The first “International Summit on Race Day Medication, EIPH and the Racehorse” has been scheduled for June 13-14 in New York City.
The event is jointly sponsored by the American Association of Equine Practitioners, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, and the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium. The location will be announced at a future time.
The summit will include participation by representatives from major racing jurisdictions around the world, including Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia—along with the U.S. and Canada, according to a May 12 release from the NTRA.
Summit panels will offer discussions on such topics as regulatory issues surrounding race-day medication; veterinary viewpoints on the management of exercise induced pulmonary hemorrhage; and the management of EIPH from the perspective of trainers.
“Our goal is to shine a light on how other countries manage a variety of issues relating to race day medication,” NTRA president and chief executive officer Alex Waldrop said. “We look forward to providing a forum for sharing valuable perspectives from some of the world's foremost trainers, regulatory authorities, and veterinarians.”
“The summit presents a tremendous opportunity for racing representatives from across the globe to learn from each other,” AAEP president Dr. William Moyer said. “We believe the information that will be exchanged will build the foundation for objective decision making about race-day medication here in the United States.”
“This summit represents an effort to bring together racing representatives from around the world to exchange information on the various approaches to managing medication use, especially regarding the management of EIPH, and for all to hear the overall perspectives of each on horse racing in general,” RMTC chairman Dr. Robert Lewis said. “Every country that conducts racing encounters problems at one time or another, but EIPH is a universal problem.
“RMTC believes it cannot be anything but beneficial to open the lines of communication between international stakeholders so that we can learn from one another to improve racing and protect the horses.”