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Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)2014; 200(1); 8-16; doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2014.01.006

Doping control analyses in horseracing: a clinician’s guide.

Abstract: Doping(1) in sports is highly detrimental, not only to the athletes involved but to the sport itself as well as to the confidence of the spectators and other participants. To protect the integrity of any sport, there must be in place an effective doping control program. In human sports, a 'top-down' and generally unified approach is taken where the rules and regulations against doping for the majority of elite sport events held in any country are governed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). However, in horseracing, there is no single organisation regulating this form of equestrian sport; instead, the rules and regulations are provided by individual racing authorities and so huge variations exist in the doping control programs currently in force around the world. This review summarises the current status of doping control analyses in horseracing, from sample collection, to the analyses of the samples, and to the need for harmonisation as well as exploring some of the difficulties currently faced by racing authorities, racing chemists and regulatory veterinarians worldwide.
Publication Date: 2014-01-17 PubMed ID: 24485918DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2014.01.006Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Review

Summary

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This research article provides a comprehensive overview of the current situation, challenges, and needs for harmonisation in the control of doping in horse racing, a sport where anti-doping regulations vary widely across different regions due to the lack of a central regulating body.

Unification of Doping Control in Horse Racing

  • Unlike human sports that follow rules from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), horse racing lacks a unified regulating body. As a result, individual racing authorities set their rules, leading to significant variations in doping control measures across different geographical regions.
  • The article suggests the need for a more coordinated effort towards doping control in horse racing akin to human sports’ top-down approach. A unified system could help enhance the sport’s integrity and spectators’ confidence.

Overview of Doping Control Analyses in Horse Racing

  • The article provides a comprehensive review of the doping control analyses applied in horse racing. This exploration ranges from sample collection and testing procedures to the need for harmonised protocols.
  • It highlights that although the sport lacks a global regulating organisation, common testing procedures could make the process more uniform and controlled. The primary objective is to identify and eliminate drug misuse in the sport.

Challenges in Doping Control

  • Complexities in doping control in horse racing are underscored including variations in the application and interpretation of rules across different racing authorities, identifying doping substances amidst a plethora of possible drugs, and the manipulation of samples.
  • The researchers call for the greater engagement of racing authorities, racing chemists, and regulatory veterinarians in overcoming these difficulties. They argue that these stakeholders have a vital role in advancing anti-doping initiatives.

Advocating for Harmony in Doping Control

  • The researchers argue for the need for harmonisation in doping control analysis in horse racing. They believe that uniformity in rules, testing procedures, and enforcement could lead to improved fairness and integrity in the sport.
  • To achieve this, they suggest that best practices from different races should be identified and then shared globally. This can help develop an international standard for doping control in horse racing.

Cite This Article

APA
Wong JK, Wan TS. (2014). Doping control analyses in horseracing: a clinician’s guide. Vet J, 200(1), 8-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2014.01.006

Publication

ISSN: 1532-2971
NlmUniqueID: 9706281
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 200
Issue: 1
Pages: 8-16
PII: S1090-0233(14)00015-X

Researcher Affiliations

Wong, Jenny K Y
  • Racing Laboratory, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Sha Tin Racecourse, Sha Tin, N.T., Hong Kong, China.
Wan, Terence S M
  • Racing Laboratory, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Sha Tin Racecourse, Sha Tin, N.T., Hong Kong, China. Electronic address: terence.sm.wan@hkjc.org.hk.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Doping in Sports / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Doping in Sports / prevention & control
  • Doping in Sports / statistics & numerical data
  • Horses / physiology
  • Physical Conditioning, Animal
  • Veterinary Medicine / standards

Citations

This article has been cited 13 times.
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