This news round up comes from the American Horse Council.
Dr. Jerry Black Elected AHC Chairman
Dr. Jerry Black was elected Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the American Horse Council at the AHC’s Annual Meeting in Washington, DC on June 15.
Federal and Industry Speakers Address AHC’s 2015 Issues Forum
A broad range of speakers from the federal government and the horse industry addressed the American Horse Council’s National Issues Forum in Washington, DC on June 16. The theme of the forum was “Protecting and Promoting the Horse.” This year’s forum, sponsored by Luitpold Animal Health, drew a crowd of about 175 and was held in conjunction with the AHC’s annual convention, which ran from June 14 to 17 at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill. “We were very pleased with the crowd and the presentations,” said AHC president Jay Hickey, “particularly the afternoon sessions which were very upbeat and highlighted the efforts of six organizations working hard to attract people, particularly youth, to the horse experience and keep them involved.”
PAST Act Introduced in the House
On July 28, 2015, Representatives Ted Yoho (R-FL) and Kurt Schrader (D-OR) re-introduced the Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2015 (HR 3268) (PAST Act) in the House of Representatives. The PAST Act is supported by the American Horse Council (AHC) and almost all major national horse show organizations and many state and local horse organizations. The Senate version of the bill was introduced by Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and Mark Warner (D-VA) earlier this year.
Racing Medication Bills Again Before Congress
The last few Congresses have seen an increasing number of bills introduced that call for a new, national structure to replace state regulation of medication in racing. Hearings have been held on some of these bills in past Congresses.
Congressman Yarmuth Receives AHC’s Rolapp Award
Congressman John Yarmuth of Louisville, Kentucky was awarded the American Horse Council’s 2015 Rolapp Award for his outstanding service to the horse industry. The award was presented to Congressman Yarmuth on June 16th at a Congressional Reception on Capitol Hill during the AHC’s annual meeting in Washington, DC before leaders of the horse industry and Members of Congress.
UHC Celebrates 10th Anniversary and Releases New Educational Brochure
This summer marks the 10th anniversary of the Unwanted Horse Coalition.
The Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC) grew out of the Unwanted Horse Summit, which was organized by the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and held in conjunction with the American Horse Council’s annual meeting in 2005, a time in which new legislation had brought slaughter to the forefront of the equine welfare debate.
National Forest Trail Bill Gains Momentum
The National Forest Service Trail Stewardship Act of 2015 (H.R. 845/S.1110) introduced to help address the current trail maintenance backlog on many National Forests, continues to gain momentum. Recently, the bill won praise in a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing and the number of endorsements from many national and local groups continues to grow.
Equine Disease Communication Center Fundraising Initiative Launches
The horse industry is always just one step from the calamity of a disease outbreak. Our industry is built on its ability to move horses easily for sales, breeding, racing, showing, events, work and recreation and an infectious disease outbreak has the potential to limit such movement through emergency action imposed by state, federal or international authorities to stop the spread of the disease.
Positive Developments on Several Tax Issues
The Senate Finance Committee recently approved legislation to extend retroactively a number of tax provisions, including several beneficial to the horse industry and supported by the American Horse Council. Additionally, the Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced their intention to amend the IRS regulations regarding the reporting and withholding of gambling winnings on pari-mutuel racing. The AHC and horse industry have requested for many years that these regulations should be updated so that they accurately and fairly reflect the realities of wagering on horseracing today.
Horse Slaughter Amendments Debated
The horse slaughter issue continues to receive Congressional attention, most recently when two Congressional committees debated amendments to the FY 2016 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) appropriations bill.
Yvette Anderson-Rollins Receives AHC’s 2015 Van Ness Award
On June 16, the American Horse Council presented the Van Ness Award to Yvette Anderson-Rollins of Springville, Indiana during the organization’s annual meeting in Washington, DC.