Columbus, OH — Now is the time to speak up to tell the Federal Trade Commission to put an end to the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit’s punishment of blameless horsemen for trace levels of substances that are found throughout the environment and have no effect on a horse’s performance or health.
The U.S. Trotting Association encourages all horsemen, industry participants and fans to submit a formal comment to the FTC requesting rule changes to establish no-effect thresholds by the deadline of this Friday (Aug. 9) by following these instructions.
Click here.
Click “SUBMIT A FORMAL COMMENT” in the green box on the right, near the top;
Write your own personalized comment in support of the Petition for Rulemaking or simply write this:
“I respectfully request that the Commission initiate rulemaking to establish no-effect thresholds for all of the medications or substances tested by HIWU. Setting no-effect thresholds will protect honest horsemen from false allegations of cheating, and it will improve public perception of the sport. The current process is harming the horse-racing industry by publicly shaming good men and women who have in fact stood for integrity in the sport for years.”
Type in your email address;
Select that you are an “individual” or the answer that best describes you;
Check the box that you have read and understood the statement above; and
Click “SUBMIT COMMENT.”
“The National HBPA is committed to doing everything it can to protect horsemen,” said National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association CEO Eric Hamelback when his organization filed a Petition for Rulemaking urging the FTC to issue no-effect thresholds for substances tested by HIWU.
We need to reshape the HIWU system into one that does not punish blameless trainers and their owners for barely detectible levels of foreign substances,” added Hamelback. “The current process is harming the horse-racing industry by publicly shaming as dopers good men and women with reputations for integrity in the sport. Worst of all, these ‘adverse’ analytical findings are doing nothing to protect the safety of horses.”
If our industry fails to act now, the FTC might overlook this important petition. The USTA request that you please share these instructions on your social media and encourage your family, friends, employees, and racing contacts to show their support by posting a public comment.