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WELCOME TO THE COLORADO HORSE-RACING ASSOCIATION'S
WEB SITE

Robert E. 'Bud' Partridge Robert E. "Bud" Partridge, 67, passed away Wednesday, January 18,
2012. He was born in Hutchinson, June 7, 1944, the son of Richard "Pappy" and Irene Moore Partridge. He graduated
from Nickerson High School, Dodge City Community College, and Ft. Hays State University with a Secondary Teaching Degree.
He was a member of Crossroads Christian Church and Sigma Phi Epsilom Fraternity. He spent five years teaching and coaching
in Colby and Esbon, and drove a truck for Titus. His life's passion and career was training, breeding and racing thoroughbred
and quarter horses. He was a member of the American Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred Associations. Bud was an avid history buff
and the cowboy in him loved a good western movie. On June 11, 1967, he married Rebecca S. Diehl in Dodge City. Survivors
include: his wife of 44 years; two sons, Robert Ty and wife Megan, Royal Oak, MI, and Roger Tate, Hutchinson; a daughter,
Tandy Bradford and husband Josh, Toledo, OH; a brother, Jim and wife Carol, Hutchinson; a sister-in-law, Jean Partridge, Garden
City; three grandsons, Grant and Garrett Partridge, and Blake Bradford; two nephews; and four nieces. He was preceded in death
by his parents, a brother, Richard "Dick" Partridge and a nephew. Funeral service will be 11 a.m. Monday,
January 23, 2012, at Crossroads Christian Church, 4310 N. Monroe, Hutchinson, with Wayne Pittman and Clyde Goff presiding.
Burial will be in Penwell Gabel Cemetery and Mausoleum, Hutchinson. Friends may call 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 9
p.m. Sunday, with the family present 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Elliott Mortuary. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made
to the Robert E. Partridge Trust (a benevolent fund for horsemen) or to the church, in care of the mortuary. Visit www.elliottmortuary.com
to leave a condolence or remembrance for Bud's family.
Centennial Racetrack: Racing With The River

COLORADO OWNERS, TOM BRADBURY AND KIM KISSENGER HORSE, I LIKE THE ODDS WIN CALIFORNIAS RICHEST HORSE RACE OF 2011
December 10, 2011
AHC ACTION ALERT! Copyright © 2011 American Horse Council
Let Congress Know Youth Involvement in Agriculture is Important to You
Earlier this year the Department of Labor (DOL) proposed new child labor regulations applicable to agriculture. The
proposed new rule, if adopted, would place new limitations on the ability of young people to work for pay on farms or ranches
not owned solely by their parents and would effectively bar young workers, under 16, from working in most capacities in agriculture,
especially around livestock, such as horses.
The safety and well being of young workers are of
paramount importance; however, this rule is overly broad, does not respect the traditional status of agriculture, and would
sharply limit opportunities for young people to become involved in agriculture and with horses. More information on the proposed
rule can be found here and the AHC comments on the rule can be found here.
Right
now, Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Ben Nelson (D-NE) are circulating a letter to Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis asking her
to withdraw the proposed rule and either maintain the current regulations or draft a new proposed rule that protects young
people and preserves the traditional ability of youth to work in agriculture.
The American
Horse Council urges you to call your Senators and ask them to sign the bipartisan letter to Secretary of Labor Solis regarding
the proposed child labor rule being circulated by Senators Moran and Nelson.
You
can reach your Senators by calling the Congressional switchboard at (202) 225-3121. Ask for your Senators' offices and then
ask to speak to the staff person who handles agriculture or labor issues.
The deadline for your Senators to sign the letter is Friday, December 16.
Call them and tell them:
"Young people are very important to the horse community and agriculture. Now more than ever it is important
young workers are given the opportunity to learn about and become interested in agriculture and horses. Congress, for over
70 years has explicitly allowed young people to work in agricultural because of its unique and family nature. This new proposed
rule would place new limitations on the ability of young people to work for pay on farms or ranches owned by their families
and effectively bar all other young workers, under 16 from working on farms and ranches. Please sign the letter to
Secretary Solis being circulated by Senators Moran and Nelson asking her to withdraw the proposed rule and either
maintain current regulations or draft a new proposed rule that protects young people and preserves the traditional ability
of youth to work in agriculture."
