I have discussed with you on several occasions our BDP that I view as the foundation for building our new AHA "house". It is your thoughts and opinions that laid this foundation. As the "homeowner" you have every right to carefully monitor how your house is built and if indeed it stays on schedule and is built to your expectations. For that reason, the BDP is currently on the AHA website at http://www.arabianhorses.org/docs/200505BusinessDeploymentPlan.pdf.

Keep in mind, the BDP addresses four main goals:

• Financial Stability
• Breed Growth
• Organizational Efficiency
• Communication

Please take the time to review the BDP; this blueprint tells you what is going to be done, who is going to do it and when. For the first time in our history you the owners can monitor your plans. As you monitor this, feel free to discuss with your director any concerns about the progress of the BDP. Some have questioned that when I and other Executive Committee and Board members leave office, how can you be assured that the BDP will stay in place. The answer is that you have said what you want, and the Association is obligated to operate on the basis of serving the needs of the membership. Never before have we had such a strategic plan. It is imperative that we have the BDP so we know where we are going, and that you understand it, support it and make sure the various steps are taken to successfully turn our organization around, making it one we can all be proud of. You must insist your blueprint is followed no matter who is in office.


By now, you probably have seen the news release that the 2006 U.S. Nationals will be held in Louisville, Kentucky. Construction at the Louisville Exposition Center will be underway, causing movement of vendors and temporary stalling, and this created a dilemma for the U.S. National Show Commission. This was not an easy decision for the Commission to make. It is important to know that the U.S. Nationals is our major annual revenue source, so making a decision which would affect profitability of the show would have an impact on the bottom line of our AHA budget. The Commission realized the sentiment attached to having the nationals in Louisville one last time, and had to weigh the strong feeling to keep it there with how it would impact the safety of our horses, and whether or not there would be a serious financial loss. I know the Commission members did their homework to reach their decision, weighing their fiduciary responsibility against the sentimental attachment to the historic center for one last show. I think the key for the Commission was the assurance from the Louisville Exposition Center representatives that the safety and welfare of our horses would not be jeopardized. If you have any questions for the U.S. National Show Commission you can e-mail them directly at usnsc@ArabianHorses.org. With this discussion behind us, let's plan on making the U.S. Nationals at Louisville in 2006 one of the best Nationals ever!


You will recall that at the last AHA Board of Directors (BOD) meeting, the Sweepstakes Commission presented major program changes to the Board. You can view the proposal at http://www.arabianhorses.org/activities/pmp/05breederssweepstakes.asp and the AHA BOD motions at http://www.arabianhorses.org/docs/bodaction_20050513.pdf. I specifically gave a directive to the Sweepstakes Commission that significant changes needed to be made or the program will be in financial jeopardy. I believe that it is easier to try to save the program rather than let it die and then go back to the same well trying to sell a new program. It is important that everyone understand that it is neither the duty nor the responsibility of the AHA BOD to do committee work. We must give the responsibility to the committees and allow them to do their work; however, it is the responsibility of the BOD to make decisions keeping in mind their fiduciary responsibility and the best interest for all of our members with a minimum of liability risk. Several suggestions were made to revise part of the proposal; Sweepstakes representatives made those changes. Saturday, just prior to adjourning the meeting, the subject came up again, with several Board members commenting that they would like more supporting data and would like to revisit the subject. At that time I also requested that our AHA Legal Review Committee examine the Sweepstakes Trust Agreement to determine liability risks and who actually has final approval of the Sweepstakes program. It was agreed that the subject would be brought back to the August 12-13 meeting of the Board, and that by July 25 the Sweepstakes Commission would supply BOD member's data supporting any recommended changes. Following a legal review of the Trust Agreement, AHA attorneys concluded that the Commission had the responsibility and authority to make changes, but that it was the Board that has the ultimate authority overseeing the Sweepstakes program, as it does all committees and commissions. It would be disheartening to see us get into a legal debate over authority and lose sight of the objective we are all searching for. I want us to work together on this issue, to be helpful to the Commission where we can, and reason together where we disagree with the Commission to advance agreement concerning what must be done to preserve the Sweepstakes trust fund and help the Sweepstakes program do what it is supposed to do. Let's do all we can to grow the fund, grow the breed and work together as a team in this worthwhile historical endeavor. If you have an interest in the proposed changes in Sweepstakes, I encourage you to get in touch with one of the Sweepstakes Commission members: Walter Misco, Gary Dearth, Grace Greenlee, Lollie Ames, Peter Conway, Frank Galovic and Paul Kostial. The Sweepstakes e-mail address is sweepstakes.commission@ArabianHorses.org. Their individual e-mail addresses along with phone numbers are in our Handbook.


