At this point, many thought “game over,” that this was it for Hoffberger and there was going to be a new regime, a rebirth, an MTHA spring! However, in our closing paragraph we warned our readers: “let’s not count Hoffberger out yet.” And we were right.

On Monday, May 7, according to various sources, the MTHA Board of Directors had a closed meeting during which Alan Foreman, the attorney for MTHA, advised the directors that the procedure for the April 30 general membership vote was flawed. As a result, the majority of Board members voted to invalidate the general membership’s vote to change the bylaws.

The Board will reportedly proceed with another vote, this time a paper ballot mailed to all the members, including trainers licensed in Maryland but residing in other states. This should still be interesting, as the greater general membership could vote to maintain the bylaws as they are (with the Board selecting the president and vice president), or the greater general membership could reinforce the original vote by an even greater margin than that on April 30. Again, stay tuned! And remember: never underestimate Mr. Hoffberger.

For more details, please see That’s Amore’s News Blog:

MTHA Board Votes to Undo Recently Enacted Bylaws Changes

After MTHA board decision, anger, and a desire for resolution

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Contact us now to get your ad in the next issue of The Equiery! Deadline May 10!

The Equiery‘s is where Maryland sells those Off-The-Track Thoroughbreds or used trucks and trailers, features farms for sale, or promotes sales or open houses. Adds start at $5. Call us at 1-800-244-9580 or e-mail info@equiery.com.

Click here to see our searchable ads online or click here to see this month’s Equiery in full digitally! 

Survey participants will provide feedback on trends in the U.S. equine industry and other information regarding the most important issues facing our industry. The AHP Equine Industry Survey is being sponsored by Kentucky Equine Research, Merck Animal Health, and Pfizer Animal Health.

This survey was first conducted in 2009 with the participation of 11,171 horse people, and was largest-ever equine industry survey of hands-on horse industry participants in the United States.

With the advances of web publishing and social media, we expect participation to exceed the 2009 level, providing an even more accurate picture of the horse industry in the United States.

As in the previous survey, the purpose of the 2012 survey is threefold. The first objective is to obtain information regarding past, present, and expected future participation in the equine industry. The second objective is to identify which issues currently facing the equine industry are perceived as being most critical to those who own, or manage horses. The third objective is to analyze issues pertaining to horse health. In addition to questions on vaccines and deworming, the 2012 survey includes questions relating to nutrition, feed, and nutritional supplements.

Those eligible to participate in the survey are men and women, 18 years of age and older, who currently own or manage at least one horse and live in the United States.

This survey is anonymous. No one, not even members of the research team, will be able to associate information with responses. When the survey results are tallied, only aggregated results will be presented.

To show the type of important information AHP collected in the first survey, following is new data from the 2009-2010 AHP Equine Industry Survey on how horse owners use their horses.  These responses have been broken down by geographic region and discipline.  Within each region, the most popular use of horses is for pleasure or trail riding.  It is also the most popular activity nationwide.  After pleasure or trail riding, the top 5 most frequently reported activities in each region are identified.
(Click here to download the results of the 2009 AHP Results Discipline by Region Table.)

AHP members and survey sponsors receive a complete set of these results. The general equine industry may request a copy of this new information by contacting the AHP office at ahorsepubs@aol.com.

Take the 2012 AHP Equine Industry Survey by Tuesday, May 15! 

To read more about her historic win, click here.

And these milestones are a bonanza for headline writers! “Maryland’s Arab Uprising” or “Arab Spring in Maryland” (about the “decriminalization of Arabian horse racing in Maryland–-who knew it was illegal?). “Mutiny due to Bounty” (Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association [MTHA] members, outraged at what is perceived as their captain’s undue booty bounty, mutiny).  And then there are the new drug protocols, likewise beckoning for headlines.

But before we delve into all that, we would like to report that the true power behind the Preakness, Georganne Hale, is finally getting the journalistic kudos she so richly deserves, with this lovely interview on Baltimore’s WBAL Channel 11.

A coup d’état or a democratic victory?

