The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC) board of directors
announced Wednesday that it will join the National Thoroughbred Racing Association
(NTRA) and American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) in organizing an
international summit this summer to address race-day medication. The exact date
and location of the summit will be announced in the very near future. The
announcement came following a day-long meeting of the RMTC on Tuesday in
Dallas.
“With our scientific research and our Drug Testing Initiative (DTI), we have the
infrastructure to help the industry administer, in a uniform and effective
manner, any medication program it chooses to pursue,” said Dr. Rick Arthur, RMTC
officer and equine medical director for the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB).
“The NTRA welcomes the opportunity to bring together a broad range of
international industry views on race-day medication,” said Alex Waldrop,
president and CEO of the NTRA. “Our goal is to ensure that all stakeholders are
included in the dialogue so that the ultimate conclusions are based on an
objective evaluation of the facts.”
AAEP Executive Director David Foley also responded to RMTC’s call for action,
saying, “The AAEP is pleased to co-sponsor this meeting and stands ready to
assist the industry in any way that we can. Our chief concern is for the health
and welfare of the horse, and ensuring the integrity and vitality of the sport.”
In other action, the RMTC directors confirmed that Dr. Scot Waterman has
resigned his position as executive director of RMTC, effective April 29. The
board acknowledged the many accomplishments of Waterman, who has served as
executive director of RMTC for 10 years.
“The RMTC is one of the industry’s best examples of cooperation and
collaboration and Scot deserves credit for much of the progress that was made on
various medication and drug testing initiatives over the past decade,” RMTC
Chairman Dr. Robert Lewis said. “We are very grateful to him for his dedication, his
integrity and his hard work and we wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
A search committee has been appointed to identify a replacement for Waterman.
In the interim, the RMTC has retained Dr. Gregg Scoggins as a project manager to
oversee its Drug Testing Initiative, therapeutic medication
administration and threshold level research. Scoggins received his DVM and
law degrees from the University of Illinois in 1990 and 1991, respectively.
For nearly 20 years Dr. Scoggins has represented numerous participants in
both the veterinary profession and the horseracing industry. He is no stranger
to the projects that he will be managing, having previously served on the RMTC
board as a representative for Magna Entertainment Corporation.
“We felt it was important to have an individual dedicated to overseeing these
two initiatives and Greg fits the bill,” Lewis said. “He will be a valuable
resource as he understands science and industry dynamics, and served an
extensive period on the RMTC board.”
Business will continue as usual in the RMTC office located in Lexington, Kentuck,
and all inquiries regarding the ongoing work of the RMTC can be addressed to
either Director of Communications Hallie Lewis or Executive Assistant for
Administration Rebecca Hills.
“Make no mistake about it, RMTC will continue to move forward with our
efforts to strengthen the integrity of racing,” Lewis added. “We have good
momentum in our projects and do not intend to let anything slow us down.”
In other RMTC business:
- Research updates were provided on ongoing RMTC administration studies on
a wide array of therapeutic medications, with many nearing completion. - A revised penalty structure was approved for the 2 mg/ml threshold limit
for phenylbutazone and will be sent to the Association of Racing
Commissioners International for their review. - Mike Ziegler, executive director of the NTRA Safety and Integrity
Alliance, was unanimously appointed as the racing industry representative on
the Horse Testing Laboratory Committee (HTLC). - Mike Tanner, president of the United States Trotting Association, was
elected as RMTC Treasurer.
The RMTC consists of 25 racing industry stakeholders and organizations that
represent Thoroughbred, Standardbred, American Quarter Horse and Arabian racing.
The organization works to develop and promote uniform rules, policies and
testing standards at the national level; coordinate research and educational
programs that seek to ensure the integrity of racing and the health and welfare
of racehorses and participants; and protect the interests of the racing public.
For additional information, visit the RMTC website at rmtcnet.com or
contact Lewis at 859-224-2848.