Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation announced today that it will host the 11th Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. The event will be co-hosted by the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and The Jockey Club.
The event will be free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Longship Room at Kroger Field and will be livestreamed. As with the 2022 summit, Annise Montplaisir, equine education coordinator of the Kentucky Equine Education Project Foundation and president of Amplify Horse Racing, will emcee.
Topics for the summit include a presentation by Dr. Tim Parkin on the latest statistics from the Equine Injury Database, work being done by state veterinarians, harmonizing pre-race inspections, track surfaces, and other issues affecting horse safety. The full program and list of speakers will be announced soon.
“Keeneland has always been a great host. When its construction coincided with this year’s summit, Dr. Nancy Cox, dean of the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, immediately stepped up to host the summit,” said Jamie Haydon, president of Grayson and deputy executive director of The Jockey Club. “Dr. Cox and UK have been great partners with The Jockey Club and Grayson on multiple projects, and we look forward to working with them on our 2024 summit. I am certain they will be an excellent host.”
“Research and service to our signature equine industry is paramount to the University of Kentucky, with the safety and welfare of the horse being a major and ever-growing part of our programs,” said Dr. Cox. “We are proud to work with the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation and The Jockey Club for an event that fosters dialogue and innovation aimed at enhancing the safety of all involved in horse racing. We look forward to rich discussions with our many valued partners.”
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 10 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 the 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.
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 1940, Grayson has provided nearly $39 million to underwrite more than 426 projects at 45 universities. Additional information about the foundation is available at grayson-jockeyclub.org.
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