A Message from the Board - 22 October 2026

The Society's Board of Directors met last week to deal with a range of important issues including:

1. As we approach the end of the current membership and financial year and we finalise our budget and planning for the 2027 year there is a lot of focus on the Society's financial position and resources. The Society is facing the same cost pressure that every other business and many of our Members are facing in their own lives. Wage inflation, high costs of goods and services, especially fuel and energy, and lower levels of participation and cancellation of some events are all having an impact on the Society. Despite all of this, the Board decided earlier in the year to freeze our membership fees for the 2027 year, meaning those fees will not have increased for a number of years now. Membership numbers are down slightly from last year due to cost-of-living pressures, and horse registration numbers are also lower than the record-high levels we saw in 2025 due to the DNA rule change, but we are working hard to deliver an acceptable financial outcome for the 2026 year and planning the same for 2027. 
2.  It's been great to see many events able to proceed despite tough conditions, both economic and also environmental with so much of the country experiencing a really tough season. The Board was excited to review its plans for the upcoming 2026 TPM Saddles Maiden Series Campdraft to be held in conjunction with the Berragoon Stud event at Holbrook NSW in early November, and we are very pleased to see that entry numbers were strong and the high level of support from members, sponsors and other stakeholders will ensure that the event is a success for the Society and competitors alike. We are looking forward to a great event and again express our gratitude to the Grills family and their crew at Barragoon for hosting us.
3. Other significant upcoming events include the 2026 Dalby ASH Sale to be held in early December, and the Board was very pleased to see numbers of nominations on par with last year, cementing the Dalby ASH Sale's unrivalled position as the pre-eminent marketplace for Australian Stock Horses to be bought and sold. The Board commends the Darling Downs Branch for their outstanding work in making this event happen each year. 
4. The Board were also very pleased to see reports of workflows for membership, registrations and transfers showing very significant improvements over recent months; and we acknowledged the staff for their efforts. History tells us that we saw a huge volume of registrations work come in during the second half of last year due to the rule changes around compulsory DNA testing; and as a result of this once-in-a lifetime surge in demand, our service standards fell to well below acceptable levels. It has taken most of 2026 to clear the backlog, resulting in long delays for many members. The Board made correcting this its highest priority since coming together earlier this year, and we are very pleased at the progress that has been made by the team in the office at Scone.
5. The Society's technology platform, systems and processes have been the subject of a comprehensive and deep review over recent months, ably guided by Director Andy Ide who joined the Board in August specifically to aid the Board's work in this critical area. Andy has worked tirelessly with our staff to gain a full understanding of the current environment, opportunities and challenges; and is helping to guide our work towards defining and delivering our digital transformation roadmap which will see the Society use new technology to improve members' experience at the same time as boosting operational efficiency. The Board is looking forward to seeing the launch of an entirely new ASHS website, member self-service portal and digital processing of membership, registration and transfers over coming months. 

The Board and its Sub-Committees are operating effectively, and we are making valuable progress on our core priorities. We will continue to listen and respond to feedback from individual members, branches and SMC's and the Directors invite direct contact at any time. Individual email and phone contacts for each of the Directors are listed on the ASHS website at https://ashs.com.au/the-society/about-us/20262027-board-of-directors/ or you can send messages to the Board via email to ceo@ashs.com.au

Regards,

Hugh Barnet

Chairman and Director

On behalf of the Board of Directors