International Federation of Horseracing Authorities chairman Louis Romanet joined the Water Hay Oats Alliance and annouced support for the Horseracing Integrity Act of 2017.
"I am pleased to see the reintroduction of the Horseracing Integrity Act of 2017, which will bring the United States closer to international standards of doping control rules, in-competition and out-of-competition testing, and enhanced laboratory proficiency standards, requirements, procedures, and protocols," Romanet said.
"I support WHOA and other likeminded individuals and organizations who support stricter and more uniform measures of doping control.
"The main objective of racing regulators is to protect the integrity of horseracing and the welfare of the horse through controlling the use of prohibited substances. Under no uncertain terms horses should compete only when free from the influence of medication and drugs, and there is a clear need for worldwide harmonization of rules that implement such doping control policies.
"It is vitally important that racing authorities all over the world adhere to strict measures of doping control as detailed in Article 6 of the International Agreement on Breeding, Racing, and Wagering. Harmonious rules, regulations, and protocols are critical to the development of global racing, as well as in one's own country, and to the safeguarding of fair play for participants, bettors, and stakeholders all around the world."
For more than 40 years, Romanet has been in charge of important responsibilities within the horse racing industry in France. The links between his family and French racing date back to 1907. He is the fourth person in his family, over a span of three generations, to work for the Société d'Encouragement. Romanet joined the organization in 1968 and was appointed director general in 1986.
When FRANCE GALOP was created in May 1995, Romanet was appointed director of organization and international affairs. Then, he became director general in 1998 until retiring in December 2007. Since January 2008, he has served as the counsellor of the chairman of France Galop for international affairs.
Romanet has served as chairman of the IFHA since its creation in 1994. And since 2004, he has been the chairman of the French Racing & Breeding Committee.
Over the years, Romanet has been awarded the decoration of Officer of the Legion of Honor (2009), The Derby Award by the British Association of the Racing Press (1990), The Gold Medal of the US Jockey Club (2007), The Special Sovereign Award from the Jockey Club of Canada (2007), The Gold Medal of the German Direktorium für Vollblutzucht und Rennen (2008), and The Japanese Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon (2010). In 2016, The Longines and IFHA International Award of Merit was presented to the Romanet family.