After a 27-year reign as the self-proclaimed “king” of Maryland Thoroughbred horse racing, Richard Hoffberger’s dynasty is facing an uncertain future after an April 30, 2012 meeting of 243 horsemen.  April 30 is a day that could dramatically alter the future of horse racing in Maryland…a “day that could live in infamy” or a date some day celebrated as “independence day.”

Hoffberger has served as president of the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association since it was founded three decades ago.

The MTHA is not just any old club of horse people, getting together to ride, show or hunt and have potlucks. The MTHA, which represents all the licensed Thoroughbred flat track trainers and owners, has the critical task of negotiating with the Maryland Jockey Club for racing days, purses, payouts, control of the simulcast signal and oversight of workman’s compensation insurance for jockeys. It is, in effect, a trade union that negotiates with management.  It lobbies lawmakers and represents horsemen in legal matters before the Maryland Racing Commission. And it has the authority, under federal statute, to permit or prohibit out-of-state wagering on Maryland races.  In other words, there is a lot of money involved with virtually all of MTHA’s functions.

MTHA is run by a board of directors, which is elected by the general membership (every licensed owner or trainer is an automatic member). The board would then elect, from its own ranks, the officers.  This is the comfortable construct within which Richard Hoffberger has served as president since the MTHA was founded.

However, on April 30, in a vote of 126 to 115, the general membership of the MTHA overturned this structure with a change in the bylaws that will now require that the general membership elect the officers, rather than the board. A simple change–what some might argue could be called a coup–that could dramatically alter the future of Maryland racing.

The movement to change the bylaws began with newly elected board member R. Larry Johnson, who many consider a renegade. The first volley was launched early this year with an open letter in which an outraged Larry Johnson wrote:

…It has become clear to me that this board does not fairly represent the interests of Maryland horsemen(women) and is an obstacle to its stated purpose to “foster and promote” the horse racing community and “better relations among its participants.”

The MTHA is controlled by a handful of individuals led by Richard Hoffberger…while there may have been a time in which Maryland racing benefited from his leadership, that time has now passed.

Over the period of my board service [ed note: at that point, roughly 6 months], the MTHA has repeatedly acted without board approval in several significant ways. Richard Hoffberer, without board as approval, engaged and consulted with “our accountant” to evaluate the Bowie-Laurel lease proposal. Richard Hoffberger, without board approval, authorized the funding of over $1 million in premiums for the jockeys’ workers compensation cost from the horsemen’s purse account. In that regard, Richard Hoffberer’s agency receives commissions for such insurance and when specifically asked to disclose the amount of this compensation, Richard Hoffberger refused to do so.

Richard Hoffberger decides what committees of the board will exist, selects the members of those committees, what those committees shall do (or not) and himself becomes a member of each committee. Those committee meetings are then closed tog any other board member.

The current purse and stakes schedule was reportedly approved by the MTHA but no board meeting considered this.

Board meetings are held when and if the MTHA leadership decides to do so.  Similarly, that leadership, not the board, cancelled this past year’s Christmas party; fortunately, they were not able to actually cancel Christmas.

Hoffberger, understandably, reportedly takes umbrage with these comments, but has apparently refused to go on record to refute them. The Paulick Report and the blog for That’s Amore Racing Stable have followed the issue closely and have provided excellent coverage, and ample opportunity for Hoffberger to publically express himself.

Regardless, Johnson gathered enough signatures to force a general membership meeting to vote on proposed bylaw changes, and won by a narrow victory. The president and the vice president will now be elected by the general membership to serve one-year terms.

Hoffberger is not necessarily dethroned.  He could be nominated (nominations are due by May 15); he could accept the nomination, and he could stand for election (which will be held July 1).   Will he? Rumor is that he won’t, but let’s not count Hoffberger out yet.  Let’s just wait and see what happens.

But isn’t this all rather fascinating?

For more background, we recommend The Paulick Report and the blog for That’s Amore.