If you have any questions please contact the AHC. |
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Race-Day Medication Pros and Cons Debated
Regulators split on horse drugs Panel has hearing on race-day ban9:52 PM, Nov. 14, 2011 | FRANKFORT, KY. —
The controversial question of whether to ban anti-bleeding medication on race day at Kentucky tracks came before the state
Horse Racing Commission Monday — exposing the same split among regulators as in the racing industry itself.
The commission’s race day medication committee held a five-hour hearing, the first step
in a process that could lead the commission to approve a rule change that would face legislative review. If lawmakers found
the rule deficient, Gov. Steve Beshear could override that decision. “As you could
see, they (commission members) were all over the place,” Midway breeder and owner Tracy Farmer, the committee’s
chairman, said after the hearing. The committee heard from 20 people, including
a dozen representatives of industry groups. Most of their positions were previously known, but remarks from the commission
members reflected sharp divisions that could make a rule change more difficult to pass. “I
think it’s a very polarizing thing,” said commission member Foster Northrop, a
veterinarian who opposes the change. Northrop debated, as well as questioned,
witnesses who favor a ban.
Commissioners Alan Leavitt and Tom Conway also had spirited exchanges with witnesses and have
expressed opposition to a ban. Northrop said he believes the votes eventually
will be there to pass a ban, although he added that it could take a couple of years. Farmer
said he wants to get a transcript of Monday’s hearing before holding another meeting and that he has no timetable for
the committee to finish its work. The anti-bleeding medication furosemide, more
commonly known as Salix or the former brand name Lasix, is the only drug allowed to be given on race day in nearly all racing
jurisdictions in the United States and Canada. That sets North America apart from the rest of the world, which at most allows
use of the drug only during training. Groups seek ban Several high-profile industry groups
— led by The Jockey Club, which serves as the North American registrar for thoroughbreds — are pushing for a ban. Different
reasons are cited to justify a ban: the use of the anti-bleeding medication feeds a public perception that racing is drug-laden;
the drug allows inferior horses to win races and then pass along their inferiorities in the breeding shed; and racing should
be conducted under one set of drug rules internationally. But proponents of furosemide say it’s
humane because it has been proven to lessen bleeding in horses’ respiratory systems when they are running at top speeds. Citing the international argument, the Breeders’ Cup World Championships plans to ban the use of race-day furosemide
in its 2-year-old races next year and extend the ban to all 15 races in 2013 Perception problem
Breeders’ Cup President and Chief Executive Officer Craig
Fravel told the committee Monday that the perception problem extends to the international market for American thoroughbreds
that have raced on anti-bleeding medication. He said the U.S. industry has thereby been “denigrated.” The American Graded Stakes Committee, which assigns grades to selected races that are meant to give top finishers and
their offspring more value in breeding, followed the Breeders’ Cup’s decision with a plan to eliminate the use
of race-day furosemide in graded stakes races for 2-year-olds next year as a pilot program. Officials
with the Breeders’ Cup and the Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association, which administers the graded stakes committee,
have said they may have to delay implementing their bans if there is too much opposition from trainers and owners. The graded stakes committee’s action would primarily affect states where most such races for 2-year-olds take
place — Kentucky, New York and California. The Kentucky commission’s outgoing executive director, Lisa
Underwood, has said that the time is tight to pass a regulation in Kentucky before 2-year-old graded stakes races begin next
spring or summer. She said she doesn’t believe it would meet the requirements of an emergency rule that would allow
it to take effect immediately before legislative review. Also complicating matters, the commission’s
equine medical director, veterinarian Mary Scollay, acknowledged Monday having said that she would have ethical and regulatory
concerns about allowing race-day medication for some horses and not others. Bleeding common The hearing’s
first witness, Michigan State University researcher Alice Stack, summarized studies done on the issue, known formally as exercise-induced
pulmonary hemorrhaging, saying that nearly every racehorse bleeds at some level, though it is fairly rare for bleeding to
be so severe that it’s visible to the public from the nostrils. Scollay told the committee that the use of
furosemide has not been shown to contribute to fragile bones and fractures in horses as it has in humans. Jockey Club Executive Vice President Matt Iuliano acknowledged that anti-bleeding drugs have been proven to lessen bleeding,
but the analysis doesn’t end there. Other considerations, he said, include whether the drug is performance-enhancing
and whether it contributes to a negative public perception of racing. A study done for the Jockey Club released this
year showed that almost half of the respondents believed thoroughbred racing was lax in dealing with performance-enhancing
drugs.
