Horses - USA EQUESTRIAN INCREASES DRUG TESTING FEE - July 2001 - Equiworld

USA EQUESTRIAN INCREASES DRUG TESTING FEE

USA Equestrian announced today that it has increased the drug-testing fee by $2, effective December 1, 2001. This is the first increase in the drug-testing fee in over ten years. The Federation's Drugs & Medication Committee recommended and the Board of Directors overwhelmingly adopted the increase in the testing fee at its July 10, 2001 Board meeting. When remitted together with the Federation competition fee, the total fees per entry will be $10, up from $8 a year ago.

This fee increase will enable the Drugs and Medications Program to address the following priorities on a sound financial footing:

1. Increased Testing. The existing laboratory, established in 1995, has increased its sample volume from 6,000 to 8,000 per year. Additional funding will allow the lab to test 9,000 samples in 2002, and will take the current lab to capacity. A study of the projected sample volume, the long-term expansion of the laboratory's capacity, and the associated costs is warranted at this time, in order to expand the scope ofthe Drugs and Medications Program in the future.

2. Increased Research. Research and development of newand improved technologies to detect drugs that are beyond the reach ofexisting technologies must be funded and undertaken in order to increase theeffectiveness of the Drugs and Medications Program.

3. Split Samples. The Drugs and Medications Committeedecided to implement a formal split sample rule, policy and procedure,effective December 1, 2001, which will increase the costs of the Drugs andMedications Program.

U.S. Equestrian Inc., as the National Equestrian Federation of the U.S., is the regulatory body for the Olympic and World Championship sports of dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, reining, show jumping, and vaulting, as well as 19 other breeds and disciplines of equestrian competition. As the country's largest multi-breed organization, the Federation has over 77,000 members and recognizes more than 2,800 competitions nationwide each year. It governs all aspects of competition, including educating and licensing all judges, stewards, and technical delegates who officiate at
these shows.