That’s Amore: Report on the April 30 MTHA Meeting

That’s Amore: Q&A with Larry Johnson 1 of 2

That’s Amore: Q&A with Larry Johnson, 2 of 2

That’s Amore: Report on February MTHA Meeting

The Paulick Report Larry Johnson follow up, 1

The Paulick Report Larry Johnson follow up, 2

Maryland’s Arab Spring

Yeah, we knew we did not have Arabian horse racing in Maryland, but who knew it was legally prohibited? Thus, when Abu Dhabi dangled $75,000 in front of the Maryland Jockey Club in order to entice them into adding a Grade 1 race for Arabians, it took the proverbial “act of Congress” to make it happen–or in this case some lickety-split legislation romping through the Maryland General Assembly and signed into law by the governor in the nick of time.

Now featured on the Preakness card on May 19 is The President of the United Arab Emirates Cup, a the $75,000-added Grade I race for purebred Arabian horses. The race is limited to 14 horses and will be run on the main track at 1 1/16 miles.

For more background:

The Baltimore Sun, April 16, 2012

Horse Talk New Zealand (yes, New Zealand! It’s a good article!)

Will Maryland Buck Bad Rap of Drug “Regulatory Anarchy”

The Maryland Racing Commission has approved new protocols for positive drug testing; however, while the MRC has approved some new protocols, some national legislators are using what has been called “Maryland’s regulatory anarchy” to spearhead national legislation that would transfer regulatory oversight away from the states to the federal government.

For more in depth reporting, we recommend these articles:

Baltimore Sun April 11, 2012

Baltimore Sun April 12, 2012

 Thoroughbred Times, April 18, 2012

The Paulick Report ”Anarchy”

The Paulick Report “MRC Approves New Testing”

Jockey Colors

One hundred plus years ago, jockeys in America were predominantly black (although “black” was not the common term at that time).  A white jockey was a rarity.

Today, black jockeys are so rare that some just assume riding racehorses has always been the exclusive province of the white man.

Regardless, there are several lovely articles recently published in mainstream media about Maryland jockey Malcolm Franklin, but the hook for the articles is that he is a rare black man in the irons.

The Baltimore Sun

The Washington Post

Our Worst Fears

Six race horses were in the Ebert van that flipped in an April 18  rainstorm along I-95 in South Carolina while returning to Fair Hill from Palm Meadows; one horse had to be euthanized.  The horses were owned by Maryland-based AJ Suited Racing and trained by Jimmy Toner. The other five suffered only minor injuries. For more details, please see The Paulick Report.

Slots Help Cash-Strapped MJC

No surprise here! Slot revenues are helping the Jockey Club’s bottom line. Yeah, um, wasn’t that the idea in the first place?

Anyway, MJC is required by law to submit financial reports to the Maryland Racing Commission, and the Baltimore Sun’s Hanah Cho offers this analysis of those financials.

Equiery Picks for Preakness Week

Maryland is about to get infected with Black-Eyed Susan fever…it lasts approximately one to two weeks and leave those infected exhausted. Click here for The Equiery‘s picks of Preakness Celebration activities!

Walk the Preakness Barns with The Original Lady Legend, Kathy Kusner!

And don’t forget to join The Equiery on Friday, May 18 for Lady Legends for the Cure at the Black Eyed Susan Stakes. MJC is once again extended an exclusive rate to Equiery readers for “Stable Tables” in the Turfside Terrace. Equiery readers who reserve Stable Tables will be invited to go on a private Preakness barn tour with Olympic legend Kathy Kusner! Click here for more information. 

Below you will find two reports from Davidsonville’s Steuart Pittman (Dodon Farm). The first report outlines the victory of exempting ag buildings from the building permitting process. This victory brings Anne Arundel County more in-line with practices in other Maryland counties, and would also indicate that the current Anne Arundel leadership is trying to be “ag friendly.”

However, the second is a report about county officials imposing “industrial impact fees” on agricultural activities. If you have a farm in Anne Arundel County and have been assessed such a fee, please scroll down for more information or to contact Steuart Pittman.

NEW: No Building Permits Needed for Ag in Anne Arundel County

On March 19, 2012 the Anne Arundel County Council passed the final reading on Bill 1-12, which exempts most agricultural buildings from the requirement that they obtain building permits.

