Richard Beal's Blog

Some excerpts their website describing it:

“The week before Christmas 2012, Jane Tomczak and three of the eldest girls in her Challenge Ranch program flew to Ft. Worth, Texas to be our guests for four days. We were about to introduce them to cutting horses for the very first time in their lives. Aside from the video I sent them, they had never seen such a spectacle of flying dirt and hooves before.

“From the moment Jane and the girls saw the Christmas lights coming up the drive at midnight, they suspected the next few days would be unlike any they’d ever known. The girl’s riding background was entirely english and under Jane’s keen and loving eye, their horsemanship was exceptional. The 14 and 15 year olds had never set foot in Texas and had only a week prior spent an afternoon being introduced to a western saddle and some basic neck reining by John Van Aken, their beloved ranch farrier.

“On the first day it’s all about getting the hang of western gear on new horses, combined with brand new horsemanship skills and preliminary flagwork. First thing’s first, stirrups and reins. It looks so easy in the video. A bit of struggling with that, feels so horribly unnatural. There are frequent collisions between horns and bellies every time they shift in the enormous saddle looking for a comfortable spot. In spite of excellent horsemanship skills, the foundational differences in both the girls’ and the horses’ training programs are obvious – at first.

“It’s not as easy as it looks! Cutting is very humbling that way. A well tuned horse can make anyone look good for a few calves, but after that, the work starts. The more horses you ride the steeper your learning curve. It’s a fact. It’s a painful process for some, but for those who embrace it, the doors of insight, feel and timing swing wide open. In this game, glimpses of paradise are offered fleetingly. Just enough to entice one to desire more. Then it’s up to the rider to choose between a frustrating path of hit or miss performance and a firm commitment to excel at something that requires the discipline of a serious artist in order to be anything other than mediocre.

“Kelly, Bree and Sarah worked diligently to overcome their obstacles in a new environment and did a fabulous job. For children with limited financial resources, they proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that money can’t buy “try”. Their attitude and efforts put their performance ahead of regular cutters overnight and the results were undeniable. So many folks just want to write a check and show up without investing the hard work and focus necessary to succeed. They blame their trainers and their horses, when in reality they believe the hard work they’ve already put in – which enables them to write a check – is all they owe to their dream.

“We rarely get to see the brightest and most talented in our sports arenas because the money factor prohibits so much talent from ever competing at the top levels. We are a nation resplendent with extraordinary children who lack financial privileges and advantages and who are almost entirely dependent on the kindness and generosity of strangers in order to pursue their dreams of greatness.

“Our part in this story is simple. Showcutters For Kids (SFK) is a privately run independent incentive program. SKF is an exciting equine team working adventure that offers 3 fun and highly focused days of personal training for three children at a time.

“It’s being offered as an incentive to strive for higher academic goals and to encourage positive modification of dysfunctional social behaviors in children from underprivileged homes, group homes and foster homes.

“Our goal is to keep children on track in times of adversity and encourage them to succeed in overcoming their obstacles.”

“The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act would set up a basic framework and then turn over drafting the rules and enforcing them to the United States Anti Doping Agency, an independent organization that polices U.S. Olympic athletes and promotes clean sports competition. The racing industry would bear the costs of policing and enforcement.

“Horse doping is a chronic problem in the industry. Drugs such as Dermorphin, or “frog juice,” can mask an injured horse’s pain. But using it risks a catastrophic breakdown that can injure or kill the horse and its rider.

“For years, the industry has promised reform and, until recently, those promises have largely been empty.

“That is, until a New York Times investigation published last spring — which made New Mexico the national poster child for abuse. Its five racinos collectively had the worst record in the nation for doping.

“On the heels of the report, the New Mexico Racing Commission adopted stricter regulations and penalties for doping. This year, the Legislature approved funding for expanded drug testing of racehorses.

“Udall’s bill would provide uniformity and give an independent organization some rein to impose penalties.

“The Association of Racing Commissioners International has expressed concerns about the doping agency’s regulation of human competition, which it says allows a therapeutic-use loophole. But a Udall spokeswoman said the agency would develop rules in consultation with state racing commissions and stakeholders.

“The industry should embrace the opportunity to provide meaningful input in an effort to fix problems that have plagued what once was called the sport of kings.”

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.

And here’s another story with more details from The Horse

“A U.S. Senator and four members of the House of Representatives have introduced the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act of 2013 to regulate/prohibit substances, methods, and treatments that can be used in racing.

“The legislation, introduced by Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Representatives Joe Pitts (R-Pa.), Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), and Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), is not the same as the bill they introduced in the last Congress, according to the American Horse Council (AHC).

“The bill calls for a new “independent anti-doping organization” to be responsible for “ensuring the integrity of horse races that are the subject of interstate off-track wagers and the safety of persons involved in such horse races,” according to the AHC. “The bill gives this anti-doping organization authority to permit/prohibit the drugs and medications that may be administered to a horse in a race subject to an interstate off-track wager and set the withdrawal period for its administration.”

“The legislation prohibits a horse from receiving any medication or drug within 24 hours of a race. There is a two-year exception for furosemide (commonly known as Salix or Lasix) used for 3 year olds under the current Association of Racing Commissioners International rules and administered by a veterinarian with a client-patient relationship.

“The legislation specifically designates the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA)—a private, non-governmental agency that is the official anti-doping agency for the U.S. Olympics —to be the organization responsible for overseeing the initiative.

“According to the AHC, the bill charges USADA as the overseeing agency to develop and enforce rules for permitted and prohibited activities, including:

- Permitted substances, methods, and treatments that can be administered in the context of a veterinarian-client-patient relationship;
- Guidelines for the use of such permitted substances, methods, and treatments, including withdrawal times before a race; and
- Prohibited substances, methods, and treatments that cannot be administered.

“Under the legislation, the USADA would also be charged with organizing programs for anti-doping education, research, testing, and adjudication to prevent a horse from racing under the influence of medications or drugs. In developing the rules and programs, the USADA can consult with state racing commissions, race tracks, horsemen’s groups, and others.

“USADA would have the authority to exclude any person from racing for the first violation of the rules against the use of any prohibited medication or drug and for the third violation of the rules against the use of permitted medications/drugs. Also, USADA has discretion to suspend any exclusion if a person assists in identifying other violations of the rules or federal or state laws under the legislation.

“The AHC said the bill does not amend the Interstate Horseracing Act (IHA); rather it prohibits interstate wagering under the IHA without the “consent” of USADA. To offer interstate off-track wagers, the race track putting on the race, and the off-track system accepting the wager, must have the consent of USADA, in addition to the other consents presently required by the IHA. As part of granting this consent, the race track must have an agreement with USADA that includes the terms and conditions regarding compliance with the new rules and specifies payments to USADA to fund the costs of regulation and enforcement. USADA is charged with ensuring that all costs incurred in carrying out its duties and responsibilities under the new law are paid by the industry.

“By tying the new requirements, even indirectly, to interstate wagering, it applies the new prohibitions and requirements to any race that is simulcast interstate under the IHA, the AHC reported.

“The House bill (HR 2012) was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, on which Representatives Pitts, Whitfield, Schakowsky, and Eshoo sit. The Senate bill (S 973) was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.”