Horseracing Integrity Act
The Consumer Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a major hearing Tuesday on the Horseracing Integrity Act that brought together horse racing industry heavyweights and representatives from two major animal welfare groups to advocate for passage.
Witnesses included:
-- Hall of Fame Jockey Chris McCarron who had 7,141 wins during his career, winning the Kentucky Derby twice and the Breeders’ Cup Classic five times.
-- William M. Lear Jr., the vice chairman of The Jockey Club and a trustee of Keeneland.
-- Joe De Francis, the chairman of the Humane Society’s National Horse Racing Advisory Council and the former CEO of Pimlico and Laurel racetracks in Maryland.
-- Marty Irby, executive director of Animal Wellness Action.
The panel presented a unanimous call for reform in the industry.
“There are far too many horses becoming injured,” McCarron testified. “Instead of giving the animal the rest it needs, a trainer can rely on his/her veterinarian to administer a medication to mask pain by reducing inflammation caused by an injury. This bill directly addresses one of the leading causes of breakdowns.”
The HIA would create a private, independent national horse racing anti-doping authority to be led by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, the official anti-doping agency for the U.S. Olympic, Pan American, and Paralympic sports. A new set of rules, testing procedures, and penalties would replace the current patchwork of regulatory systems that govern horse racing’s 38 jurisdictions.
Witnesses included:
-- Hall of Fame Jockey Chris McCarron who had 7,141 wins during his career, winning the Kentucky Derby twice and the Breeders’ Cup Classic five times.
-- William M. Lear Jr., the vice chairman of The Jockey Club and a trustee of Keeneland.
-- Joe De Francis, the chairman of the Humane Society’s National Horse Racing Advisory Council and the former CEO of Pimlico and Laurel racetracks in Maryland.
-- Marty Irby, executive director of Animal Wellness Action.
The panel presented a unanimous call for reform in the industry.
“There are far too many horses becoming injured,” McCarron testified. “Instead of giving the animal the rest it needs, a trainer can rely on his/her veterinarian to administer a medication to mask pain by reducing inflammation caused by an injury. This bill directly addresses one of the leading causes of breakdowns.”
The HIA would create a private, independent national horse racing anti-doping authority to be led by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, the official anti-doping agency for the U.S. Olympic, Pan American, and Paralympic sports. A new set of rules, testing procedures, and penalties would replace the current patchwork of regulatory systems that govern horse racing’s 38 jurisdictions.