To all my fellow ABRA members, it was my absolute pleasure to serve as your President, but we can only serve for two years at a time, so the gavel is in the very capable hands of Mr. Ken Pickering now. My position on the board is focused on P&P and the Rulebook, and we had an incredibly successful convention in 2022, so I would like to bring you all up to speed on some developments.
The 2023 rulebook has exciting opportunities by adding a Non-Pro Division for amateurs and youth. The Board of Directors also approved the addition of a Novice Division, which will take more time to develop properly; therefore, the Novice Division will launch in 2024. We also created a sub-committee for the Equestrians With Disabilities Division, which will launch in 2024.
Additionally, we expanded our white rules, making it possible for some BBP horses to now qualify in the regular registry. Be sure to check out the new white rules to see if your BBP horse may now be eligible for regular registration.
Grand and Reserve Halter points were simplified, and a handful of other updates were implemented in this year's book. Rulebook changes are underlined and italicized for easy reference. Be sure to check out the new 2023 rule changes. The 2023 rulebook should be online shortly, and we will make an announcement when the 2023 rulebook is online.
On behalf of the ABRA Board of Directors, we thank you for all the rule change proposals and world show comments and suggestions we receive throughout the year. We go through each suggestion individually and aim to implement those that benefit the membership whenever possible. While not all rule change proposals can be adopted for one reason or another, we always aim to please the majority of our members and continue to place our organization's integrity as the highest priority during the convention. We hope you continue to help us grow into the next generation of the equine industry!
With gratitude,
Gena Loper, ABRA President 2021-2022
ByLaws and P&P Chairman
