Like the National Football League or the Olympics, the American Quarter Horse Association ensures the safety of the American Quarter Horse and a level playing field by testing for banned substances at AQHA shows. Since 1973, AQHA has been a leader in the equine industry in drug testing thousands of horses at hundreds of shows, including the AQHA, AQHYA and Bayer Select World Championship shows.

Now, it’s going to get even tougher for those who choose to use performance-enhancing drugs or exceed the limits of approved medications. Based on a recommendation from a drugs and medications task force, AQHA will conduct random drug testing at approximately 300 approved shows a year, starting in 2005.

“The task force, which included members from the show and contest, judges and Professional Horsemen’s committees, met to discuss the increased costs of drug testing and the decreasing number of states voluntarily testing at their shows,” said Gary Griffith, AQHA executive director of registration. “Their recommendations, which were approved by the Executive Committee, should significantly increase our ability to protect the American Quarter Horse and ensure a fair and competitive show environment.”

IMPLEMENTATION
Since 1980, AQHA has spent more than $1.7 million on drug testing at shows. In addition, many of the AQHA Affiliates in each state voluntarily conducted drug testing. Unfortunately, increasing testing costs had decreased the number of affiliates choosing to test from a maximum of 18 to just six in 2004.

To fund the increased testing, the task force recommended, and the Executive Committee approved, that show management collect a $3 per horse fee at every show within the United States, excluding California, where the state government already charges a $5 per horse fee to conduct in-state testing. In addition, AQHA will add more than $250,000 to the program, making a total drug-testing budget of almost $1 million per year.

The fee will be collected on a per-show basis, so the fee will be doubled for a split-combined or double-judged show, where competitors receive two sets of points.

“ The increase in testing requires additional funding,” said AQHA Director of Shows Charlie Hemphill. “The task force agreed that a per-horse fee would be the most equitable for all competitors. The task force members didn’t want to discourage our all-around competitors by establishing a per entry fee.”

The task force worked to set the lowest possible fee to limit costs to exhibitors. Hemphill pointed to California’s state-mandated $5 per horse as one example of a higher fee. The United States Equestrian Federation charges $7 per horse per show to fund its drug-testing program.

The fee will not be collected outside of the United States because of the difficulty in transporting biological materials (blood and urine samples) across international borders to test for banned substances. However, many Canadian shows are tested by Canadian laboratories, which share their results with AQHA. California’s state government also sends results to AQHA headquarters.

BOTTOM LINE
“ The recommendations of the drug and medications task force underpin the integrity of our shows and follow the horse-welfare mission established by the members of AQHA,” Hemphill said. “The additional funding will help assure that AQHA’s rules of competition are followed in each state.”

DRUG TESTING PROGRAM
Increase testing to approximately 300 shows.
$3 per-horse, per-show fee will fund additional testing.
AQHA will add more than $250,000 to drug-testing budget.
Total drug-testing budget should approach $1 million for 2005.

COMPLETE RULES
For more information on AQHA therapeutic medication rules and for AQHA’s policy statement on the welfare of the American Quarter Horse, refer to the 2005 AQHA Handbook of Rules and Regulations. To receive a copy of the handbook, call (806) 376-4811.