In addition to passing the bill, the council voted 5 to 1 in favor of an amendment that removes the 12,000 square foot size limitation on exempt buildings. This was the third amendment sought and won by the farm community, and the only amendment that required the council to override the will of the county executive and the director of Inspections and Permits.  Councilman Trumbauer had supported our earlier amendments and supported the overall bill, but voted against last night’s amendment.

We owe a special thanks to the following people:

Councilman Jerry Walker not only introduced our amendments but very effectively countered the arguments of the director of Inspections and Permits through careful cross-examination.

Builder David Cross, of R and D Cross in Brandywine, testified very effectively about the structural integrity and code compliance of the many farm buildings that he constructs and compared the permitting processes throughout the southern Maryland counties that he serves.

Vice President Milly Welsh filled in very effectively for Anne Arundel County Farm Bureau President Jeff Griffith who has supported this effort on behalf of the board and membership, but was needed at a funeral last night.

It should be noted by all farm owners that we must still construct our buildings in compliance with county code, and that if buildings are designed for public use they are not exempt from the building permit. Electrical and plumbing must also be done to code and should be inspected. We also are not eligible for this exemption unless we have a current Farm Plan with Soil Conservation. Get your plan, sign your Cooperator Agreement, and then note that Soil Conservation is obligated under that agreement to provide engineering services for your farm practices.

Another amendment was presented to the council yesterday to include in the list of exempt buildings those that house value-added agricultural practices for the processing of crops grown on the farm. The amendment was particularly designed to address wineries, because some county officials have argued that a winery is not an agricultural building. Unfortunately, the wording of the amendment allowed for misinterpretation and it did not pass. Most of the council members, however, expressed support for the intent of the amendment and promised to present a revised bill in the future to clarify that wineries and other buildings used to process farm products are in fact agricultural and should be exempt.

Congratulations to everyone who has contributed to this effort since it began in June. Our next step is to address the issue of grading permits and the role of soil conservation versus the role of Inspections and Permits on our farms. We plan a meeting of state and county officials on that topic soon.

ALERT: Is Anne Arundel attempting to assess “Industrial Impact Fees” on Ag Have you been assessed?

Please read the letter below to County Executive Leopold. It was sent on April 8 and we await a response. We need you to notify us of any assessment of these impact fees on your farm. We believe that the assessments have been arbitrary and illegal, and that any funds that you paid to the county as impact fees should be returned. We also believe that nobody on the County Council or the County Executive authorized these fees. They were a policy decision made by county staff who were not elected to their positions.

Dear County Executive Leopold:

Members of the Anne Arundel County Horse Council and the Anne Arundel County Farm Bureau want to acknowledge our heartfelt thanks for the work that you and your staff did to draft and bring to the county council the recently passed agricultural building exemption from the onerous building permit process. We understand that there was resistance from within the administration and that your commitment to maintaining open space and farming was what overrode that opposition.

We want to assure you and your staff that farmers will continue to build our structures to code and continue to cooperate with the Anne Arundel County Soil Conservation District to increase our use of best management practices on farms as our contribution to the improved quality of county waterways. The requirement that the building permit exemption be linked to cooperation with Soil Conservation was a wise one. We have convened a working meeting of staff from county and state agencies at MDA on April 18 to discuss how the building permit exemption will affect grading permit requirements.

Unfortunately, we have been made aware of a major obstacle to the county’s policy goal of preserving agriculture and open space. The Office of Planning and Zoning made a determination in 2009 that agricultural activities should be classified as industrial and therefore be assessed development impact fees. This document identifies the following activities as industrial for the purpose of impact fee assessments:

• Barns, stables, and kennels for the sheltering, breeding, boarding, hiring, or selling of an animal and for storage of crops raised on the premises
• Farming or nurseries, including truck gardening, grazing of livestock, and other similar activities if the use does not change the stability of the land
•  Stables, commercial or community, and riding clubs

We had no knowledge of Plan and Zoning actually assessing these fees until the week that a group of us testified in support of the building exemption bill before the county council. At the end of that week the applicants for a small winery on a large Davidsonville farm received a response to their building permit application that determined their building to be an industrial use and assessed a $49,500 impact fee. Note that the county’s definition of “farming” specifically includes “primary agricultural processing” and that the definition of that term includes “fermenting.” In addition to impact fees, the determination that an agricultural building is an industrial use brings with it enough additional code requirements that few farm operations could generate the revenue to support construction. We understand that plans for the Davidsonville Amish-built bank barn that was to hold fermenting tanks have come to a halt as a result of the industrial use determination. Grapes from that vineyard will be processed in another county.

