COLORADO HORSE-RACING ASSOCIATION

PRESS RELEASE The terrible tragedy and loss of 27 thoroughbreds at three private barns near Charles Town Races will forever remain in the memory of local horsemen and horsewomen. I have never witnessed such a horrible site - but as we all worked our way through the next nine or so hours in taking care of the surviving horses, kittens and goats, while responding to the news media and others, a spirit of unity by the horsemen/horsewomen, Charles Town staff and management, emergency services, and many more were witnessed.

As always, firefighters and emergency service personnel were extraordinary. The corporations of Charles Town Races and the city of Ranson were always on-site with the Mayor of Ranson remained all day. Governor Joe Manchin had key staffers on the scene offering to help with local vets and Southern States delivered complimentary feed for the horses. The Charles Town Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (CTHBPA) had hay and wood shavings delivered with the cooperation of racetrack employees, and track management opened a barn for the surviving horses to be housed.

The ability to come together in this time of need to help the horses, and all the individuals involved, went beyond words and was an example of how I wish things were all the time and really showed the true spirit of horsemen helping horsemen. If you would like to assist the horsemen in this crisis the information is below.

KHRC Pledges to Consider Input on Testing
by Tom LaMarra
Date Posted: 8/25/2010 1:32:33 PM
Last Updated: 8/25/2010 1:41:24 PM

Kentucky Horse Racing Commission officials acknowledged concerns about aspects of the proposed out-of-competition testing of racehorses and pledged Aug. 25 to consider the input before the regulations are approved.Attendees of a second “town hall” meeting to discuss the plan expressed support for out-of-competition testing—primarily for blood-doping agents—in Kentucky. But the devil is in the details and the rush to get emergency regulations in place for the Nov. 5-6 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs.

“This is a draft,” KHRC assistant general counsel Tim West told horsemen and veterinarians during the meeting at the Keeneland track kitchen. “All of this is still subject to discussion.”The discussion was similar to that of an Aug. 24 KHRC town hall meeting at Churchill. A major concern is the possible penalizing of innocent parties under the draft regulations.

Kentucky Thoroughbred Association executive director David Switzer asked why a trainer would be suspended if he or she had no problem with a horse being tested, but the owner of the horse refused. He said Kentucky-based trainers could end up losing all their owners because one owner refused a test.A refusal would bring a one-year suspension for the horse in question, up to a $50,000 fine for the owner and trainer, and license suspension for up to 10 years for the owner and trainer.“Legally, can you justify this?” asked Marty Maline, executive director of the Kentucky Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association.

“Certainly this is something that is going to get a lot of discussion,” West said, noting the KHRC rules committee will meet Aug. 26 to further examine the regulation. “It needs some more thought and some more work. Alternatives will be discussed, and hopefully decisions will be made.

”Horsemen’s representatives again suggested the emergency rules be put in place for Breeders’ Cup only. West said there would be time to make changes before the actual regulations are adopted, but noted the emergency regulation would be on the books for six months.

Trainer John Ward Jr., a member of the KHRC, said he would like clarification of the trainer responsibility rule, which would apply to out-of-competition testing. Ward said there are many cases in which trainers are relieved of their responsibilities by owners, and there can be gaps between one trainer’s firing and the hiring of another.Ward asked how regulators would prove culpability in the case of an offense.

“Once a horse leaves the custody of a trainer, the horse is in limbo,” Ward said. “We can’t lock into something that puts us in jeopardy.

”The regulations will pertain to all breeds that race in Kentucky. KHRC member Alan Leavitt, a prominent owner-breeder of Standardbreds, said use of blood-doping agents such as erythropoietin (EPO) “is well on its way to destroying (harness racing).

”Leavitt alleged a trainer with a high winning percentage is responsible for driving two major owners out of the Standardbred business. He focused his comments on trainers.

“The owner should not be the issue here,” Leavitt said. “People are saying (the proposed penalties) would be the death penalty. That’s what we want it to be. There are no varying degrees of pregnancy.”It seems unlikely anything radical will be included in the regulations given the fact they will have to go through the normal hearing and legislative process even after the emergency rules are adopted. West noted there are provisions for “mitigating circumstances,” meaning actual penalties could be substantially less than those listed in the regulations.

The American Quarter Horse Association is reporting the death of Frank J. "Scoop" Vessels III, a member of a prominent California Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred racing and breeding family that formerly owned Los Alamitos racecourse and currently owns and operates Vessels Stallion Farm in Bonsall. Vessels, born in 1952, was believed to have been killed in the crash of a private plane he owned while on a fishing trip in either Montana or Oregon. The plane, reportedly carrying Vessels and a friend, Sam Cannell, crashed Wednesday around 9 a.m. Pacific time, about 70 miles south of Burns, Ore., in the southeast quadrant of the state.

"That's two legends in the Quarter Horse business gone, Blane (Schvaneveldt, the Hall of Fame trainer who died last month) and Scoop," said Mike Pegram, a Thoroughbred owner who got started in the Quarter Horse world and was a close friend of Vessels. "With Scoop, what you see is what you got. He loved the land, he loved the horses. He was just a gentle soul, a gentle soul that had a passion for horse racing. You saw that in the Quarter Horses, where his family was a legacy, and he worked to carry it on to the Thoroughbreds. He had the same passion for the Thoroughbreds that he did for Quarter Horses. My last time together with Scoop was in a meeting where he was just trying to move the ball forward for California racing. That's what he worked so hard to do: move the ball forward."

The National HBPA has secured very valuable Insurance coverage for the membership.

Owner & Trainer Liability is designed to protect your assets in the event that you are found liable for bodily injury or damage to property arising from your horse activities (including breeding, racing, sales and training).

WASHINGTON UPDATE "No-Match" Rule Rescinded The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a final rule that will rescind the so called "no-match" rule. DHS originally issued the "no match" rule in August of 2007 in an attempt to crackdown on employers who "knowingly" hired undocumented workers. The rule required an employer that received a "no match" letter from the Social Security Administration (SSA), indicating that an employee's name and the social security number did not match, to resolve the discrepancy within 90 days or terminate the employee. It provided for a "safe harbor" procedure that employers could follow, ending with the employee's termination within 90 days if the mismatch could not be resolved. If the employer did not follow the "safe harbor" rules, it would be subject to increased fines and criminal penalties. At that time various labor and business groups filed suit seeking an injunction against the DHS enforcing the rule, which they believed was severely flawed. In October 2007, the U.S. District Court for Northern California barred DHS and the Department of Commerce from enforcing the new measures. "After further review, DHS has determined to focus its enforcement efforts relating to the employment of aliens not authorized to work in the United States on increased compliance through improved verification, including participation in E-Verify, ICE Mutual Agreement Between Government and Employers (IMAGE), and other programs," stated the DHS announcement. The final rule rescinding the "no match" rule will go into effect November 6, 2009. Please contact the AHC with any questions. American Horse Council · 1616 H Street NW 7th Floor · Washington D.C., 20006 Phone - (202) 296-4031 · Fax - (202) 296-1970 · Web Address - www.horsecouncil.org