Message from NSA President, Dr. Al Griffin

Dear NSA Horsemen, Members and Supporters:

It has been a challenging winter for many of us, with unusual snow events and bitterly cold weather periods, but we are only one week away from the start of the 2026 NSA season. Spring has finally sprung, and we are looking forward to racing again.

Steeplechasing in America is in a very good place right now, coming off a record setting

year in which purses soared to a record setting level of $7.6 million. There were more races, more opportunities, and more enthusiasm throughout the year, clearly showing how the NSA has steadily rallied since the pandemic in 2020.

Looking ahead to 2026, we want to continue that growth and excitement and will be focused on several points of emphasis.

We are committed to supporting and enhancing timber racing, and for the first time have established an NSA amateur rider policy in concert with the timber constituency. We will develop a plan to expand our jockey colony and look forward to the assistance of Keith O’Brien in this effort. Likewise, we will begin a program to attract and train new racing officials. We are in the process of designing a new National Fence that will meet the needs of American hurdle racing. The Fair Hill Races are back on the spring schedule, and we are back racing over fences at Laurel as well as a great summer racing schedule at Saratoga and Colonial Downs. We are also in discussion with management at Kentucky Downs to hopefully return there in 2027. It is going to be a very busy and productive year.

On behalf of our Board of Directors and National Steeplechase Association staff, I want to wish everyone the best of luck, and hope that we can keep the positive momentum moving forward. We look forward to a safe, competitive, and harmonious season of steeplechase racing.

Sincerely

Al Griffin, President

National Steeplechase Association