United States Trotting Association Liaison Officer Kent ‘Chip’ Hastings is retiring on Thursday (December 14) after more than 32 years of service during two stints with the organization.
“Chip’s career body of work really speaks for itself, and he’s been on the sport’s regulatory front lines for five decades, which is pretty incredible,” said USTA Executive Vice President and CEO Mike Tanner. “His institutional knowledge is second to none. Personally, I’ll miss his wit and his humour, and while I’m happy for him, I’m sad for us. He leaves some pretty big shoes to fill.”
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my many years working with all the great people at the USTA,” said Hastings. “I hope that I have been able to contribute a small part in the regulation of harness racing and addressing the integrity of racing issues. I’ve spent my whole life in racing and can’t think of a better career choice.”
After being licensed in 1973, Hastings served as a presiding judge at a dozen racetracks in Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey and Ohio including Garden State Park, Meadowlands, Northfield Park, Rosecroft Raceway, Scioto Downs and the Red Mile as well as others.
Hastings first joined the USTA on a full-time basis in 1976. From 1977 through 1984, he was the organization’s director of officials before leaving to become chief steward for the Maryland Racing Commission.
In 1988, he relocated to New Jersey to join the New Jersey Racing Commission as state steward and presiding judge at the Meadowlands Racetrack and Garden State Park.
Four years later, on July 15, 1992, Hastings rejoined the USTA. Since then, he has had responsibility for managing rules and regulations, oversight of officials, racing commission and racetrack relations, driver/trainer licensing, membership review, identification, security and legal issues for the USTA.
Among his considerable list of accomplishments, Hastings oversaw the development and implementation of the first computer-based racing office system (now known as eTrack) and the program for electronic eligibilities. In working with officials, he was the founder of the North American Judges and Stewards Association, developed the curriculum for the harness racing accreditation program and developed the first-ever penalty point system for violations and repeat offenders.
In addition, he managed the implementation of reciprocal memberships and licenses between the USTA and Standardbred Canada and developed and supervised the USTA Standardbred Driving School, which has had more than 1,000 participants over the past 19 years.
Hastings has served on the boards of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, the Harness Horse Youth Foundation and the Racing Officials Accreditation Program as well as on several subcommittees of the Association of Racing Commissioners International.
Also, he was a director at the Delaware County Agriculture Agricultural Society from 1998 through 2010, where he also served two terms as president and a term as vice president. Hastings has been a member of the Little Brown Jug Society since 2008 and acted as barn steward for the Little Brown Jug and Jugette from 2002 to 2015.
(USTA)