Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation announced today that it will host the 10th Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit on June 22, 2022, at Keeneland. The event will be co-hosted by The Jockey Club. The previous summit was held in June 2020 as a virtual webinar series due to COVID-19.
Like previous summits, the event will be free and open to the public in the Keeneland sales pavilion as well as streamed live online. The agenda will include a review of the Thoroughbred industry’s implementation of safety recommendations developed at the first summit in 2006 as well as a presentation by Dr. Tim Parkin on the latest statistics from the Equine Injury Database. The full program and list of speakers will be announced at a later date.
“This year marks 16 years since the first Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit, and our 10th edition of this event will showcase the progress our industry has made during that time as well as areas of safety and welfare that continue to require our attention,” said Jamie Haydon, president of Grayson. “Keeneland has been a committed partner with us from the beginning, and we are thankful for their hospitality as well as their recognition of the importance of the summit to the Thoroughbred industry.”
“Keeneland is a firm believer in promoting the safety and welfare of our human and equine athletes,” said Shannon Arvin, president and chief executive officer of Keeneland. “The accomplishments of the previous summits are a testament to the value of this gathering, and Keeneland is proud to support it.”
Previous editions of the summit can be viewed on Grayson’s YouTube page and have received nearly 16,000 views. Among the major accomplishments that have evolved from the previous nine summits are the Equine Injury Database; the Jockey Injury Database; the Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory; a uniform trainer test and study guide; the racing surfaces white paper and publication of educational bulletins for track maintenance; the publication of stallion durability statistics; the Hoof: Inside and Out DVD, available in English and Spanish; protocols for horses working off of the veterinarian’s list; recommended regulations that void the claim of horses suffering injuries during a race; and inclement weather protocols.
About Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation
Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation is traditionally the nation’s leading source of private funding for equine medical research that benefits all breeds of horses. Since 1983, the foundation has provided more than $30.6 million to fund 397 projects at 45 universities in North America and overseas. Additional information about the foundation is available at grayson-jockeyclub.org.
