NEWS RELEASE
May 25, 2017
The Water Hay Oats Alliance (WHOA)
commends Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY) and Congressman Paul Tonko (D-NY) for
their leadership and commitment in the development and introduction of H.R.
2651, The Horseracing Integrity Act of 2017 today in Washington, DC.
Both Congressmen have been engaged and attuned in learning about the issue
of medication reform in horseracing and in working with a cross-section of
industry representatives to create a solution that meets racings
needs as a whole.
H.R.
2651 mandates the development of an independent anti-doping program for
horse racing through the establishment of the independent Horseracing
Anti-Doping and Medication Control Authority, whose board will be
controlled by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and will have strong
industry input and participation. The legislation addresses the
lack of uniformity in medication policies and practices in American racing
and puts U.S. racing jurisdictions in alignment with international
standards. National oversight is desperately needed to supersede the
current patchwork of 38 racing jurisdictions in U.S. racing, bringing them
all under one set of uniform rules for testing
standards, protocols and penalties. Importantly, the anti-doping
program will be funded by the industry and will not require any federal tax
dollars.
Founded
in 2012, The Water Hay Oats Alliance (WHOA) is a grassroots
movement of like-minded individuals who support the passage of federal
legislation to bring uniformity and integrity to horse racing by
prohibiting the use of performance-enhancing drugs in the sport. WHOA represents a group of
over 1,500 industry stakeholders: owners, breeders, trainers, jockeys,
equine practitioners, industry professionals, handicappers and racing
fans. WHOA supports clean sport and recognizes the
importance and necessity of a national anti-doping agency for horse racing,
not only for clean competition, but for the welfare and safety of our human
and equine athletes, for the soundness of the American breed, and for
transparency of the bettor's gaming dollar.
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