Page 20 - Speedhorse December 2019

AQHA RACING UPDATE
The Times, They Are A-Changin’
Come gather ‘round, people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’
Or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’.
- Bob Dylan
Janet VanBebber
December 2019 • AQHA Racing Update
EMBRACE CHANGE
by Janet VanBebber, AQHA Chief Racing Officer
The lyrics to the left are from a Bob Dylan song from the 60’s, which resonate with what’s going on in our industry today.
I spent the better part of my life under a shedrow taking care of horses. I loved each and every one that was entrusted into my care, and meticulously tended to the most minute detail of their existence. In my role as one of the nation’s leading trainers, I was very resistant to any change, particularly increased regulation because I didn’t like limitations on how I could care for a horse. I was responsible in my choices, and today I rest easy at night knowing I always put the needs of the horse before the de- sire to race. However, not everyone is as responsible, and regulators are therefore empowered with the authority to implement measures to protect horses and safeguard them from potential harm. Our industry has reached a crisis, and each jurisdiction is answering to a more vocalized call of the public to substantiate that they are doing enough to protect horses from a catastrophic end, or any harm for that matter. Consequently, the times they are a-changin’....
I know that many horsemen today are, like I once was, extremely resistant to change. My friends, please listen to me: it is imperative that we embrace change in order to safeguard our horses, and the future of our sport! I have endured personal criticism because people take offense to AQHA’s stance on medication. I appreciate that everyone has the right to their own opinion, but I’m trying to con- vey an understanding of the big picture. This is not about a few given medications being prohibited in racehorses, this is about a paradigm shift in how we, as horsemen caring for our athletes, approach racing. In the words of Dylan, the waters around you have grown and you better start swimmin’. To my trainer friends: I implore you to sign on to the new ideology that we must bring less medi- cated horses to the races. Be a part of the solution...not a part of the problem. Those unwilling to adapt are likely to “sink like a stone” and take our industry with them.
In recent weeks, I have been very involved in discus- sions about a proposed Association of Racing Commis- sioners International Model Rule regarding a 14-day stand down on all intra-articular joint injections. Multiple industry organizations are endorsing this proposal to
make sure that when a regulatory veterinarian examines a horse before a race, that horse does not have a soundness problem that is being masked by medication. I worked hard to get a 12-day compromise, since many trials and fi- nals in our racing are two weeks apart. However, we in the Quarter Horse industry are a minority when participating in these discussions, and at present the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium is moving forward with recom- mending the 14-day proposal to the ARCI Model Rules Committee when it convenes in December. What I want you to take away is this: Regulators are considering this model rule to help ensure that sounder horses are going to be loaded into the starting gates. In these changing times, we must understand how critical this basic goal is to the horse and to our industry. Start swimming, folks.
A second modification that will be proposed at the coming Model Rules Committee for the Association of Racing Commissioners International is lowering the level of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). The proposal calls for no combination of different medications, and withdrawal (the latest time before a race a medication can be given) will be at 48 hours. The goal of this is the same as above: regulatory veterinarians need to be able to examine a horse without masking agents to afford the vet a better opportunity to assess the individual. If soundness issues are identified before a race and that horse is prevented from running, then lives can be saved. I wouldn’t have liked this when I was training – wanting my horses to be as happy as possible going into a race (I’ve got to tell you, I’m a little happier after I’ve taken a couple Advil, just like they are pretty happy when loaded with anti-inflammatories). But now that I see the big picture, it’s clear to me. This is about prevent- ing catastrophic loss. We need to accept the change, and thereby help positive reform in our industry. Are you still swimming? Sink or swim, folks, it’s that simple.
I will be in Tucson, Arizona, in December attend- ing the Global Symposium on Racing and the Associa- tion of Racing Commissioners International’s Quarter Horse Committee meeting and Model Rules meeting. These are the forums that affect change in our industry. I’ll keep you posted on what happens while there.
16 SPEEDHORSE, December 2019