Doping in horse racingAuthor: Robert-Alexandru Vlad

Co-author: Cristina Popa

Cristian-Adrian Dogariu

Gabriel Cosmin Popescu

Anca Stanca

Coordinator: Associate Professor Gabriel Hancu, PhD

University of Medicine and Pharmacy Tîrgu Mures Faculty of Pharmacy

MARISIENSISThe International Sciencific Congress

What does doping mean?

Definition: “the use of a substance not normally present in the body or of any physiological agent when introduced in:

- abnormal additional quantities; - abnormal route;

- abnormal manner;Purpose: “increasing the performance of that

individual during the period of competition”

Horse racing- royal sport

• show jumping;

• dressage;

• carriage driving;

• endurance riding;

• reining;

• vaulting.

Anti doping agencies

• WADA – WORLD ANTI DOPING AGENCY• FEI – FÉDÉRATION EQUESTRE

INTERNATIONALE (International Equestrian Federation)

• FEI mission: to advance equestrian sport world-wide by promoting, regulating and administering humane and sportsmanlike international competition in traditional equestrian disciplines.

• FEI Code of Conduct

FEI’s list of prohibited substances

• legal medications that are administered inappropriately (e.g., a miscalculated withdrawal time),

• performance enhancing drugs (which have no place in competition),

• naturally occurring prohibited substances (NOPS) in feeds;

• accidental contaminants in feeds

Feedstuffs, October 29, 2012

Prohibited substancesClass Substances Activity

NSAIDs Ampyrone, benorilat, bromfenac, celecoxib

Analgesic, anti-inflamatory drugs

Beta- blockers Acebutolol, alprenolol, betaxolol, carvedilol

Anti-arrhythmic, reducing blood pressure, anti-angina

Opiod analgesic carfentanil., dihydromorphine, morphine

Analgesics

Anxiolytic Chlordiazepoxide, buspirone, alprazolam

Reduces fear

Hormone Aldosterone, Growth factors, Growth Hormones

Various effects

Bronchidilator Isoprenaline, orciprenaline, formoterol

Anti-asthma

Artificial gas carriers in blood Perfluorocarbons. Perfluorodecalin, perfluorooctylbromide

Blood substitute

FEI Anti-doping statisticsYear Number of events Total horses sample

2002 354 1949

2003 369 2162

2004 387 2237

2005 416 2563

2006 517 3171

2007 519 3270

2008 539 3356

2009 551 3535

2010 547 3540

2011 575 3767

2012 553 3877

2013 582 3982

2014 632 4752

http://www.fei.org/fei/cleansport/ad-h/prohibited-list

FEI Anti-doping statistics

Positive cases of horse doping

Year Average of horses sampled per event

Percentage of positive cases

2009 9.2 1 %

2010 8.5 0,7%

2011 8.4 0,5%

2012 8.8 0,2%

2013 8.6 0.7 %

2014 9.4 0.65%

Annual Report 2014http://www.fei.org/fei/about-fei/publications/fei-annual-report/2014

Anti-doping and medication controlMedication - veterinary treatment justifiably provided to safeguard the animal’s health and welfare;

“ 10.1.1 If the Person Responsible establishes that he or she bears NoFault or Negligence for the EAD Rule violation, the individual results

of the Person Responsible in the other Competitions shall not beDisqualified unless these results in Competitions other than the

Competition in which the EAD Rule violation occurred were likely tohave been affected by the EAD Rule violation of the Person

Responsible.”“ 10.1.2 In addition, the Horse of the Person Responsible may also beDisqualified for the Event with all Consequences, including forfeitureof all medals, points, and prizes even if earned while being ridden bysomeone other than the Person Responsible, if the Horse’s results in

Competitions other than the Competition in which the EAD Ruleviolation occurred were likely to have been affected by the EAD Rule

violation. “

The dividing line between the use of medication to treat injury and disease as opposed to preparing horses for competition is narrow and difficult to define.

Future ?• many performance modifying substances employed by human

athletes are likely to be tried in horse competitions;

• there will always be riders, trainers and veterinarians who will attempt to get more out of an animal using exogenous aid;

• blood doping - recombinant erythropoietin;

• equine recombinant growth hormone;

• gene doping - cells, genes, genetic elements, or modulated gene expression used to try and improve athletic performance;

• the battle against doping is far from won and, although sport may be fairer or not than ever before, the “winning” horse may still not be the “best”.

Conclusions

• A good game should be a competition between rivals. A game between competitors in conditions of inequality is not a good game;

• When there exist conditions of equality in a game, the result will only be decided in the final moments, a characteristic which adds drama to the competition;

• Human athletes decide for themselves if they wish to take drugs, horses do not !

• There is a moral and ethical dimension when medicating animals !

• Sport could lose popularity among followers!• The health of the horse can be affected.

Still not first?

Do you want to win???Take my horse for a ride!!

The Hulk horse!

FEI Code of Conduct: “…at all times the welfare of the horse must be paramount and must never be subordinated to competitive or commercial influences”

FINISH .. .