Dover, DE — A few hours before Captain Crunch turned in the fastest mile ever at Dover Downs in the Progress Pace elimination, the Delaware oval on Wednesday afternoon (Nov. 20) hosted the United States Trotting Association’s District 11 meeting, where 23 rule change proposals were debated and attendees were brought up to speed on matters pertinent to the sport and the Association.

Directors John Hensley, Russell MacKinnon, and Corey Callahan helped spur a lively session that, in the end, saw only six proposals meet with approval, while 16 were rejected and one other was tabled.

The complete text of the 23 rule change proposals may be viewed here.

At the outset of the meeting, USTA Executive Vice President Mike Tanner spoke at length about the Association’s opposition to the Horse Racing Integrity Act of 2019 (HR 1754/SB 1820). Tanner, who has taken almost 200 meetings on Capitol Hill in the past 20 months, articulated the Association’s belief that the Act, if passed, will threaten the viability of harness racing’s future while hurting, not helping, Standardbred racehorses. He encouraged all Delaware members to contact their representatives in Washington, D.C. to voice their concerns.

The district issued the following recommendations:

Proposal #1 (Elimination of heat racing) – REJECT
Proposal #2 (Extended pari-mutuel meets) – REJECT
Proposal #3 (Prohibit gene doping) – ACCEPT
Proposal #4 (Pylon requirements) – REJECT
Proposal #5 (Extended saddle pads) – TABLED
Proposal #6 (Racetrack maintenance) – REJECT
Proposal #7 (Jail period for claimed horses) – REJECT
Proposal #8 (Interfered horses purse money) – REJECT
Proposal #9 (Weighted post position draw) – REJECT
Proposal #10 (Distinguishable starting point) – REJECT
Proposal #11 (Post-July 1 qualifiers) – REJECT
Proposal #12 (Standards for fair start pole) – REJECT
Proposal #13 (Amateur driver eligibility) – REJECT
Proposal #14 (Amateur driver eligibility) – REJECT
Proposal #15 (Trainer’s license minimums) – ACCEPT
Proposal #16 (Driving colors – “P” license) – ACCEPT
Proposal #17 (Whip regulations) – REJECT
Proposal #18 (Sex change reporting requirement) – ACCEPT
Proposal #19 (Remeasure track circumferences) – REJECT
Proposal #20 (Recording ownership percentage) – REJECT
Proposal #21 (Multiple embryo transfers/year) – REJECT
Proposal #22 (Definition of Standardbred) – ACCEPT
Proposal #23 (Non-Standardbred definition) – ACCEPT