Guidance on the BHA's Equine Anti-Doping Rules
LETTER FROM ADAM BRICKELL, BHA DIRECTOR OF INTEGRITY, LEGAL AND RISK, RE: THE BHA'S EQUINE ANTI-DOPING RULES
Dear Breeder,
Firstly, thank you for your patience whilst we have been finalising British Racing’s new Equine Anti-Doping Rules and accompanying Guide, which are linked to from this email. This process has taken longer than we had anticipated, but we hope that this information will assist you in ensuring you fully understand, and are able to comply with, the new Rules. Please note that these Rules come into effect on Monday 2 March 2015.
The main purpose of the new Equine Anti-Doping Rules is to deliver the Anabolic Steroids Policy which we announced in June 2014. The key aim of that Policy is to require that horses are not administered with an anabolic steroid at any point in their lives, with that aim being supported by stricter registration requirements, the introduction of greater access to horses for testing, along with increased controls on imports and runners from overseas.
We are determined to ensure that British Racing remains at the forefront of tackling an issue that ranks amongst the biggest threats faced by any sport. There is no evidence to suggest that the use of anabolic steroids is endemic in Britain, but in order to ensure that this remains the case it is key that British Racing, working collaboratively, is suitably equipped in terms of both detection and deterrence, and that our policies and Rules are appropriate and robust.
We are also committed to providing a level playing field for all of our participants, in order that all within the sport can have confidence that you are competing on an equal basis at all times.
We recognise that the enhanced Rules represent a significant change and that there are additional administrative responsibilities placed on our participants. However, we want to provide as much clarity and support as possible. To this end we have published a Guide to the Equine Anti-Doping Rules, which can be downloaded here. We hope that the Guide will answer any questions which you may have in relation to the new Rules.
In addition, all of the Equine Anti-Doping Rules themselves have been condensed into one Manual, which you can find here.
We have answered in summary, below, some of the main questions which we anticipate you may have about the new Rules, based on consultation with your representative bodies. However, please ensure you also read the Rules themselves, and the Guide, which contains a further compilation of frequently asked questions.
Overall we want to assure you that if you adhere to the Rules then you will have nothing to worry about – the Rules do not provide traps which could see you unfairly impacted by events which may have been beyond your control or which took place before the implementation of the new Rules.
More specifically, these Rules come into effect on 2 March 2015, and they are forward-looking only. Whilst we have the ability to use hair sample analysis as part of our anti-doping programme, we will not take action against Responsible Persons, or horses, for historic (pre-2 March 2015) administrations of anabolic steroids which were not in breach of the Rules in force at the time. We have set out an explanatory scenario in the frequently asked questions, below, which we hope makes this point clear. We are also, as a priority, working on putting in place a system to allow participants to have their horses tested for anabolic steroids, and we expect to make a further announcement on this in the next few weeks.
Most importantly though, we are here to assist you if you have any further questions. Please do not hesitate to contact the BHA on 0207 152 0090 with any queries, or email our dedicated address at [email protected]. Please also note that all of this information is available on our website at http://www.britishhorseracing.com/resource-centre/anti-doping-medication-control/, and it will be updated with any additional questions we receive over the next few days, along with the answers.
Once again, thank you for your patience, and your support.
Yours faithfully
Adam Brickell, Director of Integrity, Legal and Risk
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What do I have to do to register a foal, and what is the deadline? All horses born in Britain from 1 January 2015 onwards must have their complete registration received at the General Stud Book within 12 months of their birth. This will reduce to six months for the 2017 foal crop. The registration process remains almost exactly the same as currently – the only difference is the breeder (or their agent on their behalf) must sign a declaration that they agree to be bound by the Rules of Racing, and they confirm the horse hasn’t been administered or could have ingested any substances which are prohibited at all times (including anabolic steroids) at any point in its life. More information is available within the Guide.
Can I have a horse tested before I sell it to provide protection to the purchaser and demonstrate that my horse is free of anabolic steroids? The BHA is in constructive discussions with regards to implementing testing at the sales that can be conducted to BHA’s standards. We are hoping this can be implemented during the course of 2015. In the meantime it is possible to have the horse tested through the sales ring. At the current time, and certainly for the sales in spring 2015, these will not be to the same standards as the BHA’s testing, and therefore this testing is not a guarantee that the horse will pass any testing by the BHA, or that it won’t subsequently be found to have been administered an anabolic steroid. However, it does provide the purchaser with some level of protection. We are looking into the possibility of introducing a similar option for private purchases.
What if a veterinary surgeon advises that a horse should be administered anabolic steroids? If you intend for the horse to continue racing, the treatment must not be given. Vets must not advise that a horse should be administered anabolic steroids whilst the horse in question remains subject to the Equine Anti-Doping Rules. If the vet does so advise, and/or actually completes the administration, the BHA will consider whether the vet has also breached any Equine Anti-Doping Rules. However, this is in no way designed to override primary welfare concerns. In the incredibly rare scenario where the administration of certain substances or methods which are not covered by the above exemptions is absolutely essential to the horse’s wellbeing then the horse should always come first. The consequence of this would be that the horse will not be eligible to race in Great Britain for 14 months, but this should not override the health and welfare of the animal.
We hope that you will take the time to read the Guide. While there are some extra administrative responsibilities involved, the overall objective of the zero-tolerance Rules are to make it very clear what does and does not constitute a breach of those Rules. Most importantly though, the BHA are always available to help if you have any questions.
For more information contact:
Equine Anti-Doping British Horseracing Authority
t: 0207 152 0090 e: [email protected]