The first day was open to the general public and was primarily and educational, informational opportunity, while the second day was closed to the media and general public and was restricted to invited industry stakeholders. The National HBPA was represented both days at the summit by National HBPA CEO Remi Bellocq, Florida HBPA Executive Dirctor and National HBPA Medication Committee Chairman Kent Stirling, National HBPA Veterinary Consultant Dr. Tom Tobin, and Virginia HBPA Executive Director Frank Petramalo, Jr.
All of the audio from the first day of the summit is available to listen to at: http://www.ntra.com/summit/.
Below are the text from the press releases that the NTRA disseminated after each day of the summit:
Day One of International Race Day Medication Summit Features In-Depth Examination of Worldwide Practices
Prominent Horsemen, Veterinarians and Regulators from Around the World Share Thoughts, Opinions
Individuals and organizations representing some 16 racing jurisdictions from around the globe participated in Day 1 of an "International Summit on Race Day Medication, EIPH and the Racehorse" today at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. The two-day event is jointly sponsored by the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), and the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC).
Today's session was open to the public and attracted 180 attendees. The morning session on Day 1 featured speakers:
Alex Waldrop, President and CEO of the NTRA; Greg Means, Washington, D.C. lobbyist for the NTRA; and John Della Volpe of SocialSphere Strategies, Inc., providing an overview of U.S. viewpoints on race day medication.
- Dr. N. Edward Robinson, Professor, Physiology and the Matilda R. Wilson Professor of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at Michigan State University, providing an overview of Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH) and its prevalence and impact on horse health.
- Dr. Steve Reed, Equine Specialist at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital and Emeritus Professor at the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine on management and treatment alternatives for EIPH.
- Dr. Rick Sams, Laboratory Director of HFL Sport Science, on race day medication and drug testing.
Morning session presenters were preceded by Rob Manfred, Jr., Executive Vice President of Major League Baseball, who discussed his experiences regarding performance enhancing drugs and drug testing in his sport.
The afternoon session on Monday was comprised of three EIPH-related panels:
- "Regulation of Race Day Medications and Management of EIPH--International Perspectives"—Moderator: Dr. Rick Arthur, Equine Medical Director, California Horse Racing Board. Panelists: Racing Regulators Dennis Egan (Ireland), Dr. Ted Hill (U.S.), Bill Nader (Hong Kong); Dr. Brian Stewart (Hong Kong) and Dr. Anthony Stirk (U.K.)
- "Management of EIPH from a Trainer's Perspective"—Moderator: Dr. John Kimmel. Panelists: Trainers Christophe Clement (U.S./France), Richard Mandella (U.S.), H. Graham Motion (U.S.) and John Size (Hong Kong/Australia).
- "Management of EIPH from a Veterinarian's Perspective"—Moderator: Dr. Scott Palmer, AAEP. Panelists: Veterinarians Dr. Rod Daniel (U.S.), Dr. Scott Hay (U.S.), Dr. John McVeigh (South Africa/U.K./France), Dr. Foster Northrup (U.S.), Dr. Rob Pilsworth (U.K.) and Dr. Treve Williams (Austrailia).
Attendees also received written questionnaire responses from racing officials representing 13 countries.
"Today's session offered an illuminating look into the medication practices and procedures in place in racing jurisdictions all around the world," said NTRA President and CEO Alex Waldrop. "The information shared will assist greatly as we in the U.S. plan the future course of race day medication policies here at home. We were delighted by the enthusiastic turnout by both speakers and observers, and we greatly appreciate the New York Racing Association's generosity in hosting the event."
"The Summit is not intended to serve as a debate on the efficacy of current U.S. medication policies, but as a frank exchange of ideas and experiences from professionals all around the globe," said Day 1 moderator Dr. Robert Lewis, a past President of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and Chairman of the RMTC. "I think everyone present today feels more knowledgeable about the issues currently at hand."
"This was an impressive gathering of people on every side of the race day medication question, and I was impressed how most everyone seemed to put any pre-existing agendas or biases aside and really dig into the issues," said Day 1 moderator Dr. Scott Palmer, chairman of the AAEP Racing Committee. "We have to begin to look at these issues from a new and fresh perspective."
International Race Day Medication Summit Concludes; RMTC to Hold Special Meeting Next Month
Today’s second and final session of the "International Summit on Race Day Medication, EIPH and the Racehorse" at Belmont Park featured a day-long facilitated discussion during which the 72 international participants drew upon information presented in yesterday’s first session.
The Summit featured two days of extensive discussions regarding race day medications and perspectives heard from all around the world. While no recommendations were announced, areas of broad interest were identified, including options for administration of Salix, security issues, penalties, education and research.
The RMTC Board agreed that additional background information will be gathered in advance of a special RMTC Board Meeting in July to discuss next steps.
Individuals and organizations representing some 16 racing jurisdictions from around the globe participated in the Summit. The two-day event was jointly sponsored by the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), and the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC).
Day 1 of the Summit, designed as an informational session, was open to the public and attracted an audience of more than 180. Presenters and panelists represented an international array of veterinarians, trainers, regulators and executives. Attendees on Day 1 also received written questionnaire responses from racing officials representing 13 countries.