Section 17-11-204 of the County Code shows the development impact fee rates to be assessed to industrial uses. As of January 2011, the assessment for 1,000 square feet of floor space in a new building is $3,816. For a farm owner who chooses to put up a typical 80′ x 200′ covered riding arena to train horses the impact fee will be $61,056. That building can be purchased and built for $120,00 and has no impact on county infrastructure. In fact, that building and all other agricultural structures are contributing to a crucial effort to keep farms in this county financially viable, thereby reducing the stress on county infrastructure. Assessment of impact fees for agricultural buildings not only works directly against the goals set forth in the county planning documents, but also is a direct challenge to all farmers who seek to stay in business by modernizing their operations.

There is no evidence that the county council or any county executive ever intended for agricultural buildings to be classified as industrial and thereby be assessed impact fees. This determination seems to have been the creation of people in government who were not elected to office. We are conducting outreach among the farm community to identify other instances where impact fees were assessed.

Mr. Leopold, please contact your Director of the Office of Planning and Zoning as soon as possible and instruct him to delete farming, agricultural activities, and agricultural structures from its list of industrial practices that pay development impact fees. We trust that these can be removed as quickly and as quietly as they were added.

Please also instruct your Director of the Office of Inspections and Permits to recognize your and the county council’s definitions of farming and agricultural structures and to end the practice of classifying these buildings and these activities as industrial. Please keep us informed on this matter so that we can keep the farm community and the citizens of the county informed.

Thank you for your dedicated support for the maintenance of open space and farmland in Anne Arundel County.

Steuart Pittman (Dodon Farm, Davidsonville; 410-507-3351, dodonfarm@verizon.net)

At midnight on April 9, 2012, the Maryland General Assembly ended its 2012 session – without enacting an apparent compromise that would have balanced the budget through both spending cuts and revenue increases. This means that the so-called “Doomsday Budget,” which is balanced through deep cuts in expenditures, will go into effect on July 1, unless a special session of the General Assembly is convened to try again. A Special Session is a virtual certainty, but as of this writing, when it will convene and whether it will be confined to just budget issues is still up in the air.

In any event, the legislature did manage to dispose of a number of legislative issues of interest to the Maryland equine community. Here’s a summary of the outcomes of several proposed pieces of legislation that we have been following. (For a more complete description of these bills, see the MD Horse Council’s March 6 legislative blog.)

SB 108 (making clarifying changes to the stable license law) and HB 680 (requiring the state to incorporate education about sustainable ag into science curricula) passed both houses of the General Assembly.

In addition, Sunday hunting bills in Dorchester and Caroline (SB 105/HB 114 & SB 390/HB 129), Harford (SB 346/HB 321), Cecil(HB 877), and Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties(HB 1431) passed. Only the PG County bill (HB 809) failed to move.

On the racing side, SB 49 (making certain changes to the Maryland-Bred Race Fund) and SB 794/HB947 (eliminating the restriction on the use of Purse Dedication Account funds for operating expenses at Ocean Downs and Rosecroft through 2015) were passed by both houses.

Bills that failed to emerge successfully include HB 912 (changing “owner” to “guardian” in certain laws applying to dogs); SB 445/HB 336 and SB 203/HB 484 (giving courts the power to order transfer of ownership of confiscated animals, and requiring original owners to pay costs in removing and caring for confiscated animals after conviction of certain crimes of abuse, neglect or cruelty; HB 376 (redirecting slots revenue away from racing industry and to school construction); SB 15 (requiring a study of the mission and operations of the Show Place Arena at the PG Equestrian Center); SB 301/HB 1020 (establishment of a registry of convicted animal abusers).

