Bedford, PA – The largest gathering for a USTA District meeting this season east of Des Moines came to the Omni Resort Bedford in this southwestern Pennsylvania town for the District 7 annual meeting on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 20).

District 7 Chairman Sam Beegle presided over the meeting; fellow District director Rich Gillock was also in attendance, as was Fred Strathmeyer, deputy secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Agriculture.

USTA Vice Chair Mark Loewe presided over the discussion of and voting on the many By-Law change proposals. The assembled voted in the following manner:

Proposal #1 – Purse distribution for no contest races: ACCEPTED.
Proposal #2 – Corresponding officer designation and ownership percentages: REJECTED.
Proposal #3 – Define “ambulance” and the requirement of an ambulance when racing: TABLED.
Proposal #4 – Expand definition of accident warning lights: ACCEPTED.
Proposal #5 – Require a chain-link fence in front of the grandstand at county fairs: REJECTED.
Proposal #6 – Require driving line buckles be taped with black tape: ACCEPTED after the deletion of “black.”
Proposal #7 – Expand duties of the judges to include the use of warning lights and siren: ACCEPTED.
Proposal #8 – Postponement/cancellation of races in extreme weather: REJECTED.
Proposal #9 – Expand procedure of the judges to explain the use of warning lights and siren: REJECTED.
Proposal #10 – Increase the number of names on the electronic eligibility from four to an unlimited number: REJECTED.
Proposal #11 – Increase the number of names on the electronic eligibility from four to six: REJECTED.
Proposal #12 – No horse 15 or older is eligible to perform in any race: ACCEPTED.
Proposal #13 – Only one tier of starters at county fair tracks with judge’s discretion: REJECTED.
Proposal #14 – Splitting of horses in multiple divisions: ACCEPTED.
Proposal #15 – Publicly publish draw results: REJECTED.
Proposal #16 – Require a driver to drive horse on which he/she is listed: REJECTED.
Proposal #17 – Penalty for restart: REJECTED.
Proposal #18 – Penalty for causing a race to be delayed: REJECTED.
Proposal #19 – Remove “before dismounting” as a requirement in a driver filing an objection: REJECTED.
Proposal #20 – Horses must race within 30 minutes of assigned Lasix window: REJECTED.
Proposal #21 – Five-year warranty to be provided by a sulky manufacturer and/or USTA: REJECTED.
Proposal #22 – Require change of company ownership and modification of approved sulky to be reported to USTA: APPROVED.
Proposal #23 – Combine Coggins test rules to remove repetitive language: APPROVED.
Proposal #24 – Require tracks to record and keep on file Coggins test results and vaccine documentation: REJECTED.
Proposal #25 – Change naming requirements for the registration of horses: REJECTED.
Proposal #26 – Bylaw change to handle board voting electronically: REJECTED.
Proposal #27 – Bylaw change to increase terms of chair, vice-chair, secretary, and treasurer to two years: APPROVED.
Proposal #28 – Bylaw change to add text regarding abuse and harassment: TABLED.
Proposal #29 – Clarify definition of beneficial owner: ACCEPTED.
Proposal #30 – Remove references to require tattoo and/or freeze brand to race: ACCEPTED.
Proposal #31 – Remove reference to blood typing and dollar amount to submission of list of mares bred: ACCEPTED.
Proposal #32 – Remove references to blood typing and repetitive language for parentage verification: ACCEPTED.
After the USTA meeting, the Pennsylvania Fair Harness Horsemen Association held a meeting presided over by president Lisa Dunn, with lively discussion of issues facing the horsemen racing over Pennsylvania’s twicearound ovals.