Iuliano said there has been no definitive research on whether use of anti-bleeding medication
will lead to a deterioration of the American versus the European thoroughbred. Other proponents of a ban who spoke included
former WinStar Farm co-owner Bill Casner; Stone Farm owner Arthur Hancock; and Kern Thoroughbreds President Lincoln Collins,
who is a bloodstock agent. Representatives of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
and the Humane Society of the United States also spoke in favor of a medication ban. Speakers in favor of the
current policy included Eric Peterson, a board member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners; and Rick Hiles,
the president of the Kentucky Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, which represents owners and trainers.
Lasix ban effort meets opposition in Kentucky panel Matt Hegarty, The Daily Racing Form 11/14/2011 5:07 PM FRANKFORT, Ky. – Supporters of an effort to ban the raceday administration of furosemide
on Monday received a mostly cold reception from members of a committee of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission during a hearing
here to open debate on the use of the drug. Three of the six committee members made pointed comments during the six-hour hearing that clearly
indicated that they would resist the effort to ban the drug, a diuretic commonly known as Lasix that is used to treat bleeding
in horses’ lungs. Coupled with the uncertain stances of the other three members, it seemed unlikely that the committee
would make a recommendation to ban the drug in the near future without further examination of the issue, which could jeopardize
supporters’ efforts to implement bans by early next year. The hearing was the first formal meeting on raceday furosemide to be held by any state regulatory
agency in the United States since calls to ban the drug were launched in March of this year. Several influential organizations,
including the Jockey Club and Breeders’ Cup, have thrown their weight behind the effort since then, and the Graded Stakes
Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association has also adopted a measure that would deny grades to any stakes
race for 2-year-olds held in 2012 in which horses are allowed to be administered the drug. To support its measure, the owners’ and breeders’
group has targeted the racing commissions in the six states in which 2-year-old graded stakes are held: Kentucky, New York,
California, Illinois, Louisiana, and New Jersey. Supporters of the effort have acknowledged that the ban will be ineffective
if there are states that hold out, so the apparent setback in Kentucky could have large ramifications for the effort as a
whole. The three committee
members who made their opposition to a ban clear during the hearing were Foster Northrup, a Kentucky racetrack veterinarian;
John Ward, the trainer; and Alan Leavitt, a Standardbred owner and breeder who is a member of the sport’s Hall of Fame.
The committee is chaired by Tracy Farmer, a Kentucky owner and breeder who is a member of the Jockey Club, and also includes
Betty Lavin, a Kentucky owner and breeder who is married to a veterinarian, and Dr. Jerry Yon, a physician. Farmer said during his opening remarks that the
committee invited 30 organizations to provide testimony during the hearing, which was held in a meeting room at the Kentucky
Capitol Annex building to accommodate the large crowd. Sixteen individuals provided testimony on Monday, including representatives
of the Humane Society of the United States and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, who both supported the ban. The testimony opened with a one-hour presentation
by Alice Stack, a doctoral student at the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine who is finishing up her
thesis on exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage. Stack said that bleeding is common in racehorses worldwide and that furosemide
is the only drug that has been shown scientifically to mitigate the frequency and severity of bleeding, citing studies that
opponents of a ban have also used to support their claims that prohibiting the raceday administration of the drug would cause
racehorses’ distress. Supporters of a ban, including Matt Iuliano, the
executive director of the Jockey Club, and Dr. J. David Richardson, the chairman of the American Graded Stakes Committee,
said that the continued use of furosemide on race day has isolated North American racing jurisdictions among other major racing
countries, which ban the drug on raceday. In addition, supporters contended that a ban on the drug would not negatively impact
many racehorses, and that it would improve the public’s perception of the sport.