A number of changes to the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation program (MALPF) – SB 129 (easements), SB 148 (lot releases), SB 112 (appraisals) were enacted.

A number of bills related to manure management regulations and the Chesapeake Bay watershed restoration were unsuccessful: SB 330 (prohibited new regulations to mandate action on farms until other watershed states equal Maryland’s performance so far); SB 594 (prohibiting winter application of animal manure and biosolids); SB 822/HB 487 (prohibiting watershed implementation mandates on local jurisdictions unless funding from state or federal sources would support); SB 823/ HB 486 (requiring the state to develop and rank a list of best management practices for watershed implementation).

However, SB 118 (allowing the state to add sediment to its existing nutrient credit program) passed both houses.

Of general interest: the Governor’s Sustainable Growth and Agricultural Preservation Act (SB 236/HB 445) (related to the implementation of PlanMaryland) was enacted with amendments that leave final control in the hands of the local jurisdictions. The Family Farm Preservation Act of 2012 (SB 294/HB 444) was also enacted. This exempts up to $5 million dollars of the value of a farm from the state estate tax when it will remain in agricultural use for at least 10 years. It also reduces the rate for property exceeding $5 million from the current 16% to 5%.

The “Flush Tax” was doubled from $30 to $60, but only for users who discharge into the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. But the proposed increase in the Gas Tax (SB 971/ HB 1302) failed.

Finally, a few bills of interest that were filed late: HB 1303 (which doubles from $100,000 to $200,000 per practice the maximum amount of state cost sharing for water pollution control projects such as manure storage structures, steam fencing and crossings, etc.) passed both houses. This will be especially helpful as farmers are asked to install more “best management practices” to meet Watershed Implementation Plan goals.

HB 1404 was enacted, moving the Animal Waste Technology Fund from the Dept. of Business and Economic Development to the Dept. of Agriculture. This fund is intended to research, develop and market projects to reduce the amount of nutrients in animal waste, or develop alternative waste management strategies.

Unfortunately, SB 976/HB 1309, which would have expanded the list of tax deductible equipment purchases under the subtraction modification law to include manure spreaders and other nutrient application equipment failed to pass.

To read bills in full, visit the website for the Maryland General Assembly and enter the bill number in the appropriate field.

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Final week to check out the April Equiery classifieds!  

www.equiery.com

Today, April 23, 2012, a new U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) rule that will impact the horse industry go into effect.

“Any [employer] in the horse industry who uses the H-2B program needs to be aware of this new rule. It makes major changes to the responsibilities of employers using the program and if the new guidelines aren’t followed employers could be fined and barred from using the program,” said American Horse Council President Jay Hickey.

The H-2B program is used by members of the horse industry, principally horse trainers and owners, but also hunt clubs, who cannot find American workers to fill semi-skilled jobs at racetracks, horse shows, fairs and in similar non-agricultural activities.

The AHC believes the new rule will make the H-2B program more costly and burdensome for employers who are forced to use the program and has opposed the new rule. “It is unfortunate the DOL decide to finalize this rule,” said AHC Legislative Director Ben Pendergrass. “This rule will make it difficult for trainers and others in the horse industry to use the program and could impact American jobs. The current rule was working well for the industry and included many protections for foreign and American workers.”

The final rule, among other things, will:

• Require an employer to pay most inbound and outbound travel expenses for H-2B workers.

• Extend H-2B program benefits, such as reimbursement of transportation cost, to American “corresponding workers” that work alongside H-2B workers and perform substantially the same work.

• Require employers to provide documentation that they have taken appropriate steps to recruit U.S. workers, rather than permitting employers to attest to such compliance.

• Increase the amount of time employers must try to recruit U.S. workers.

• Prohibit job contractors from using the program.

• Define temporary need as 9 months (previously it was 10 months).

• Define full time employment as 35 hours a week (previously it was 30 hours).

