One of the first actions taken by the new AERC president and board of directors in Chattanooga was the formation of a new committee called Research Grant Proposal Committee. The purpose of this committee is to solicit research proposals, evaluate their validity and usefulness, and make recommendations to the board of directors. Committee members are Dr. Susan Garlinghouse, Dr. Jeannie Waldron, Tracey Tromp, and myself.

Letters were sent out to veterinary schools and five serious proposals were received. The committee studied these proposals and presented their recommendations to the BOD at the midyear meeting in Reno.

Before the individual proposals were presented, the committee requested the BOD budget $40,000 for research and it was approved. No monies will be actually spent until the board, upon recommendation of the committee, approves the specific project.

At the midyear meeting, the committee recommended a project submitted by Dr. Mary Durando at the University of Pennsylvania costing $6500; the proposal was approved. None of the other proposals were presented at that time to allow the board, with the committeeÕs assistance, to evaluate them further. New proposals will be submitted at this monthÕs convention in Reno.

Here is a letter from Dr. Durando, explaining the project to be undertaken at the University of Pennsylvania. The presence of the University of Pennsylvania researchers will be known to you and how you can help will be explained. This project will not only give us very valuable information, but has a very reasonable price tag.

Dear AERC Members,

I want to thank you, your Board of Directors and the Committee very much for funding this project. I have included a brief overview of the project that has been funded by the AERC entitled ÒCan successful endurance performance be predicted by physiology? Relationship between a heart-specific regulatory protein (cardiac troponin I), electrocardiograms, and competitive performance in endurance horses.Ó The objectives, a brief background, and how it could benefit the horses and this sport are explained.

Abnormalities of the cardiovascular system, including disturbances in both rhythm and function, can cause poor performance in equine athletes. Cardiac disease is frequently suspected in horses competing in endurance rides, however, there are technical difficulties associated with field use of the current diagnostic Ògold standardsÓ (e.g. echocardiography and exercising electrocardiography (ECG). Plasma cardiac troponin I (cTNI) concentrations (a heart-specific regulatory protein) have been shown to be a sensitive indicator of myocardial damage in people. They have also been found to be elevated in horses with significant cardiac disease and/or dysrhythmias. Plasma cTNI concentrations may prove useful in determining cardiac causes of poor performance in endurance horses.

The objectives of this study are to evaluate plasma cTNI concentrations in endurance horses competing in long distance rides, and to correlate these values with ECG and physical examination findings, and finish status.

Cardiac abnormalities in endurance athletes are likely under diagnosed because of the technical difficulties associated with evaluating heart function on site at competitive rides. Evaluation of cTNI in the blood of competitive endurance horses with unexplained performance problems may provide practitioners with a simple, practical way to diagnose cardiac abnormalities in the field.

We would plan to attend rides beginning next spring, when they start back up. We will select the more strenuous rides from the west and east coast, to give a better cross section.

Respectfully, Mary M. Durando, DVM, PhD, Dip ACVIM, Section of Sports Medicine, New Bolton Center School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Penn., 382 W. Street Rd., Kennett Square, PA, 19348