As I stated in my platform prior to being elected your President, I said we needed to take a fresh look at many of our AHA programs, committees, local and national events, and our affiliation with other horse-related groups. We need to utilize "best practices" and "benchmarking" throughout our entire Association. We need to be efficient and run our organization in a productive businesslike manner. Therefore, I have established the various Task Forces and have appointed individuals I believe will work constructively toward achieving the goals that are outlined. I have attached the Task Forces and Committee member's document. The Committees are:

• Programs and Sweepstakes Re-Evaluation
• Committee Structure Reorganization
• Communications and Organizational Efficiency
• Local Shows and Events
• Resolution 5-90 Overview Study
• USEF Cooperative Study
• National Events/Structure

These groups will be taking a hard look at how we are doing things and examining prospects for "best practices". In other words, I expect them to tell us how we can improve or readjust in the target areas to make our Association one that we can set as a model for other horse organizations. We have the opportunity at this juncture in our history, to make some changes that will positively impact our Breed and Association. Remember, change is essential if we are to continue and to thrive. As these committees get more into their subject areas, I will keep you updated on their progress.


This year, our Convention in Fort Worth, Texas will mark the first year that we will experience a shorter Convention period. As delegates, you voted to discontinue the welcome party. Realizing there will be less time for our general assembly while there is still the need to have good dialogue about our resolutions, we will have a plenary session on Wednesday evening. This session, which will begin at 6 p.m. with open seating, will be moderated and each resolution proponent will have the opportunity to explain why they have proposed the resolution, and allow time for others to raise questions. I wanted to let you know of this new resolution discussion session so you can make your travel plans accordingly. I think it is important that you attend this meeting as it will give you plenty of time to ask questions and make informed decisions about the various resolutions. I am looking forward to seeing all of you, as this will prove to be one of the best conventions ever!


Historically, the President of AHA is asked to attend the annual Think Tank that takes place at Bazy Tankersley's Hat Ranch in Arizona. I, along with 29 others, attended the Think Tank in June. This gathering of leaders within our industry proved to be an energizing experience. Many good ideas were forthcoming. While I realize this is not a "governmental AHA body", it was good to be with so many people who represent a variety of interests in our Arabian horse community. There was a good flow of ideas, and from the ideas generated, I established another Task Force, which will take a look at our various national events, and how they are structured. I appreciate Mrs. Tankersley's hospitality for hosting us and keeping this tradition continuing since 1984. It is a great value to our Arabian horse world


A recent comprehensive study conducted for USEF, tells us that the horse industry has a $39 billion impact on the U.S. economy, and that $32 billion is generated from the recreational riding segment. In addition, nearly 4 million of the nation's horses participate in recreational riding. Is it any wonder then that our First Annual AHA Trail Ride has been sold out for weeks? The ride will be held at Fort Robinson State Park in Crawford, Nebraska September 28-October 1. The response and support for this ride has been great. We plan to repeat it again next year and look for different options for riders. This year's ride offers an all-inclusive price. I plan to ride at the Trail Ride and am looking forward to it. I bring this up as a way of reminding all of us that we have many, many Arabian, Half-Arabian and Anglo-Arabian horse owners out there who want to do something else with their horse other than riding in the show ring. This is a vast untapped market area for us and for our horses. I am looking forward to meeting those who embrace recreational riding as their leisure hobby. I may even encounter friends who want to take a break from the show ring and spend a relaxing time with their horses and friends in a beautiful setting. See you there!


I receive nearly 100 e-mail messages a day and do my very best to respond to each and every one of them. While the internet has proven to be a tremendous way of instant communication, it lacks the personal impact of actually meeting someone face to face. I want to let you know that in addition to attending the First Annual AHA Trail Ride, I will be at the Canadian Nationals in Regina, Saskatchewan, the Sport Horse Nationals in Lexington, Virginia, and the U.S. Nationals in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Please feel free to approach me and share your concerns. I am enjoying meeting so many of you and I sense that you like my "open door" philosophy. That is the only way I will know what is on your minds. I am pleased to be adjudicating at Youth Nationals also, giving me the opportunity to judge our outstanding young people as they compete for top honors. This will allow me to experience the atmosphere and functioning of this national level show which has become such an important part of our competition events.


Recently, a friend cautioned me that the large amount of time I devote to our Association and to our breed could be overwhelming and could lead to burn out. I appreciate the sincerity of this concern, but I realized when I campaigned for the position of President of AHA that whoever took over at the helm was going to have to spend a tremendous amount of time to get the ship afloat again. I knew that going in. Has it been a lot of work and long hours? You bet. Has it been worth it? It is worth every minute as I continue to meet so many of you who are solidly behind the efforts of not only me, but your Executive Committee, the Board of Directors and the staff at AHA. I know you realize now that we have to change and improve the way we do things. I am seeing people process things a little differently, realizing that it is not just about them and their share of the industry, but taking a more comprehensive look at our Association and breed. There is positive movement within our Arabian Horse Community, thanks to you and your efforts. Let's stay the course and we can soon join at Convention and look back at a very successful and productive year!



Sincerely and God Bless,