NEWS
Third Welfare, Safety Summit scheduled for late June
Posted: Wednesday, March 17, 2010 9:54 AM
The Jockey Club and Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation have scheduled a third Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit for June 28 and 29 at Keeneland.
A steering committee is developing an agenda for the two-day workshop designed to explore ways to enhance the safety and soundness of Thoroughbred racehorses. Around 60 people, including jockeys, trainers, owners, breeders, veterinarians, scientists, track superintendents, racing officials, educators, farriers, industry leaders, and racetrack management personnel, have been invited to participate.
The first day will be an educational forum, open to the public.
The original Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit in October 2006 resulted in the formation of committees in the following six areas deemed critical to enhancing horse health and extending the careers of racehorses: on-track injury reporting, shoeing and hoof care, education and licensing, race conditions, racing surfaces, and durability.
A second summit was held in March 2008 to review recommendations from the original summit and explore new safety initiatives. Recommendations from the summits served as starting points when the Jockey Club’s Thoroughbred Safety Committee began examining potential industry reforms following its formation in May 2008.
“Many of the welfare and safety initiatives that have been recommended and adopted in recent years trace their roots to our first two summits,” said Edward Bowen, president of Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation. “I expect the interaction and dialogue among participants at the upcoming summit to yield additional ideas and recommendations that will be beneficial to our sport.”
The strategic plan and recommendations that came out of the original summit, presentations, research articles, committee updates, and other information can be found on the Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit website, grayson-jockeyclub.org/summit.
