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.
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