Horse Racing News Update: National HBPA Files Petition for No-Effect Thresholds Under HISA
In a significant development for the horse racing industry, the National Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association (National HBPA) has filed a petition for rulemaking with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The petition requests the FTC to create no-effect thresholds under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA).
The Importance of No-Effect Thresholds
The no-effect threshold, also known as a no-effect screening limit or no-effect cutoff, is a laboratory-testing detection level below which no owner or trainer will be punished for innocent and pharmacologically irrelevant concentrations of foreign substances that have no effect on a horse. This measure is intended to address the problem of the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) unfairly prosecuting blameless horsemen for irrelevant findings as low as one-trillionth of a gram per milliliter.
“The National HBPA is committed to doing everything it can to protect horsemen,” said CEO Eric Hamelback. “We need to reshape the HIWU system into one that does not punish blameless trainers and their owners for barely detectible levels of foreign substances.”
The Need for a Science-Based Approach
The petition highlights that other federal agencies, such as the Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency, commonly utilize no-effect thresholds, in contrast with HIWU’s zero-tolerance policy. The National HBPA is calling on the FTC to end this injustice and adopt no-effect thresholds to focus on regulations that actually catch those they proclaim to be cheating, rather than wasting valuable time and resources adjudicating irrelevant concentration findings.
“Scientists know that infinitesimally small amounts of foreign substances are present throughout our world. In equines, they usually come from uncontrollable environmental transfers and do not affect the performance of the horse,” said National HBPA president Dr. Doug Daniels. “The FTC must follow the science and adopt no-effect thresholds.”
Advocating for Horsemen’s Rights
The petition includes several case studies of horsemen whose reputations were affected after HIWU detected scant traces of substances, highlighting the need for a more reasonable and fair approach. The National HBPA has gathered signatures from over 750 horsemen, decrying HIWU’s unfair treatment and demanding no-effect thresholds.
As the horse racing industry continues to navigate the complexities of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, the National HBPA’s petition represents a crucial step in advocating for a more equitable and science-based regulatory framework.
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