AQHA Bylaw and Registration Changes

AQHA Publicity

Modifications to AQHA Bylaws and registration-related items were approved by AQHA members and the AQHA Board of Directors at the 2021 AQHA Convention, March 18-22 in San Antonio. Per the Association’s bylaws, the board of directors has the final authority when it comes to AQHA’s bylaws and rules of registration. Rule-change recommendations from all of the other standing committees were reviewed and approved by the board of directors. Those recommendations go to the AQHA Executive Committee for review, modification and/or approval at its April meeting.

The changes to the bylaws and registration rules that were approved by the AQHA Board of Directors at the 2021 AQHA Convention will go into effect immediately.

Nominations and Credentials Committee

Seven proposed bylaw changes were considered by the AQHA Nominations and Credentials Committee at the 2021 convention. The committee’s recommendations that were approved by the AQHA Board of Directors are:

• Modify Article III. Section1(a)(8) to read: Where an international country has less than a major portion of the Horse Population Factor but has at least 5% of the Horse Population Factor, it shall constitute a Representative District. International countries may be grouped with one or more other international countries to form a Representative District having at least 5% of the Horse Population Factor.
• Modify Article III Section 1(f) to read: (f) Appointed International Representatives. Each officially recognized international affiliate shall appoint one Appointed International Representatives. The current president of the international affiliate shall certify in writing to AQHA’s Executive Vice President his/her board’s appointment to serve as the Appointed International Representatives at least thirty (30) days prior to the annual meeting of the Board of Directors. The president of the international affiliate may however make changes to their appointment up to seven (7) days prior to the annual meeting of the Board of Directors. Appointed International Representatives shall be in addition to an international country’s Elected Director(s), if any, specified in Article III Section 1(a) above. Appointed International Representatives shall be domiciled in the country that his/her international affiliate represents by actual residence therein, having the intent to make it his/her permanent home. To be eligible to become an Appointed International Representatives, an individual shall be a member in good standing of AQHA. Depending upon which international affiliate an Appointed International Representatives represents, an Appointed International Representatives shall represent one of the following International Districts: (1) Europe; (2) Mexico, South and Central America; or (3) Australasia-Africa; or (4) Canada. Appointed International Representatives shall serve on the International Committee during their term.
• Modify the first sentence of Article III Section 1(g) to read: Any Elected Director or Appointed International Representative who is absent for two (2) consecutive times from the General Board Meeting and New Board Meeting at AQHA’s Annual Convention is automatically removed, without further action, upon his/her second absence, making available for his/her vacancy to be filled by regular election of an individual who will represent that District’s interests at AQHA’s Annual Convention and Board of Directors meetings.
• Modify Bylaw Article VI, Section 2 (b) Treasurer to read: The Treasurer is the chief financial officer of AQHA, and, pursuant to direction of the Executive Committee, shall implement the actions, decisions and directions of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall account for the financial condition of AQHA by presenting an independent audit of AQHA accounts at each Annual Membership Meeting and to the Board of Directors when demanded. Also, on or before sixty (60) days preceding the start of the fiscal year, the Treasurer shall submit to the Executive Committee, a detailed budget of the proposed and anticipated expenditures for the upcoming fiscal year of AQHA. Upon approval of this said budget, or its modification, it becomes binding upon the officers of AQHA and cannot be exceeded.
• Modify Article II Section 5 and Article III Section 5 to allow the Executive Committee, by majority vote, to waive the “physically present” requirement set forth in both bylaws should force majeure circumstances make it illegal, impossible, inadvisable, or commercially impracticable to require “physical presence” at a meeting in question. Should such circumstances result in the aforementioned waiver of “physical presence,” the Executive Committee may designate means in which voting and participation in meetings may be accomplished by means other than via physical presence.

Stud Book and Registration Committee

Nineteen proposed rule changes were considered by the AQHA Stud Book and Registration Committee. The committee’s recommendations that were approved by the AQHA Board of Directors are:

• Amend REG104.4 and REG105.5, for horses being registered based on an international studbook to include a statement that if the unregistered lineage traces to Appendix/Appendix or Appendix/Thoroughbred cross, it is ineligible for registration.
• Amend REG108 to begin with the following statement: AQHA is the sole owner of any and all DNA material and results processed by AQHA’s official laboratory pursuant to AQHA’s registration rules and/or AQHA request.
• Remove “postmarked or” from rule REG110.1 so the deadline for stallion breeding reports is based on the date received to be consistent with all other work submitted to AQHA.
• Amend REG108.4 and REG108.5 to change the name of the disease panel test to genetic trait panel.
  The additional 11 standing committee reports will be reviewed by the AQHA Executive Committee and approved rule-changes will be released at a later date.

AQHA News and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more news and information, follow @AQHA on Twitter and visit www.aqha.com/news.