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AUSTRALIAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION RACING DIVISION (AQHARD)
2000 continued the building of a stronger national body. The national website held racing results and the list of Identified Horses, Licensed Jockeys and Trainers continued to grow as racing expanded across three (3) states.
The AQHA part funded a second national meeting at Gympie QLD in 2000. The meeting was chaired by the AQHA Racing Director Trevor Auld, hosted by the Gympie Shire Council at Gympie TB race track and attended by
- Trevor Auld Chairman (AQHA Racing Director)
- John Honeyman (VRQHA),
- Wayne Graham (GSRC) ,
- Don Green (QSRC)
- Mr Robert Mason (Director of Racing, QLD Government);and,
- Councillors from the Gympie Shire
A copy of the Agenda and Minutes of the 2001 meeting can be found here.....
After some earlier discussions with the AQHA, the meeting had an agenda item requiring the SRAC to present the AQHA with proposals for moving forward to a professional industry with wagering (TAB).
Mr Mason, representing the Queensland Government attended the SRAC Meeting to offer advice on how the Alternate Racing Industry would need to structure itself in order to meet Government requirements relating to Racing Control Bodies and wagering (TAB). His advice was invaluable on these issues as he worked closely with other States and Territories and was able to confirm that his views were largely shared by other Government Racing Administrators.
A lot of discussion centred on the fact that Legislators in Australia would find it difficult to approve a national Sprint Racing Industry that does not meet contemporary TB Industry Standards relating to Studbook requirements, Integrity, Accreditation and Licensing systems. Although some other system may eventually be approved, the simple solution was to replicate the TB System.
All States in Australia require a Racing Control Body to manage racing with wagering and a Racing Control Body in each Australian State is required by law to be a Non Profit Company. In turn, wagering on horse racing via the TAB (pari-mutel) cannot be conducted unless the racing is recognised and/or sanctioned by a Racing Control Body.
As TAB wagering on Sprint Racing was the long term goal, the meeting unanimously agreed that AQHA Racing Director Trevor Auld would present a proposal to the AQHA that the SRAC become a Non Profit Company to meet Legislative requirements for racing with wagering (TAB - Pari-mutuel) in Australia.
The new organisation, a Non Profit Company was to be known as the AQHA-Racing Division (AQHA-RD).
SRAC Chairman and AQHA Director of Racing, Trevor Auld returned to the AQHA with a formal plan on how the Racing Division would fit within the overall scheme of management for the AQHA. The AQHARD was intended to be a stand alone Non Profit Company owned by the AQHA on behalf of the racing industry. The AQHA was to purchase the AQHARD name and take steps to trademark the AQHARD name and logo.
As previous discussions with the AQHA had indicated the proposal from the SRAC held merit, met Australian Government rrequirements for a “real” racing industry and had little risk and little cost to be incurred by the AQHA it was believed the AQHARD proposal would proceed.
It is not known if Mr Auld formally presented the AQHA Board with the meeting outcomes. However, a change of AQHA Board membership in subsequent months resulted in the AQHA Racing Division initiative dropping off the AQHA Agenda.
With the change of AQHA Board and a change of direction the AQHA abandoned the AQHARD proposal and entered into discussions with the Gympie Shire Council who offered structures and proposals based at Gympie. With no action to support the proposals, Sprint Racing in Australia based on national rules & policies failed soon after.
After some discussion the remaining SRAC Members recruited like minded persons and commenced work on implementing a system which would have the support of Government and the TB Industry - this was the beginning of the NSRA.
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