For Immediate Release – March 11, 2021 – Although a one-year anniversary is traditionally celebrated with gifts of paper, paper is just what the National Reining Horse Association’s phenomenally successful ReinerSuite has helped to reduce. That is because the online membership tool has already significantly lessened the need for printed forms and applications in its very first year of existence.
NRHA Commissioner Gary Carpenter was the driving force behind the creation of ReinerSuite, a program released in late February 2020. The web-based software was developed in concert with The Jockey Club Technology Services. TJCTS, a sister company to The Jockey Club, is a worldwide leader in the equine industry as far as technology and responsible for the custom system that powers Thoroughbred horse racing.
Looking back on last year’s successful rollout of ReinerSuite, Carpenter said. “We are proud of where we are today. In the next three to five years, we will look back and be amazed at the progress it has allowed us to make. We have a data-rich environment and there is so much information floating around that can be used more effectively for the good of our industry.”
ReinerSuite remains a work in progress as it continues with improvements and additions. Such was the case with the Eligibility Checker, which came four months after the release. “New features will be added as the NRHA staff and members use it and know what we need. Next will be offerings in the show program, but the whole process is continuous,” he added.
There will be new milestones to come, but a glitch-free rollout and a year of successful usage is something to celebrate! Former NRHA President Mike Hancock said, “I believe this is one of the most significant projects in the history of the NRHA. It allows us to be more accurate, faster, and opens the door for more information at our fingertips.”
According to Angie Honeywell, NRHA Senior Manager of ReinerSuite and Futurity Sale, the association’s membership has overwhelmingly embraced the new technology. “Currently more than 73 percent of our members are using it,” Honeywell shared. “We continue to receive positive feedback about the convenience of being able to do tasks online, like renewing memberships, checking eligibility, and more.”
“ReinerSuite is loaded with features to help our members. They can use the Eligibility Checker, make nominations, access member reports and the calendar, and their membership card is available digitally,” she said. “All this is available to members 24/7. Memberships are effective immediately upon purchase, and competition licenses and transfers completed in ReinerSuite allow for a much quicker turnaround time, typically only a few days.”
The long-awaited technology has not only been a success for members but for show management and offices, as well. Kathy Gould, show secretary for the three largest NRHA-approved events, said, “During a show, people can use their phone to transfer a horse or update their memberships and get an immediate email confirmation, and using it saves them money as well. In the show office, we rely on it for eligibility verification.”
NRHA Professional Shannon Rafacz is an ardent fan of the program, and noted, “First and foremost, having everything online is super-efficient for me. Between the online memberships and the ability to do competition licenses ourselves, it has been a very helpful and simple process. Three or four clicks and it’s all done.”
Rafacz added that, although the program can seem imposing at first, help is only a phone call away. “Change is hard for anyone, for sure. But if we as members take time to learn how it works, it’s actually very simple. My advice is to just ask questions if you have them because the people at the NRHA have been great to help,” she said.
Honeywell added that one still under-utilized feature of ReinerSuite is the completion of competition license applications and license transfers. As user-friendly as the system is, additional learning materials like video tutorials, are being added so that members can benefit even more from what ReinerSuite has to offer.
To register for a ReinerSuite account, visit reinersuite.nrha.com. Questions can be submitted via email to memberships@NRHA.com.