AERC Drug Testing Policy and Procedure

Revised December 2009

The entire Veterinary Committee shall participate in establishing procedures for the drug testing program. The AERC executive director, upon notification by an approved laboratory showing the presence in a test sample of a substance which may be a Prohibited Substance under this rule, shall simultaneously transmit by email or telecopy copies of the laboratory report to the Veterinary Committee and the Legal Committee. A subcommittee consisting of the Chair of the Veterinary Committee, Chair of the Drug Testing Sub Committee and two members of the veterinary committee shall handle all matters involving detected substances. This subcommittee shall submit its comments on the laboratory report and any other matters which bear on the laboratory report to the Executive Director, the Legal Committee and Veterinary Committee within 15 days of receipt of the laboratory report. Upon advice by the Veterinary Committee and Legal Committee that the laboratory report shows the presence of a Prohibited Substance within the meaning of this rule, the Executive Director shall immediately file a protest with the Protest and Grievance Committee and forward the Veterinary Committtee’s comments on the laboratory report and related matters to the Protest and Grievance Committee. The veterinary committee shall not communicate with the accused or any member of AERC not on the Legal or Protest and Grievance Committee.

The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) will provide testing services for AERC rides outside of Canada and California. USEF will test rides with the testing distributed proportionately amongst the regions. USEF will not provide testing in California where there is a state testing program in place. AERC may test one to two rides annually in Canada.

Funding for the USEF drug testing program will be based on an annual contract with USEF and will be provided for by rider starting fees, currently at $3.00.

The USEF appointed testing veterinarian and technician will collect blood and/or urine samples from the winning horse in the longest distance ride for the event and will randomly select a minimum of seven additional horses to be tested. Horses standing for AERC best condition judging will be considered to still be competing and may be selected for testing.

The rides to be tested shall be selected by USEF under advisement of the AERC Veterinary Committee and AERC executive director.

Drug testing results shall be printed in Endurance News.

The AERC website shall be updated as needed to reflect changes in this policy.

Submitted by the AERC Veterinary Committee

Equine Performance Sports and Drug Rules: This article, based on Dr. Duane Barnett's seminar at the 2009 AERC convention, describes in more detail the philosophy behind AERC's drug policy.