You are probably wondering how our Executive Vice President Glenn Petty has been working out. My job as president would have been much less stressful and time consuming if we had Glenn on board when I became your president. We both share similar thoughts and are on the same "wave length" on many, many things. There were times this past year when the Board wrestled with whether we wanted an office manager, a CEO, or an EVP. I must admit it was one of the most frustrating exercises during my presidency. I am grateful that my Vice-President Lance Walters kept insisting that we interview Glenn for the position. After working closely with Glenn the past few months I am convinced he is exactly what this organization needs. I sincerely believe he will bring our Association to new levels. Please continue to give him your support.


With the conclusion of the U.S. Nationals, our competition season has come to an end. Invoices will continue to trickle in which will not allow us at this time to have an accurate picture of how our national rides and shows ended up. The Board of Directors at their November meeting will be updated and can share that information with you. We had about 90 more horses than expected at U.S. Nationals. It was exciting to be in a new show facility with so many amenities. The Show Commission and our AHA staff worked hard at making the show the best possible for our exhibitors. This year was a bit of a "learning experience" as we found things that we need to improve upon. As always, I was tremendously impressed with all of the efforts of the folks in Tulsa: Suzann Stewart and Amy Huntley of the Tulsa Convention and Visitors Bureau and Karen Keith, the newly elected county commissioner. Tulsa Mayor Taylor and all of the Exposition Center staff are great people who are wonderful to work with. Much of the credit for the show's great success goes to these folks. We had plenty of news attention; Glenn and I were interviewed on television and radio, there were newspaper articles, and a visitor's guide with the Arabian Nationals on the cover which were in area hotel rooms. Overall, it was a great experience and I look forward to going back next year.


A major problem when I became your president was the sad state of our financial situation. We had just come out of a year with losses over a half million dollars. Getting our financial house in order was an absolute priority. Well, we did. We have finished the last four years in the black, with a surplus each year. This is a "first" in the past 25 years. Can our financial picture be better? No doubt it can and we must continue to work toward that. This past year our Association fell back into a bad mode of "over-estimating income and under-estimating expenses," something I felt we should never do. Earlier this year when our financial picture was not looking so bright, I decided that at every Board of Director's meeting we would examine the budget and make any necessary variances to balance the budget. Constant scrutinizing is necessary and we have to be nimble and able to adjust when need be. Remember, there are many things going on in our country with the economy right now, this we have no control over, which is why we have to be flexible in our budgeting. It has been distressing to me to hear some folks comment that AHA is in financial trouble. The future will definitely be challenging, however, I don't think four years of profit resulting in steadily building reserves can be termed "in trouble."


In a matter of days we will gather in Denver for our Annual Convention where we will consider 37 resolutions. One of particular interest to the Board and Executive Committee is the legislation allowing business to be conducted electronically. These are resolutions #2 and #3. This will save time and money and enable us to be more efficient. Another resolution I have a personal view on is resolution #5 which would prohibit an Executive Committee member to serve as chair of other committees or commissions. I think this is restrictive and would eliminate people who have the knowledge, experience and commitment to get a job done. The real problem we have is in our cumbersome and unwieldy committee structure. A couple of resolutions that will surely bring considerable debate are resolutions #17 and 18. Each involves the halter scoring system. This has been the first year for the system, and I realize it needs to be tweaked. However, it is much too soon to reverse what we are doing until we fix the problems with the system. I have been a big proponent of the exit arena procedure; which is similar to what was done at Nationals this year. I encouraged the exit arena procedure. Show Commission Vice Chairman Cindy Clinton initially received a lot of criticism for it. Sometimes, you have to take a chance and do what you think is right, which may not be the most popular decision. Resolutions #35 and 37 pertain to work done by the Resolution 5-90 Task Force that I appointed. This task force will continue to evaluate the authorities and responsibilities regarding the Judges Commissioner along with the committees associated with resolution 5-90.


We continue to move forward with many projects and initiatives on the horizon. They include:

• New IT competition computer module to make national events more efficient and customer friendly;
• Launching of a new Breeders Classic Futurity program that will be open to breeders world-wide offering substantial prize money available at Regionals and U.S. Nationals with a breeder's auction;
• With the establishment of the new AHA National Distance Commission, there will be more opportunities for our distance riding community;
• A new cooperative vision for AHA and USEF through goals initiated in our Business Deployment Plan;
• New marketing and promotion opportunities; and
• New initiatives with other breed organizations and world markets.

We will always have challenges, in our Association, just as other breed associations are dealing with the same problems; we are going to have to work harder and smarter. Registrations continue to decline, though not as much as in previous years, and our membership numbers have declined over this past year. We are not alone as other breeds are experiencing the same thing. We live in uncertain financial times. People are beginning to look at life differently, and in particular, how they spend their money. We will work hard to meet the challenges we have while realizing we cannot correct much of what is happening in our world today. At Convention, you have two people, Lance Walters and Terry Andreasen running for AHA President and two people, Chuck Mangan and Dale Harvill, running for Vice President. These are people who are very dedicated to our breed and are fine people. While it is important that the successful candidate keeps their eye on the bottom line, it is imperative that we keep looking beyond with a common vision. We cannot be consumed with our daily problems or we will not grow and we will not succeed. Leaders are our visionaries and our motivators. Each of the individuals running for office would welcome any phone calls or e-mails. Those of you who are delegates to Convention, I believe it is very important that you know where each candidate is in their thinking as they will have a significant impact on the Association's future.


Some people have asked "you must be finally ready to see your days as President come to an end", I am filled with mixed emotions. It has been challenging, although stressful, to have been a part of the work that has been accomplished over the past four years. In my final AHA magazine address I pointed out that one of the first things I noticed when I became president was that no one at AHA, including the Board and Executive Committee, was listening to the membership. I have listened and I believe I have instilled in others the importance of listening to you, the members. Without you, we have no Association. So much of what we have accomplished has come because of the trust and faith you have put in my presidency. Today is a new day and I try to live it to the fullest, tomorrow is the future and I plan for it the very best I can, but when tomorrow comes, today is gone forever and it becomes part of my history which can never be changed, however, the friendships that I have built will last forever so I thank you for being a part of my life.

Thank You and God Bless,