Month: September 2023

IFHA Conference on Equine Welfare Set for Oct. 2 at Saint-Cloud

The 57th International Conference of Horseracing Authorities will take place on Oct. 2 at Saint-Cloud Racecourse. This year's conference, organized by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), will focus on safeguarding equine welfare and explore shifts in societal expectations and the racing industry's response around the world. The Conference will examine both immediate concerns and forward-looking initiatives to protect and promote equine welfare.

“The well-being of the equine athlete must always be at the forefront of the decisions we make,” IFHA Chair Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said. “I look forward to sharing with the membership and key stakeholders the ways in which industry standards and practices are continuously enhanced, particularly through scientific advances in improving existing safeguards. The importance of our sport embracing an even more active role in public discourse on the issue and ensuring that our sport remains as a fully engaged and integral part of our communities cannot be understated.”

Nick Luck will serve as the moderator for the conference, which includes discussions on horse racing in an evolving society, approaches and strategies to shape the narratives surrounding equine welfare and protecting the sport's equine athletes, and effective public engagement and response, particularly in relation to the issue of equine welfare.

A live video stream of conference will be available on the IFHA's website. A replay of the live video stream and presentations will be available in the days following the event.

The post IFHA Conference on Equine Welfare Set for Oct. 2 at Saint-Cloud appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Pavel Urruchi To Assume New Role As Churchill Downs Chaplain

The Kentucky Race Track Chaplaincy is pleased to announce that Chaplain Pavel Urruchi will assume a new role and serve as Chaplain at Churchill Downs.

Chaplain Pavel has served for the past five years at Turfway and Belterra, where he quickly earned the respect, trust, and friendship of horsemen from the frontside to the starting gate to the backside. Pavel is originally from Lima Peru and has a BA in Religion, a Masters in Divinity, and is working on a PhD in Applied Theology. He speaks both Spanish and English.

Rich Gimmel, Director of Ministry Staff, said: “I am excited that Pavel has accepted this position, and I can assure you he is eager to build on the momentum of human connections already underway at CDRT alongside Women's Ministry Director Melanie Case, Children's Ministry Director Erica Williamson, and Ministry Coordinator Drew Lindman. We are truly blessed to have Chaplain Pavel on our team, and we're excited to see his energy and his love for our Lord and His people brought to our Churchill Downs ministry.”

Chaplain Pavel will be responsible for developing relationships with everyone in the backside community from the workers in the barns and on the track as well as the various organizations located there serving the horse racing community. Chaplain Pavel's experience serving as a chaplain on the backside has given him a unique perspective on how to address the physical and spiritual needs of the backside workers. He enjoys the opportunity to show the love of Christ in word and deed to a group of people who are sometimes forgotten in our society and even in the horse racing world. Whether sharing meals, leading worship services, or providing clothing and transportation, he believes that caring for their souls is essential.

Pavel's love of people and his desire to be a friend will certainly enable him to foster the ministry of presence on the backside that is the Kentucky Race Track Chaplaincy. He will work closely with the Chaplaincy team to ensure that all individuals have access to the resources they need to thrive both personally and professionally.

Pavel said he “wants to earn their trust as I get to know them and be a blessing to them. Primarily, I am here to show them God's love in tangible ways. In the end, I want everyone to experience the love of God, be transformed by Him and find a family to belong.”

Pavel is married to his wife Leah, and they have two children, Isaac and Brianna.

The Kentucky Race Track Chaplaincy is a Christian ministry that provides year-round ministry services for race track workers. We serve most race tracks in Kentucky as well as Belterra in Ohio. Our mission is to provide for the spiritual and physical needs of all people in the horse racing industry and their families through Christian ministry.

The post Pavel Urruchi To Assume New Role As Churchill Downs Chaplain appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Equine Injury Database Study: No ‘Significant’ Difference Between Fatalities On Wet, Fast Tracks

A study of the Equine Injury Database has shown that in 2021 and 2022, musculoskeletal fatalities did not occur at a statistically-significant higher rate over wet tracks as compared to dry tracks, on either dirt or turf. The Jockey Club released the study data, analyzed by Dr. Euan Bennet and Professor Tim Parkin, this week.

The following table represents the incidence of all musculoskeletal fatalities within three days of racing on dirt surfaces, separated by the track condition as listed in the Equine Injury Database. The data does not include sudden deaths.

Condition       Starts              Fatalities          Fatalities Per 1,000 starts
Fast                  308,954                 419                              1.36
Frozen              29                            0                                0.00
Good                22,147                    38                               1.72
Heavy               95                            0                                0.00
Muddy             17,936                    22                                1.23
Sloppy              25,085                   36                                 1.44
Slow                  58                           0                                 0.00
Wet Fast         2,541                        3                                 1.18

The statistical analysis for the years 2021 and 2022 did not identify a significant difference between fatalities over wet tracks versus fast tracks; however, that could be because the sample size is too small.

Professor Parkin explained: “Although on the face of it some of the calculated /1000 rates do look to be somewhat different, the key is that for many, in particular those with lower rates the number of fatalities (and starts) is comparatively small. This means that the statistical analysis does not have sufficient power to be confident that there truly is a difference.

“At the extreme if we look at Wet Fast – if we added just one more fatal injury to that category the risk would rise from 1.18 (something on the face of it well below Good) to 1.57 (something on the face of it well above Good).

“The chi square statistic takes account of the sample size for both groups being compared and if one is significantly smaller than the other, the uncertainty around the estimate for that one group will often result in a non-statistically significant result, simply based on that high degree of uncertainty around the rate for the smaller sample.”

The Jockey Club released the study on Wednesday via the following release:

A link to an analysis of racing fatalities based on surface and track conditions for 2021 and 2022 has been added to the Equine Injury Database (EID) webpage. Additional statistics will be added to the EID webpage as they become available. If you have inquiries about the Equine Injury Database, please contact Shannon Luce, director of communications, The Jockey Club, at sluce@jockeyclub.com or 859.224.2716.

The Equine Injury Database, conceived at the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation's first Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit, was launched by The Jockey Club in July 2008 and seeks to identify the frequencies, types, and outcomes of racing injuries using a standardized format that generates valid statistics, identifies markers for horses at increased risk of injury, and serves as a data source for research directed at improving safety and preventing injuries.

The Jockey Club, founded in 1894 and dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing, is the breed registry for North American Thoroughbreds. In fulfillment of its mission, The Jockey Club, directly or through subsidiaries, provides support and leadership on a wide range of important industry initiatives, and it serves the information and technology needs of owners, breeders, media, fans and farms. It is the sole funding source for America's Best Racing, the broad-based fan development initiative for Thoroughbred racing. You can follow America's Best Racing at americasbestracing.net. Additional information is available at jockeyclub.com.

The post Equine Injury Database Study: No ‘Significant’ Difference Between Fatalities On Wet, Fast Tracks appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights