At this point in time, you should all be in the midst of making sure your club president is aware of your concerns and thoughts about four very important topic areas for our association: Financial Responsibility; Breed Growth; Organization Efficiency, and Communication. The door has been opened for you to offer your thoughts about these four subject areas that the AHA Executive Committee has determined we need to focus on. Your club president has the responsibility this month of assembling the information and getting it to your regional director. If your club president has not taken the initiative, you might mention to them the importance of the process and how important it is to share your thoughts. If this club process does not occur, you can go directly to your regional director. If you prefer not to respond to your club president or regional director, then you can send your communication to a director at large (this director does not represent a specific geographical region but represents AHA as a whole). All director names and information can be found in the AHA Handbook or on the website, ArabianHorses.Org. Please feel free to choose the process which best suits your needs - the important point is that we hear from you soon. In order for this input to be truly helpful and meaningful, it is important to hear from members of all regions. Often, when we hear from only one area or just a few regions, the opinions reflect those geographic areas only and not the entire membership. We want to hear from those in all of our regions.


Club presidents must have the information to the regional director by March 1 so the director can analyze the information and prioritize it for the Board of Director's meeting in Denver, March 11 and 12. I have scheduled an all day session with the Board to go over the information received from all of you. We intend to break into topic area subgroups and continue the process of prioritizing objectives. These objectives will be incorporated into our strategic plan developed by the Executive Committee. Your thoughts and suggestions will indeed have an impact on our organization and its future. I cannot stress enough how important this process is to all of us and for the future of our breed and Association.


As part of my open communications with you, I will share with you the outcome of our Board meeting in March. I want to keep you apprised of where we are going, and assure you that the investment of your time and thoughts are important. The feedback from you, the work session with the Board, and the strategic initiation by the Executive Committee will shape our destiny. Truly, this is a team effort and one I think will be productive and fruitful for our Association and breed.


I am completing the establishment and makeup of a variety of task forces which I believe are needed to re-examine how we function as an organization. In my platform statements and in previous communication with you, I have pointed out that I think we need to examine several areas of our organization. In most instances, our processes, committees and commissions have functioned in the same, standard way, with little or no productivity. That has to stop. I am asking key people to chair and be members of these task forces.


I wanted to bring you up to date on a couple of issues. The first subject is the South American Lawsuit. I am including an update on that. Also, I had told you I was invited to the Purebred Arabian Trust annual meeting earlier this year. I was warmly received by members of the Trust and found our meeting to be informative, with a spirit of optimism for our Association. I am enclosing a communication from the Trust that I find encouraging and bodes well for the success of the Arabian Horse Association.


This past November began a new chapter and hope for the Arabian Horse Industry, as many of you voted in confidence and trust in the new leaders you elected for AHA. Now, I ask for your support in prayer for those families in our Arabian Horse Community that have recently lost loved ones. These individuals unselfishly gave many years to the Arabian Horse Industry.

I realize there are more friends and family that have also passed away that I am not mentioning; my sympathy and prayers go to you as well. These people had an everlasting passion and dedication to the Arabian Horse. They have contributed more to the breed than we will ever know. We will truly miss them but we will never forget them. I send to their families and friends my condolences, and pray that God strengthens them with faith to guide them through these difficult times.

Chuck Kibler was a special person and an incredible true horseman that inspired many lives. I will never forget saying goodbye and wishing them well when I helped both Judy and Chuck get on board Neil Chur's private jet to take them home from the U.S Nationals. Neil Chur of Strawberry Banks Farm--- how ironic his support and help to provide Chuck's transportation home. Neil passed away just days before I was to meet with him at a Purebred Arabian Trust meeting in Florida; indeed, he was an instrumental figure in the Arabian Industry. My prayers are with his wife Barbara and family. Dolores Della Pello, a very influential Arabian breeder, and probably best known for the famous horse El Ghazi. Prayers go out to Val and family. Marlys Anderson, another very dear friend that unselfishly donated her time and love to the Arabian horse. She was truly an inspiration. Marlys was a great support to me and encouraged me to run for the Presidency. I will never forget the last time I saw her-- she was at the U.S. Nationals, wheelchair bound, yet she still was unselfishly caring about this breed. She expressed how much she wanted to go to Alaska and help support me in the campaign, but she didn't think she would be able to make it. God bless Nate and family. We just recently lost Warren Bently, owner of Geneva Arabians who had a tremendous impact on the Arabian Horse Industry, and was instrumental in our breed. Please pray for Margit, family, and friends.


No trial date has been set. Lawyers for both parties are now engaged in an exchange of relevant documents and other information. There is discussion underway concerning a possible early mediation to attempt to resolve the case. During the last month, lawyers for both sides met with the U.S. Magistrate Judge assigned to the case to establish a case schedule. Under that schedule, pretrial activities must be completed by this July. Over the next two months, depositions from participants in the negotiations concerning the creation of the Alliance of the Americas and the registration of horses from disputed bloodlines will take place. To refresh your memory on this situation: The Arabian Horse Association has been sued by four South American registries of Arabian horses along with about 30 individuals or corporate owners of Arabian horses. The registries seek to require our Association to accept for registration the progeny of four mares imported into Argentina in the early 1900's. The individual owners also have claims for damages against the Association related to claimed diminished value of their horses and disparagement of the pedigree of their horses. The Association, following long-standing practice of the Arabian Horse Registry of America, does not consider these horses to be eligible for registration with the Association and intends to oppose the claims that have been made.


"The purpose of the invitation to the President of AHA was to explore how to strengthen the working relationship of the AHA and the Trust. In his communications to the Arabian Horse Community, Mr. Krause has stated his belief that the AHA has the responsibility and the resources to restore the Arabian horse to the levels of popularity and success enjoyed in the 1980's and 1990's. He is confident and optimistic that the AHA can grow to previously unattained heights with proper guidance and leadership by the AHA President and his staff. Myron asked the Purebred Arabian Trust to take an active role in communicating with the AHA membership and the Arabian Horse Community. This initiative will help improve the understanding about why the Trust exists, and how the Trust fulfills its role in the Arabian Horse Community and with AHA. Purebred Arabian Trust Chairman Bob Fauls asked Myron to share with the Trust board his agenda and goals for AHA. This information was warmly received. We feel the AHA President's plan is compatible with the Trust's charter and mission statement. Although AHA and the Trust have different organizational missions, the Arabian Horse Community can benefit from a close working relationship. Myron's message underscores that he understands how to strengthen the Arabian Horse Community by coordinating the unique strengths and capabilities that AHA and the Trust have, and he understands how to direct the energy and passion of Arabian owners by offering everyone the opportunity to use and enjoy their horse of choice. Chairman Fauls confirmed that the Trust will work closely with the AHA President and will continue to fund programs of mutual interest, to the Arabian Horse Association, the Purebred Arabian Trust and the Arabian Horse Community."


I believe we have a lot of positive momentum within our Association right now, and I sense a new energy and a resolve to work toward accomplishing our goal of improving our Association, involving more people in what we are all about, and presenting our beautiful Arabians and Half-Arabians to the world as one of the best in the equine world. I am looking forward to a successful and productive 2005, and a productive March meeting of our Board of Directors. Until then, if I can clarify anything or add additional information or you want to explore a topic not covered, please feel to get in touch with me.


God Bless,