ASHA Leadership Elected; Reorganization Approved
Monday, February 21, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, February 21, 2005
Contact, Reeves Kirtner <mail to: reeves@asha.net> , Communications Manager
Lexington, Kentucky - Several hundred members of the American Saddlebred Horse Association convened in Lexington for its annual convention February 17-19, assessed the state of their breed, brainstormed about the future and enjoyed a wide array of social activities.
Three new directors assumed their positions in leadership: Tim Lockard of Iowa, Paul Treiber of Wisconsin and Art Zubrod of Kentucky, joining Victoria Gillenwater of Tennessee, Fred Sarver of Kentucky and Misdee Wrigley, also of Kentucky, who were returned to the board for additional terms of volunteer service. Outgoing directors Tom Ferrebee, Carolyn Groves and Kris Price Knight completed their terms.
The incoming board met Saturday, February 19 to elect officers. Sarver was re-elected as president, and Sandra Lilly of West Virginia was re-elected secretary and David Howard of Tennessee re-elected treasurer. Wrigley was elected first vice-president, and Mary Anne Cronan of Kentucky was elected second vice-president.
Over 1,100 members voted in person or by proxy on a proposal for an internal reorganization of the American Saddlebred Horse Association and Foundation, which was discussed at length in a special forum Friday, February 18 and formally considered at the Annual Meeting of members the next morning.
Over 91 percent of the members voting approved the proposal and the directors voted to implement the corporate change beginning at the conclusion of the first quarter, March 31, 2005. A special meeting of the board will be held prior to the transition date to consider ministerial actions necessary to effectuate the transaction.
The American Saddlebred Horse Association Foundation, Inc., a public charity, will be re-named the American Saddlebred Horse Association, Inc., and become the membership organization for the breed, led by the 18-member board now in place. That board will elect a nine-member board of directors for the American Saddlebred Registry, Inc. (the current Association), whose assets except for the breed¹s Registry, database and prize programs will be transferred to the new Association. Budgets for the 2005 fiscal years for both corporations were approved by the directors Saturday afternoon.
The board acted to end the restriction on the use of frozen semen of deceased sires effective March 4. Further details on this important step will be forthcoming.
The week was capped by the American Saddlebred Ball at Keeneland¹s Entertainment Center on Saturday evening. Over 460 guests, including more than 200 attendees of the Saddlebred Youth Conference, were in attendance. The evening¹s program was highlighted by presentations of the Saddlebred breed¹s most prestigious honors, following musical video tributes to awardees as well as the big winners of the 2004 competition year. Maestro Don Bill and the Marksberry Big Band of Cincinnati entertained throughout the evening with both swing and contemporary hits as the dance floor was crowded until the event concluded at 11 p.m.
President Fred Sarver commented that he felt the convention, as a whole, including all its meetings and social events, was an unqualified success.
"We just had a wonderful, enthusiastic, and positive feeling throughout. We opened up our committee meetings for the first time, and attendance at these important meetings will only grow larger in the future," Sarver said. "Several of our forums were so crowded that we will have to re-evaluate our space needs for next year."
Sarver also said the Youth Conference was excellent.
"The Youth Conference turnout was far above any total we previously had with hundreds of youngsters attending the field trip to the barns of Nelson Green Stables, John Conatser¹s Carriage Lane Farm and Bill and Nancy Becker¹s Shadow Run. We owe these horsemen, as well as all the attendees of all ages, a real debt of gratitude for their inspiring commitment to the Saddlebred."
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