA is the sole regulatory authority. As specified in the USTA Rulebook’s preface, “the rules…are applicable only to those non-pari-mutuel meetings over which no State Racing Commission, or other State Regulatory Body asserts primary jurisdiction.” It is not uncommon, however, to see state racing commissions adopt USTA rules.

The list of approved rule changes will be sent to the Association of Racing Commissioners International and to state racing commissions with recommendations to adopt them, and to horsemen’s associations to assist them in promoting the rules to their state regulators to encourage implementation.

For a complete recap of the 2024 annual meeting, visit the USTA Annual Meeting page.