NCHA News

My NCHA Family,

I hope everyone had a happy and healthy Easter.  I would like to thank Joe Howard and Steve Friskup for their uplifting message yesterday and also Mark Michels for his help in providing the broadcast. Additionally, I would like to thank Ron Pietrafeso for coming up with this idea and Callie McCarthy for putting this together in short order. It was a nice gesture for our members, and much needed at this time. Here in Texas, we were able to enjoy the nice weather, and I hope wherever you are, you and your family were able to get out and enjoy it a bit too, while remaining safe. I understand there is a lot happening right now. I continue to hear some reports of hope and the possibility that we will be out of this sometime soon. Let us hope and pray for that to be true.

I can’t believe that we are headed into week four of this new idea of normal. If you recall, we had hopes of announcing some indications of direction and the office schedule returning to some sense of normalcy on April 15^th. At this point, April 30^th is a more realistic date, and the staff will remain available to assist you while working remotely.  

Many states have mandated closures and the continuance of “shelter in place” impacting many aspects of our lives. The NCHA standings will continue to be temporarily suspended to such a time when we can resume showing. In addition, we are not able to give a clear direction on youth year-end points at this time. I assure you that we will have a better sense of direction in regard to what the rest of the year looks like on April 30^th.

There will be communication forthcoming later today regarding the postponement of the NCHA Convention and decisions on the Stallion/Foal program in regard to the Kit Kat Sugar Super Stakes cancellation. I will have additional information in the coming days for box-seat holders and a program for our event and corporate sponsors due to the cancellation. The NCHA continues to work diligently to support its membership and sponsors. Again, I must ask for your continued patience as we move through this difficult time.

With no clear definition of when we might be able to get back in the cutting pen, I continue to ask all of you to “stay the course.”  We will all emerge from this relentless struggle by following that light of promise, that Steve and Joe shared with us yesterday, that we will all be OK. Again, take care of yourselves and each other.

My best to you, 

Jay Winborn

Executive Director