WAHA President’s Message
by Nancy Miller
Although the December/January WAHA newsletter was just put on the WAHA website a month ago, consider this a second edition of the December/January Newsletter.
We hope that all of you had a wonderful and safe Christmas holiday. Although as I write this, it is the Tuesday before Christmas and like many of you still have Christmas cards to finish, cookies to make and get ready to travel tomorrow, for me it is to Tennessee to spend Christmas with Mike and Ann.
Don’t miss the WAHA Annual Meeting January 21 at the Summit Town Hall, Oconomowoc. Four Board members will be elected (see bio in this issue) the 2012 WAHA Budget will be presented for approval.
In recent year there have been several disastrous fires at Arabian barns. As a part of the Annual Meeting the WAHA Board plans to follow up on a seminar at the November AHA Convention, Barn Fire Safety and Prevention. Juli Goder Larson has obtained a video of the seminar which will be shown at the Annual meeting. In additon, Terry Andreasen, AHA Vice President At-Large, was involved in the Seminar and will be attending the Annual meeting to talk about Fire Safety and Prevention. He has recently relocated to the Milwaukee area and we are fortunate that he will be available to attend the Annual Meeting.
Remember WAHA sponsors a free Italian dinner at the Annual Meeting. All that is needed is a reservation -- Call or email Ashley Viney 608-516-8464, email AshleyJV386@gmail.com. or see info in the December/January Newsletter.
Youth don’t miss the opportunity to participate in the planning of the WAHA Youth activities. The Annual Youth Meeting is held at the same time as the WAHA Annual Meeting.
In this Newsletter you will find additional information about the Ray LaCroix clinic which WAHA is sponsoring April 14-15.
Questions and suggestions are welcome about WAHA activities and shows, please let us know.
Have a great New Year. Nancy
The WAHA delegates have just returned from the annual AHA Convention. This year the Convention was held in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. Region 10 was one of the few Regions to have at least 75% of its eligible delegates at the convention ( a club may have one delegate for every 50 members). Thanks to the excellent financial support of WAHA and Region 10 all six of the WAHA delegates were able to attend the Convention. Please see the reports of each delegate on the Committee meetings which they attended.
I am including my report in this newsletter since I am on the Delegate Credentialing Workforce which certifies the Convention attendees who may sit on the Convention floor and vote on the Resolutions and other business which may come before the Convention as a whole. This year 266 delegates were credentialed which was about 100 fewer delegates than the usual number. I also attended the Regional and National Class List Committee meeting. The only class to be added is a Carriage Pleasure Driving Scurry Obstacle class. Several Sport Horse classes were brought forth but referred back to the Sport Horse Committee for additional clarification. I also attended the Judges and Stewards Selection Committee meeting. I was elected to this committee at Convention.
There were 15 Resolutions originally to be considered by the delegates, five of the Resolutions were withdrawn prior to consideration. One of most significant Resolution passed was the redefining to the age limit for Arabian junior exhibitors to 14 - 18 from 14 - 17 years of age. This will enable many youth riders who are 18 by December 1 of their senior year in high school to continue to compete as junior riders during their senior year.
Make sure to check the important dates of the WAHA Awards/Christmas Party (Sunday, December 11, 2011) and January Annual Meeting (January 21, 2012) in this issue of the Newsletter. Four WAHA Board members will be elected at the Annual Meeting. Also circle your calendars for the WAHA April 2012 Clinic (April 14-15, 2012) with Ray LaCroix.
