The newly-seated 2008 Board of Directors of the American Saddlebred Registry held its organizational meeting on Friday, February 29, to elect its officers.

Elected unanimously to one-year terms as its officers were Judith Werner (Illinois) as president; Anne Stafford (Tennessee) as vice-president; Barbara Molland (California) as secretary; and Jimmy Robertson (Kentucky) as treasurer. The registry’s bylaws require that the president, secretary and treasurer also be directors of the American Saddlebred Horse Association.

Also serving as directors of the registry are Mary Anne Cronan (Kentucky), Lisa Duncan (Kentucky), Dr. Margaret McNeese (Texas), Brian Reimer (Georgia) and Robert Ruxer (Indiana).

In other business, the board formally approved the 2008 operating budget and the registry’s management agreement with the Saddlebred Association, reviewed detailed financial and statistical information, discussed pending improvements in registry processing of registrations and transfers, as well as breeder and owner services, and agreed to establish a working group to review and update the Registry’s Rules and Regulations. In addition, the directors voted to approve a recommendation from the Futurity Committee at the recent Saddlebred convention, specifying that stallion nomination fees in the Kentucky, National and Amateur Futurities must be received by the registry’s office no later than May 15 each year.

“Due to several lengthy discussions of the important business facing the registry,” commented Alan F. Balch, Registrar, “what is usually a very short organizational meeting each year extended to 90 minutes this time. With seven of the nine directors being newly seated on the registry board, we’re very fortunate to have such outstanding volunteers of widely varying experience and from so many states leading us forward.”