Ohio HBPA - About Us

HBPA Affiliates

About Us

The Ohio Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) is comprised of nearly 5,000 owners and trainers who race Thoroughbreds in Ohio. It is an affiliate of the National HBPA headquartered in Lexington, KY.

The Ohio HBPA is governed by a twelve member Board of Directors and a President who is also a member of the Board. All members of the Board of Directors and the President are nominated and elected by the membership for four-year terms. The election of Directors is staggered so that half of the membership is up for election every two years. The Board of Directors is evenly divided between Thoroughbred owners and Thoroughbred trainers and owner/trainers.

The administration of the association is handled by an Executive Director who is appointed by the Board of Directors. An Office Manager handles bookkeeping, accounting and secretarial responsibilities for the association.

The Board of Directors of the Ohio HBPA appoints three of its members to serve as the Vice Presidents at each of the three Thoroughbred tracks. These individuals serve as the Chairmen of the five-member Chapter Committee at each track which carries on the day-to-day activities of the association at the local level. Under each Chapter Committee are various membership committees which organize and manage events at each Chapter.

The Ohio HBPA is a multi-jurisdictional, benevolent and trade association. It provides financial assistance to members in need, educational and informational programs, health fairs, social events, services to members, representation before the Ohio General Assembly and the Ohio State Racing Commission and negotiates contracts and resolves disputes with tracks.

The Ohio HBPA provides Field Offices at each of the three Thoroughbred race tracks in Ohio. A full time Field Office Manager is available to assist members in getting information, registering concerns and coordinating HBPA functions at the local level.

A close affiliate of the Ohio HBPA is the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Health Fund (THHF). This organization provides financial assistance to trainers and their employees for health, vision and dental care. THHF is governed by a separate Board of Trustees while the Executive Director of HBPA also serves as the Executive Director of THHF. Both the Ohio HBPA and THHF are located in the same offices in Grove City, OH.