USTA votes to maintain 2022 microchip deadline

Columbus, OH – 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.”

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:

Texas, Mississippi, Bernard Demars 903.268.8017 Alabama, Louisiana
California, Oregon, Tom McCarthy 916.257.9615 Washington
Florida Jeff Schaefer 954.650.5319
Illinois Rick Schrock 217.899.7570
Indiana Donna Williams 765.444-8161 (home) 765.208.0622
Iowa, Kansas, Garry Phillips 641.652.7675 (home) Minnesota, Wisconsin 641.799.2358
Kentucky, Georgia, Mike Moss 270.556.1000 Tennessee
Michigan, Mitch Nault 740.505.0182 Ohio (West of I-77)
West Pennsylvania Wayne A. Shaffer, III 724.880-6351 (home) (West of I-81),  East Ohio (North of I-70, East of I-77)
Maryland, Delaware, Pam Polk 410.641.0428 (home) Virginia,  443.497.0267 Southern Pennsylvania (East of I-81, South of I-78)
New Jersey, Lower NY Jim Shupe 609.517.1170 East PA (East of I-81,  North of I-78)
Upstate New York, Stephane Bouchard 914.656.0869 New England States

This list of I.D. Technicians is also available on the USTA website by clicking here.

From the USTA Communications Department