The first-ever "International Summit on Race Day Medication, EIPH and the Racehorse" will take place June 13-14 in New York City. (Location TBD)  The event is jointly sponsored by the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), and the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC).  

The summit will include participation by representatives from major racing jurisdictions around the world, including Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia—along with the U.S. and Canada.  Summit panels will offer wide-ranging discussions on such topics as: regulatory issues surrounding race day medication; veterinary viewpoints on the management of Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH); and the management of EIPH from the perspective of trainers. 

"Our goal is to shine a light on how other countries manage a variety of issues relating to race day medication. We look forward to providing a forum for sharing valuable perspectives from some of the world's foremost trainers, regulatory authorities and veterinarians." said Alex Waldrop, President and CEO of the NTRA.

"The summit presents a tremendous opportunity for racing representatives from across the globe to learn from each other," said Dr. William Moyer, AAEP President.  "We believe the information that will be exchanged will build the foundation for objective decision making about race day medication here in the United States."  

"This summit represents an effort to bring together racing representatives from around the world to exchange information on the various approaches to managing medication use, especially regarding the management of EIPH, and for all to hear the overall perspectives of each on horse racing in general. Every country that conducts racing encounters problems at one time or another, but EIPH is a universal problem,” said RMTC Chairman Dr. Robert Lewis. “RMTC believes it cannot be anything but beneficial to open the lines of communication between international stakeholders so that we can learn from one another to improve racing and protect the horses." 

The American Association of Equine Practitioners, headquartered in Lexington, Ky., was founded in 1954 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the health and welfare of the horse.  Currently, the AAEP reaches more than 5 million horse owners through its over 10,000 members worldwide and is actively involved in ethics issues, practice management, research and continuing education in the equine veterinary profession and horse industry. 

The NTRA is a broad-based coalition of horse racing interests consisting of leading Thoroughbred racetracks, owners, breeders, trainers, horseplayers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity of horse racing and improving economic conditions for industry participants. The NTRA has offices in Lexington, Ky., and Rye Brook, N.Y. NTRA press releases appear on the NTRA web site, NTRA.com. 

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. 

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