Harness: USTA Executive Committee votes to maintain 2022 microchip deadline
On a conference call Friday (Aug. 27), the U.S. Trotting Association's Board of Directors' Executive Committee voted to maintain the deadline for all horses to be microchipped by Jan. 1, 2022.
"It is important for horsemen to know that all horses must be microchipped in order for them to be eligible to race in 2022," emphasized USTA COO and Registrar TC Lane. "Our USTA I.D. technicians are continuing to observe stringent safety protocols and are available to assist any horseman who has horses that need to be microchipped.
"Horsemen should also be aware that some states such as California, Minnesota and New York have either existing or pending state laws that all horses must be microchipped to participate in racing or breeding in those states."
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The original deadline, which was a year earlier, was previously extended to 2022 by a unanimous vote of the USTA Board on March 31, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"With the challenges facing everyone in the harness racing industry as we all endure the real-life difficulties and the economic hardships presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the USTA and the committee felt that it was far more important for our horsemen to utilize financial resources to care for themselves, their families, employees and horses. We're all in this together and the USTA will help in every way possible," said USTA President Russell Williams at the time of the March 2020 announcement.
Following is a contact list for USTA I.D. technicians available to microchip horses:
States Technician Phone
Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana
Bernard Demars 903.268.8017 - green_meadows@rocketmail.com
California, Oregon, Washington
Tom McCarthy 916.257.9615 - tmccarthygsd@gmail.com
Florida Jeff Schaefer 954.650.5319 - shoerboy@hotmail.com
Illinois Rick Schrock 217.899.7570 - schrockstables@sbcglobal.net
Indiana Donna Williams 765.444-8161 (home), 765.208.0622
Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin Garry Phillips 641.652.7675 (home), 641.799.2358
Kentucky, Georgia, Tennessee Mike Moss 270.556.1000
Michigan, Ohio (West of I-77) Mitch Nault 740.505.0182
West Pennsylvania (West of I-81), East Ohio (North of I-70, East of I-77)
Wayne A. Shaffer, III 724.880-6351 (home)
Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, Southern Pennsylvania (East of I-81, South of I-78)
Pam Polk 410.641.0428 (home), 443.497.0267
New Jersey, Lower NY, East PA (East of I-81, North of I-78) Jim Shupe 609.517.1170
Upstate New York, New England States Stephane Bouchard 914.656.0869
This list of I.D. Technicians is also available on the USTA website by clicking here.
-release (USTA Communications)