Jacky Martin Transferred to HoustonThe champion jockey has been moved to Houston facility for rehabilitiation.September 23, 2011 Paralyzed hall
of fame jockey Jacky Martin was transferred on Thursday to TIRR Memorial Hermann (TIRR) in Houston to begin his rehabilitation,
according to family sources. Martin, 56, had been hospitalized in the intensive care unit at University
Medical Center of El Paso since the evening of his injury on September 2. He sustained his injuries from a fall after his
mount broke down following the finish of a race on September 2 at Ruidoso Downs. He was taken to the Lincoln County Medical
Center in Ruidoso before being flown to El Paso. Martin is a member of the Ruidoso Downs Racehorse Hall
of Fame and is a record seven-time winner of the All American Futurity, the world’s richest Quarter Horse race. He rode
with winners of nearly 3,000 quarter horse races and his mounts earned more than $46 million during his career that started
in 1972. TIRR Memorial Hermann treats people with a range of disabilities including complex conditions
like brain injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, multiple trauma and amputation. The facility gained international attention
as the rehabilitation facility for U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head on January 8 during an assassination
attempt and has been released from TIRR. Founded in 1959, TIRR Memorial Hermann is one of few hospitals
in the country designated as a model system for traumatic brain injury by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation
Research. It has been named to the “Best Hospitals” list by U.S. News and World Report magazine for 21 years,
every year the list has been published. TIRR is also home to one of the top residency programs in neurological physical therapy
with more than 57,000 outpatients annually. Funds for Martin’s long-term care will be partially
served by the Ruidoso Downs Racetrack Chaplaincy benevolence fund, which has a longstanding mission of helping people in need,
such as Martin. Contributions to the benevolence fund can be made by writing a check to the Ruidoso Downs
Racetrack Chaplaincy and indicate on the memo line it should be for the benevolence fund. Checks then should be sent to Ruidoso
Downs Racetrack Chaplaincy, Ruidoso Downs, P.O. Box 449, Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico 88346. Jim Helzer,
Bruce Rimbo and chaplain Darrell Winter are the fund’s advisors. Any contribution to the benevolence fund is tax deductible
and distributions are tax free for the recipients. “Jacky Martin’s case is the type of situation
that the benevolence fund benefits,” said Winter. The Ruidoso Downs Racetrack Chaplaincy benevolence fund aided
the family of Mark Villa, who was killed in a riding accident at Zia Park on September 25, 2010.
09/22/2011 12:37PM Lasix battle lines drawn between TOBA, horsemen By Matt Hegarty, The Daily Racing Form
The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association is lining up allies and pressing its
effort to get state racing commissions to ban the race-day use of the anti-bleeding medication furosemide in 2-year-old races
next year, but there are significant hurdles. TOBA has already begun discussing the proposal with racing commissions in the five states where graded stakes for 2-year-olds
are held. Lined up behind TOBA, at least philosophically, are the Jockey Club, the Breeders’ Cup, and the Stronach Group,
the private company that owns Santa Anita in California and Gulfstream in Florida, among other tracks. Horsemen’s groups remain united in opposition to the proposal. The horsemen’s
position will complicate efforts to pass rules that would be in effect for 2012 even when factoring in the additional time
afforded by the 2-year-old racing calendar, which does not start until April. Already,
a number of officials for racing commissions in the six states that TOBA has targeted have said the consideration of a rule
banning furosemide on race day, even on a limited, experimental basis, would be a complex and divisive undertaking requiring
careful study. They cited not only opposition to the change but also a recent Jockey Club-funded scientific study that indicated
furosemide is effective in reducing the severity and frequency of bleeding episodes in horses. “It’s
pretty clear the industry is divided on the race-day use of furosemide,” said Dr. Mary Scollay, the equine medical director
of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. “And when you are making a rule, you are going through the legislative process,
you are making a law, you are taking everyone’s position into consideration. That process trumps any external pressure.” The effort to reform the rules is an outgrowth of a decision by the American Graded
Stakes Committee last August to rescind the grade of any 2-year-old stakes race in 2012 that allows horses to be treated with
a race-day injection of furosemide. A diuretic commonly known as Lasix or Salix, furosemide is administered to approximately
