Dear FQHRA Members,

            You can be proud of your organization! AQHA racing in Florida has come a long way since FQHRA, Inc. was organized in October 2005. We have gone from a state where there was no QH racing since 1991 to a state where we are about to begin our third race meet and that race meet provides purses that the horsemen can work with. The purses in this year’s meet will be over $3.8 million dollars with 32 days of racing. We are entering the second year of a six year contract with Hialeah where the number of racing opportunities and purses climb to 40 days of racing with $5.6 million per year in purses over the next 5 years. FQHRA is now well recognized as an economic stimulating/job producing force with the Florida legislature and Florida is well on its way to being a major breeding and proving ground for the fastest athletes on earth.

            We will have our yearly general meeting on October 22nd at 12:45pm at University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in Gainesville, Florida. After a search and careful consideration the nominating committee of Larry Taylor and John Shaw have recommended William “Snuffy” Smith and Steve Fisch, DVM for the two board of directors positions that are coming open for the 2011 to 2014 term.

            You will be receiving a ballot in the mail with the two nominees listed along with a space for any write in votes. All nominees including write in nominees will be given the opportunity to speak to the membership at the October 22nd meeting. The nominees’ biographies and statements can be found at http://www.fqhra.com/BoardNominees.html . Please fill out the ballot and send back to FQHRA in the self addressed envelope. Please write your name across the seal of the envelope. The ballots will be opened and counted along with the members’ votes that vote in person at the October 22nd meeting.

            The nominees selected by the nomination committee of Larry E. Taylor and John Shaw, for the FQHRA board of directors’ positions for the term October 2011 through October 2014 are:

William A. Smith "Snuffy": 
Snuffy have been elected Cook County Commissioner for Cook County Georgia for two terms, served as the Chairman of the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia Department of Transportation committee for two years and has been involved in breeding, showing, and racing of American Quarter Horses for twenty years.
Snuffy's Bio: http://www.fqhra.com/images/files/William A Smith Bio.pdf

Steve Fisch, DVM:
Breeder, owner or jockey of racing American Quarter Horses for over 40 years, President FQHRA, Inc since October 2005, National AQHA Director, Member AQHA Racing Council, Member AQHA Racing Committee, GQHRA Board of Directors, Member American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), Member FAEP, Member American Veterinary Medical Association(AVMA), Member FVMA, Currently own all or part of 23 American Quarter Horses  that are currently used for racing or breeding purposes.
Steve's Bio: http://www.fqhra.com/images/files/Steve Fisch Bio.pdf

Light snacks and drinks will be served. A formal meeting agenda will be posted 10 days before the meeting.

See you soon!