Welfare and Safety Summit III identifies issues and
objectives
The third Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit, held in Lexington,
Kentucky, on Monday and Tuesday, concluded with the development of objectives in
four areas and a discussion of implementation strategies to improve conditions
in various facets of the Thoroughbred industry.
The four areas were Racing Equipment and Safety; Racetrack Environment and
Training Practices; Education, Licensing and Continuing Education; and
Transitioning Thoroughbreds to Second Careers. Among the primary objectives
identified were:
* Establishment of a rider injury database to collect data and develop
practices that will reduce injuries
* Creation of a track liaison position at each racetrack to coordinate aftercare
of retired racehorses
* Formalization of reciprocity of veterinarians’, stewards’ and starters’ lists
on a national basis
* Implementation of advanced safety equipment, including starting gates and
safety rails, on a phased basis, depending on data
* Development of a comprehensive database of track maintenance, training and
veterinary records that could be integrated with existing databases pertaining
to human and equine safety
* Creation of veterinary guidelines, in conjunction with the American
Association of Equine Practitioners, to determine potential and appropriate
second careers for racehorses based on physical condition
* Establishment of a mechanism to encourage continuing education for people
working with Thoroughbreds, including trainers, grooms, farriers, and jockeys,
to improve horsemanship and as a means to accreditation
“Safety is a process,” said Nick Nicholson, president and CEO of Keeneland
Association. “There is never a final victory. We must always be fighting for
improvements and innovations that will make our sport safer for all concerned.
Our fans expect nothing less. This summit — and the action plans we are
drafting this year — has been a catalyst for positive changes and innovation
that are making our sport better. It’s our job to continue this momentum.”
“Like its predecessors, this summit produced a number of safety and soundness
objectives that should augment the meaningful changes and reforms that have
occurred within the Thoroughbred industry in recent years when they are
implemented,” said Edward L. Bowen, president of Grayson-Jockey Club Research
Foundation.
The summit, which was coordinated and underwritten by Grayson-Jockey Club
Research Foundation and The Jockey Club, and hosted by Keeneland, was held all
day Monday and Tuesday morning. Both of Monday’s sessions and part of Tuesday’s
session were open to the public and, for the first time, video-streamed live on
keeneland.com. The video stream of Monday’s session received approximately 900
hits from the United States, Canada, Australia, Austria, Germany, Hungary and
the United Kingdom.
Monday’s morning session included a panel discussion on Racetrack Surfaces,
moderated by Ed Bowen, and updates on the following medication and safety
initiatives: the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, by executive director
Dr. Scot Waterman; the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance, by executive director
Mike Ziegler; and the Thoroughbred Safety Committee, by committee member Dr.
Larry Bramlage. Dr. Tim Parkin, an epidemiologist with the University of
Glasgow, and Dr. Mary Scollay, equine medical director for the Kentucky Horse
Racing Commission, provided an update and statistics from one year of data in
the Equine Injury Database to conclude the morning session.
Monday’s afternoon session was composed of panel discussions on Racing
Equipment and Safety, moderated by Dr. Mick Peterson, executive director, Racing
Surfaces Testing Laboratory; Racetrack Environment and Safe Training Practices,
moderated by Dr. Rick Arthur, equine medical director, California Horse Racing
Board; and Transitioning Thoroughbred Racehorses to Second Careers, moderated by
Mike Ziegler.
On Tuesday morning, participants assembled into four work groups to focus on
specific issues in closed discussions to develop objectives to improve welfare
and safety in the industry. There were 68 participants at the summit,
representing a prominent cross-section from the Thoroughbred breeding and racing
industry.
“Summit participants have provided a roadmap for the future by identifying
important areas for further analysis by the industry’s stakeholders,” said Matt
Iuliano, executive director and executive vice president of The Jockey Club.
“The Jockey Club and our Thoroughbred Safety Committee will once again strive to
collaborate with like-minded organizations to implement the recommendations
emanating from the summit in a prompt and comprehensive manner.”
The summit concluded with a panel discussion concerning implementation of
safety and soundness recommendations, moderated by Jim Gagliano, president and
chief operating officer of The Jockey Club.
The implementation panel included representatives of the National HBPA,
Keeneland, Association of Racing Commissioners International, the Kentucky Horse
Racing Commission and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. All
expressed support for the concept and institution of an interstate racing
regulatory compact, which has been discussed within the industry in recent
months
“We have demonstrated to those who watch our sport closely that we can make
reforms as an industry,” said Gagliano. “We should be proud of the steady
progress we’ve made but we need to keep at it. We need to use any mechanism we
can, whether it’s model rules, a regulatory compact, the NTRA Safety and
Integrity Alliance or rules put in place by organizations such as Breeders’ Cup
or the Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders
Association, to effect change.”