95 percent of all North American racehorses to treat bleeding in the lungs. TOBA is the administrator of the American Graded
Stakes Committee, which assigns grades to more than 450 stakes races a year. The
committee approved the rule several weeks after the Breeders’ Cup announced it would ban the use of furosemide in the
five races of its season-ending event restricted to 2-year-olds beginning in 2012, when the event is going to be held at Santa
Anita Park in California. The Breeders’ Cup said it would ban race-day furosemide for all 15 of its races in 2013, when
the event is expected to be run in New York or Kentucky. California, Kentucky, and New York play host to most of graded stakes
races for juveniles. The other states are New Jersey, Illinois, and Louisiana. The
pursuit of the ban has increasingly angered some horsemen, who contend the results of the Jockey Club study that were announced
two years ago provided conclusive scientific support to allow furosemide on race day. Citing other studies that have said
up to 80 percent of horses will show some evidence of bleeding in the lungs after strenuous exercise, the president of the
New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, Rick Violette, has begun characterizing the effort to ban furosemide as
“borderline animal cruelty,” a loaded term that has come to symbolize the hardening position of horsemen. Violette
said New York horsemen were prepared to file a lawsuit that would prevent New York from enforcing a ban on furosemide, a suit
that could tie up the effort for years. “I would
be more than happy to walk in front of a judge who doesn’t know an ear from a tail and put the science in front of him
to show the recent and historical data on Lasix,” Violette said recently. “It is black and white, as opposed to
the rhetoric on the other side. Horses bleed. That is a fact.” TOBA’s allies
intend to press ahead without the support of horsemen, according to Jim Gagliano, the president and chief operating officer
of the Jockey Club. Gagliano said Jockey Club officials have been meeting with TOBA officials to determine how to put the
issue in front of racing commissions. He said the Jockey Club intends to “emphasize that the administration of a performance-enhancing
medication compromises the image, integrity, and future of our sport.” If
supporters of furosemide reform are unable to convince state commissions to modify their rules, the effort will shift to convincing
racetracks to pass so-called house rules that would restrict furosemide use as a condition of entry, according to officials
involved in the effort. House rules have occasionally been used to enforce medication reforms, including the effort to ban
milkshakes, blood-doping agents, and anabolic steroids, as a way to bridge the gap between a consensus to ban the substances
and the formal approval of rules. But that effort could run into
problems. Passage of a house rule would not address existing regulations in all states that are triggered when horses are
taken off furosemide and put back on the medication. The rules require layoffs for horses that go on and off the drug, including
a one-year ban for a horse that goes on and off three times. Such rules would limit subsequent racing options for trainers
and owners of a horse who is taken off furosemide to comply with a house rule. “We
obviously haven’t discussed that in any detail yet,” said Ed Martin, the president of the Association of Racing
Commissioners International. “But that is a real big problem.” If
some racetracks pass house rules and others do not, horsemen could avoid the ban by shipping to other tracks, giving some
tracks a competitive edge in attracting horses. House rules could also antagonize trainers, who control the raw material that
produces the main revenue stream for racetracks. As a result, most
tracks are remaining neutral. Officials for Churchill Downs, which owns tracks in three of the targeted states, Kentucky,
Illinois, and Louisiana, declined to comment on questions regarding furosemide. Even the racetracks that support furosemide
reform would not commit to a house rule banning the drug. “It
would be premature to comment on that,” said Greg Avioli, the chief executive of the Stronach Group, whose owner, Frank
Stronach, sent letters to racing commissions earlier this year asking them to ban race-day furosemide. “What we want
to do is work in a collaborative fashion with the regulators and the racing constituencies in the states where we do business.” Marty Maline, the executive director of the Kentucky Horsemen’s Benevolent and
Protective Association, said the TOBA decision to rescind grades for stakes races could backfire if the association goes through
with its proposal, contending that racetracks or other groups might implement their own grading system. “Horsemen are prepared throughout the country to fight this,” Maline said. “Obviously,
grading is important, but it’s not so important that we can’t come up with another way of determining what races
are graded.”
Dan Metzger, the president of TOBA, said the obstacles could be overcome. “We laid out a timetable, and we’ll continue to build support to comply
with that timetable,” Metzger said. “If it looks like it can’t get done one way, we’ll adjust accordingly.
This is a gradual process.” Laura PlatoOperations DirectorNational HBPA, Inc.870 Corporate Drive, Ste. 300Lexington, KY 40503-5419(859) 259-0451, fax (859) 259-0452
Dear Horsemen and Horsewomen of the National HBPA… Take Action Now to Save the H-2B Program! The Following is a Special
Notice to All Horsemen from the American Horse Council (AHC) On September 30th the Department
of Labor (DOL) will begin using a new formula for calculating prevailing wages. This regulation will greatly impact H-2B users who have labor
certifications that are valid after September 30, 2011 and anyone hiring H-2B workers in the future. These new wages will
need to be paid to current and future H-2B workers and any U.S. workers hired in connection with the H-2B recruitment process. Additionally, in December the DOL is
planning to finalize a second rule that will affect the program further. The rule will likely require employers to hire any
qualified U.S. worker up to three days before the H-2B worker is scheduled to begin and require employers to pay transportation
and subsistence costs for potential U.S. workers. The horse industry relies heavily on the H-2B program
and both new rules could significantly impact employers who utilize it. The AHC fears these actions could make the H-2B
program essentially unusable for many employers. What YOU Can Do… A bipartisan group of Senators and Representatives plan to send a letter to the DOL, asking it to rescind the new wage
rule and abandon plans to finalize the March 18, 2011 proposed H-2B rule.
We urge all horsemen to do the following: 1. CALL
THE CONGRESSIONAL SWITCHBOARD AT: (202) 225-3121 2. Ask for your Senators' or Representative's office and then ask
to speak to the staff person who handles immigration issues. 3. State that you are asking your congressional representative(s)
to a.) rescind the new H-2B wage rule and; b.) for the DOL to abandon plans to finalize the March
18, 2011 proposed H-2B rule. 4. Ask that your congressional representative(s)
sign on to the bipartisan letter (see attached) to the DOL currently being circulated by Congressmen Robert Wittman (R-VA).
http://www.surebetracingnews.com/NEWS/Martin_%20Friday-09022011.htm Martin Injured In Spill At Ruidoso Downs Friday
RUIDOSO DOWNS, New
Mexico (September 2, 2011) – Defending national champion jockey and seven-time All American Futurity winner Jacky Martin,
56, sustained neck injuries in a riding accident at Ruidoso Downs on Friday afternoon.
Martin is not paralyzed,
but suffered three neck fractures and will be airlifted to an El Paso hospital, according to multiple sources close to the
situation in the Ruidoso’s Lincoln County Medical Center.
Martin was injured when his horse, Phire Power,
broke down after the finish of the 300-yard sixth race and Martin was thrown to the ground. He was then transported to the
Lincoln County Medical Center.
Martin was scheduled to ride morning-line favorite and fastest qualifier Ochoa on
Monday’s Grade 1, $2.4-million All American Futurity. On Sunday, he was named to ride Prospect To The Top in the Grade
1, $1.3-million All American Derby and two-time champion Noconi in the Grade 3, $40,000 All American Gold Cup.
He
was named the 2010 champion jockey after his mounts earned $3.2 million and he scored grade 1 wins aboard Double Down Special,
Noconi and Hes Too Icy For Me last year.
The member of the Ruidoso Downs Racehorse Hall of Fame has ridden nearly
3,000 winners and the earners of more than $46.4 million during his career that officially started in 1972.
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