COLUMBUS, Ohio - In remarks made
before the Board of Directors of the United States Trotting Association this
past weekend, Association of Racing Commissioners International (RCI) President
Ed Martin indicated that he expected regulators would set a uniform approach on
cobalt when they meet in Tampa, Florida, at meetings held April 21-23, 2015.
Martin predicted that the regulators
would act to set in motion a ban on intentional cobalt administrations out of
equine welfare concerns and the possibility of performance enhancement.
Horses found with elevated cobalt
levels would be excluded from competition until such levels subsided. Trainers
of horses with cobalt levels indicative of an intentional administration would
face sanctions and suspension.
“Regulatory veterinary staff in
several jurisdictions have received complaints and/or observed instances where
a cobalt administration has caused distress and colic in horses, causing cramps
and muscle twitching, sweating, and pain,” said Martin.
“We are obviously concerned about the
use of cobalt with the belief that it will enhance performance. But while the
published science is not fully settled at what point that actually happens, we
believe it is wrong to deliberately put a horse in discomfort absent a
compelling medical reason to treat a serious ailment or injury. This issue is
about the horse and not just about doping,”
he said.
The RCI Executive Committee met last
week and was unanimous in its desire that a uniform approach be adopted to
prohibit cobalt administration in a way that does not impact those who have not
deliberately administered it.
RCI’s Drug Testing Standards and
Practices Committee will meet on Thursday morning, April 23, 2015 to consider
options on cobalt regulatory thresholds. Recommendations from RCI science
advisors as well as other organizations such as the Racing Medication and
Testing Consortium (RMTC) will be considered.
In addition, Dr. Terrance S.M. Wan,
the head of the Racing Laboratory and Chief Racing Chemist for the Hong Kong
Jockey Cub, will be participating in the RCI meetings. Dr. Wan is the author,
along with others, of a 2014 study entitled “Controlling the Misuse of Cobalt
in Horses”.
The Association of Racing
Commissioners International is the only umbrella organization of official rule
making entities dealing with the totality of all professional horse racing. The
ARCI sets standards for racing regulation, medication policy, drug testing
labs, tote systems, racetrack operation and security, and off-track wagering
entities. Its members are the only independent entities recognized to license,
enforce, and adjudicate matters pertaining to racing.
