The National Thoroughbred Racing Association Oct. 4 announced the agenda for the second annual NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance Professional Education Seminar to be held Oct. 18-19 at Keeneland in Lexington.
The seminar, sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health and Keeneland, will feature expert speakers from across the country who will discuss health and safety topics targeted specifically to trainers, veterinarians, racing officials, and aftercare organizations. Attendance at the seminar will help satisfy continuing education requirements for racetracks as mandated by the Alliance’s Code of Standards.
A Oct. 18 morning seminar session will focus on continuing education for trainers. Topics to be covered will include Developing More Durable Equine Athletes; Bio-Security Protocols; Insurance; and Recognizing Substance Abuse Problems in Employees.
Speakers will include: Dr. Randel Raub of McCauley Bros.; Dr. Rob Holland of Pfizer Animal Health; Dr. Stuart Brown, Hagyard Equine Medical Institute; Dr. Nathan Slovis, Hagyard Equine Medical Institute; Alan Williams of Brickstreet Insurance, and Michael R. Stone, executive director, Winners Foundation.
The Oct. 18 afternoon session for veterinarians will be moderated by Brown and cover topics including: Glue-On Shoe Technologies; Advanced Bio-Security Protocols; Stem Cell Technology; and Future Treatments for Tendon and Ligament Injuries.
Speakers will include: Dr. Bryan Fraley of Fraley Equine Podiatry; Dr. Rob Holland of Pfizer Animal Health; and Drs. Nathan Slovis, Laura Werner, and Kim Sprayberry of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute.
Cathy O’Meara, coordinator for the Racing Officials Accreditation Program, will lead the Oct. 19 morning session that will include three sections: the ROAP Certificate and Apprentice Programs, by O’Meara; Role of a Safety Committee and/or Safety Steward, with California Horse Racing Board steward Luis Jauregui; and “You Be the Steward”—an interactive video replay review, with CHRB steward Scott Chaney and Eddie Arroyo, an Illinois Horse Racing Board steward.
Liz Harris, vice president of Churchill Downs Inc. and executive director of the CDI Foundation will lead sessions on Oct. 18-19 focusing on topics revolving around Thoroughbred aftercare.
Topics to be covered include: Spending Your Horse Care Dollars Wisely; Relevant Legal Topics for Aftercare Organizations; Liability Issues and Strategies for Mitigating Risk; Expanding Markets for Ex-Racehorses; Your First 40 Days with Your Off-The-Track Thoroughbred; Understanding Body Condition Scoring; Building a Feeding Program that Won’t Break the Bank; Podiatry; Psychology of an Off-The-Track Thoroughbred; Preventive Veterinary Care; Effective Fundraising; and Social Media Marketing.
Speakers will include Kim Smith of Second Stride; Karl Nobert of K & L Gates; John W. Polonis, law student at Villanova University School of Law; Steuart Pittman, president of the Retired Racehorse Training Project; Dr. Robert Coleman of the University of Kentucky; Anna Ford of New Vocations; Deborah Taylor Tatum of the National Association of Fundraising Professionals; Dr. Richard Tatum; and Penelope Miller, social media manager of the NTRA.
The Keynote Speaker during lunch Oct. 18 will be former jockey and current NBC/TVG horse racing reporter Donna Barton Brothers. Also presenting during lunch that day will be Andrew Chesser, speaking on The Jockey Club’s “Thoroughbred Connect” initiative.
The Oct. 18 session will conclude with a barbecue at Old Friends and a tour of the Georgetown, Ky., Thoroughbred retirement facility.
For additional information about the NTRA Professional Education seminar, including how to register, contact Casey Hamilton at (859) 422-2627.
