Delray Beach, FL — USTA District 6 members and leadership met Friday (Dec. 1) for the district’s annual meeting.

Held over breakfast at Lulu’s in Delray Beach, Fla., the session featured an informal discussion of industry topics, a reminder about the upcoming membership directors’ election (ballots due Dec. 12), and focused upon the consideration and deliberation of 32 rule change proposals and/or bylaw amendments. In the end, 20 were recommended for approval.

District chairman Joe Pennacchio, who was reelected to another one-year term in that post, coordinated the proceedings, and was joined by fellow district directors Dein Spriggs and Dr. Andy Roberts. USTA District 2 director Steve Oldford also was in attendance, and Association CEO Mike Tanner presided over the rule change discussion and voting.

The rule change proposal voting summary is as follows:

Proposal #1 – Purse distribution for no contest races: ACCEPTED
Proposal #2 – Corresponding officer designation: REJECTED
Proposal #3 – “Ambulance” definition: ACCEPTED
Proposal #4 – Expand definition of accident warning lights: ACCEPTED
Proposal #5 – Fence requirements at county fairs: REJECTED
Proposal #6 – Taping of line buckles: ACCEPTED with amendment “any color tape”
Proposal #7 – Judges/warning lights and siren: ACCEPTED
Proposal #8 – Extreme weather postponements/cancellations: ACCEPTED
Proposal #9 – Judges explanation of warning lights and siren: ACCEPTED
Proposal #10 – Number of names on the electronic eligibility – unlimited: REJECTED
Proposal #11 – Increase number of names on the electronic eligibility to six: ACCEPTED
Proposal #12 – No horse 15 or older is eligible to perform in any race: REJECTED
Proposal #13 – One tier of starters at fair tracks – judges’ discretion: REJECTED
Proposal #14 – Splitting of horses in multiple divisions: ACCEPTED
Proposal #15 – Publicly publish draw results: ACCEPTED
Proposal #16 – Require a driver to drive horse on which he/she is listed: ACCEPTED
Proposal #17 – Penalty for restart: REJECTED
Proposal #18 – Penalty for causing a race to be delayed: REJECTED
Proposal #19 – Driver objection “before dismounting”: REJECTED
Proposal #20 – Race within 30 minutes of assigned Lasix window: TABLED
Proposal #21 – Five-year sulky warranty by USTA or manufacturer: REJECTED
Proposal #22 – Sulky manufacturers mandatory reporting: ACCEPTED
Proposal #23 – Coggins test rules to remove repetitive language: ACCEPTED
Proposal #24 – Track requirement to keep Coggins, vaccine info: ACCEPTED
Proposal #25 – Naming requirements for the registration of horses: REJECTED
Proposal #26 – Bylaw change – electronic voting for USTA board: TABLED
Proposal #27 – Bylaw change – Terms of non-presidential officers: ACCEPTED
Proposal #28 – Bylaw change – Abuse and Harassment policy: ACCEPTED
Proposal #29 – Definition of beneficial owner: ACCEPTED
Proposal #30 – Tattoo and/or freezebrand references: ACCEPTED
Proposal #31 – Revision of info requirements on list of mares bred: ACCEPTED
Proposal #32 – Revision of language for horse parentage, ID: ACCEPTED

The remaining districts will meet over the next two months to discuss specific district topics and to vote on the proposals. The results of each district’s vote will be presented to the entire USTA Board of Directors at the annual meeting in March 2024. The full schedule of district meetings, as well as meeting details and recaps, may be found here.