“This final rule is complex and has many new provisions and changes. If you are an employer who uses the program you should review the new guidelines and contact the lawyer or agent you use to process H-2B applications to ensure you are in compliance with the new rule when it goes into effect on April 23,” said Pendergrass.

DOL guidance and the complete rule can be found here on DOL’s website.

“Many Members of Congress are also displeased with this new rule and believe it could hurt industries in their states. The AHC is going to continue to work with those Members to try and roll back this new rule. Unfortunately, gridlock in Washington will prevent any quick action by Congress and the horse industry will have to comply with the new rule for the foreseeable future,” said Hickey.

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Thinking of doing some farm improvements? Putting in new fence? Fixing that nasty run-off area? Building a new barn? Restoring an old barn? Check out the April issue of The Equiery! The full digital edition is available online (click on the April cover which appears in the upper right hand corner of equiery.com), or you can pick up a print copy from any of these fine retailers, or contact our offices to have a free copy mailed to you! 

1-800-244-9580 or info@equiery.com

HB 912 would have changed the term “owner” to “guardian” throughout Maryland law. This bill was opposed by every major national and state animal organization, including but not limited to, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Kennel Club, the Maryland Veterinary Medical Association, the Maryland Horse Council – and on and on (see the March print edition of The Equiery or visit www.equiery.com and look on the home page in the lower right hand side for the legislative archives).

How did HB 912, which was such an obviously bad piece of legislation, even make it on the docket? Apparently, the sponsor of the bill, Delegate Kach, was approached by one of his former legislative aides who is now in law school and is taking a course on animal law, who thought this would be a good idea.  Del Kach and his aide both argued that HB 912 is meant to be a “cultural shift” in the way people look at their animals, i.e. , owning  a pet is not like owning a piano.  Then, Del. Kach told the committee that he has drawn up an amendment that defines “guardian” as “owner.”  Obviously, the amendment would undo what the bill was trying to do, rendering the bill moot.
Kudos to the Environmental Matters Committee, who apparently realized the absurdity of the bill and promptly killed it.

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Did you miss the deadline for the April print edition of The Equiery? No worries – you can still get your classified ad on equiery.com!

Contact us today to find out how.

classifieds@equiery.com or 1-800-24409580

The legislative session is now more than half over, and the deadlines for entering new proposed bills (except for extraordinary measures), have now passed. The House of Delegates is considering over 1500 bills; the Senate has over 1000. Whatever is not passed by midnight April 9 will have to wait until next year.

Maryland-bred Golden Odessy was named Champion Three-Year-Old Filly of the Year.

Dixies Valentine, a 7-year-old mare, received the World Champion Mare Award during the Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Awards, which were awarded for the first time this year to recognize women in Arabian racing and presented along with the Darley Awards. Dixies Valentine was also nominated for a Darley Award for Horse of the Year and has twice before been named a Champion Arabian Filly of the Year.

Rigbie Farm is owned by Sharon Clark (pictured above). Both Dixies Valentine and Golden Odessy, who will continue to race in the season ahead, are owned by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, brother of the current president of the United Arab Emirates. Sheikh Tahnoon has boarded and trained his world class Arabian horses at Rigbie Farm for 20 years.

Dixies Valentine was originally scheduled to run in the inaugural running of the H.H. Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak IFAHR Cup, the first all-woman race for Arabians, which was held in Houston on March 3. A pre-race favorite to win, Dixies Valentine was unfortunately pulled from the race the night before due to a mild case of colic.

The Darley Awards were founded in 1987 to honor outstanding racehorses, jockeys, owners, trainers and breeders in Arabian horse racing. The 2012 awards were presented as part of the H.H. Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival, a global race started in 2009 with legs throughout the world.

Both horses will also be honored by the Maryland Horse Industry Board with the Touch of Class Award at a Night of Maryland Horse Racing Champions on March 20 in Baltimore. These two Arabians will be honored that night along with Thoroughbred champion Rapid Redux and Harness Racing champions Roll With Joe and Googoo Gaagaa. The event is free and open to the public but you must RSVP by today! RSVP to Ross Peddicord at champions@mda.state.md.us or call 410-841-5798.