Otterkill, NY — On Sunday (Dec. 8), Chairperson Shawn Wiles and Directors Kim Crawford, Mark Ford, Mike Torcello, and Ray Schnittker hosted the annual USTA District 8 meeting in conjunction with the Monticello-Goshen USHWA and NYSS banquet in Otterkill, N.Y.
The meeting included a discussion of and voting on the 41 rule and bylaw change proposals for 2025.
Following are the voting results of the 2025 proposals from the District 8 members in attendance:
- Corresponding Officer/Ownership Percentages — REJECTED
- Head Numbers Return — REJECTED
- Minimum Requirements to Warm Up Horses — REJECTED
- Judges Report Incident Details to USTA — APPROVED
- Mandatory Win Photo Purse Deduction — REJECTED
- Minimum Time Between Races for 2-Year-Olds — APPROVED
- Cap on Number of Starts for Older Horses — REJECTED
- Q/F Drivers Must Race Both Gaits — REJECTED
- Judges’ Discretion/Race for Purse Money Only — TABLED
- Sulky Performance Standards — APPROVED
- No Gray/White Outrider Horses — REJECTED
- Saddle Pads Not Counted as Equipment — APPROVED
- Restrictions on Shock Wave Therapy — APPROVED
- Testing Where USTA Has Authority — APPROVED
- Owner/Trainer Present During Sample Collection — APPROVED
- HRMC Screening Thresholds — APPROVED
- Absolute Insurer — TABLED
- Cap of 160 Mares for Stallions — APPROVED
- Prohibit OPU/ICSI Sperm Injection Procedures — APPROVED
- Electronic Voting for Rule Change Proposals — APPROVED
- Widen Window for District Meeting Scheduling — APPROVED
- Director Elections Not Tied to District Meetings — APPROVED
- Incumbents Declinations Due in July, Not September — REJECTED
- Elections Due to Vacancies Not Tied to District Meetings — APPROVED
- District 2 and 2A Realignment of Directors — APPROVED
- USTA Officers Must Be Directors — REJECTED
- Denial of Membership — APPROVED
- Violations — APPROVED
- Person Not in Good Standing — APPROVED
- Failure to Report Fraudulent Proposal — APPROVED
- Conspiracy to Commit Violations of Rules — APPROVED
- Aiding or Abetting Violation of Rules — APPROVED
- Prohibition Against Individuals Not in Good Standing — APPROVED
- Trainer of Horse for Disbarred Person — APPROVED
- False Ownership — APPROVED
- False Trainer of Record — APPROVED
- Effect of Penalty on Horse — APPROVED
- Participation by Person Not in Good Standing — APPROVED
- Fraudulent Transfer — APPROVED
- Failure to Submit Information — APPROVED
- Location of Hearing — APPROVED
Shawn Wiles was re-elected as chairperson for District 8.
The remaining districts will meet over the next few 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 2025. The full schedule of district meetings, as well as meeting details and recaps, may be found here.