Letter from Don Yovanovich

Dear Rider,

As some of you may be aware, recent changes have been made at the Amateur Riders Club of America (ARCA). In August of 2005, Pierre Bellocq asked Duncan Patterson and me to take over the reins of the Club. Duncan as President and me as Executive Director. The three of us had a lengthy meeting and determined ways to improve the organization to insure a successful future. We have made some structural changes and have produced a program that we think will bring about better communication and expanded opportunities.

Briefly, Duncan Patterson is a Racing Commissioner in Delaware, a member of the National Steeplechase Assn’s Board of Directors and the Chairman of the NSA Hearings and Appeals Committee, along with his fulltime career as a real estate broker. I am an ex-amateur rider; award winning trainer and the Race Director and Co-Chairman of the Virginia Gold Cup and International Gold Cup. I have served as President numerous times of the Virginia Steeplechase Assn. and the Virginia Point-to Point Assn. Together we believe we can offer organization and prolific racetrack contacts, affording you, the amateur rider, more opportunity.

Our most important goal is to produce a very good product in our amateur program. Licensing has been taken over by the NSA and to our good fortune we have obtained some funding from the National Steeplechase Foundation. It is our greatest hope to provide an expanded program of racing in 2008. It will be your responsibility to conduct yourselves professionally, honor your commitments and be on time and respectful at every event.

Please fill out the bio information sheet and return them to me as soon as possible for inclusion in our current rider book. Remember, NO ONE will ride without a current license.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Yours truly,

Don Yovanovich

Executive Director