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AAEP Honors Regulatory Vet Dr. Mary Scollay With 2020 Distinguished Service Award

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) honored a longtime volunteer leader within the association and strident advocate for the welfare of racehorses and the integrity of racing when presenting the 2020 Distinguished Service Award to Mary Scollay, DVM.

The Distinguished Service Award honors exemplary service to the AAEP or a similar organization to the benefit of the horse, horse industry or profession of equine veterinary medicine. Dr. Scollay was recognized Dec. 9 during the AAEP's 2020 Annual Convention & Trade Show, held virtually.

A 1984 graduate of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Scollay is currently serving her fourth term on the AAEP's Racing Committee, having initially joined the committee in 1997. She contributes to racing broadcasts as an On Call veterinary spokesperson and is co-author of several consequential AAEP white papers on racehorse health and welfare as well as related reference documents for equine veterinarians. Beyond her racing contributions, Dr. Scollay also serves on the AAEP's Professional Conduct & Ethics Committee, and she previously chaired the Infectious Disease Committee and served on the Equine Welfare Committee.

Dr. Scollay is executive director and COO of the Lexington, Ky.-based Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, which focuses on research, education and advocacy for science-based initiatives that promote the health and safety of racehorses and the integrity of competition. Prior to joining the RMTC in 2019, Dr. Scollay spent 11 years as the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission's first equine medical director and 13 years as senior association veterinarian at Calder Race Course and Gulfstream Park in south Florida. While in Florida, she conceptualized and developed the forerunner to The Jockey Club's Equine Injury Database, to which she has served as a veterinary consultant since its launch in 2008.

“With her unwavering philosophy that the health and welfare of the horse remains paramount above all else, Dr. Scollay has provided many years of outstanding service to the veterinary profession, steadfast dedication to the equine industry, and deep commitment to the mission of the AAEP,” said nominator Dr. Patricia Marquis.

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AAEP Board Votes To Support Horseracing Integrity And Safety Act

On the recommendation of its Racing Committee, the American Association of Equine Practitioners board of directors voted this week to support the Horseracing Integrity & Safety Act (H.R. 1754/S. 4547). The legislation's chief goal is to create uniform safety and medication standards in all U.S. racing jurisdictions.

“Uniformity of rules is essential to protecting the safety of the racehorse and ensuring the integrity of the sport,” said AAEP President Dr. David Frisbie.

The AAEP's position of support is principally based on the qualifications of the individuals chosen to serve on the HISA Nominating Committee, including equine industry leaders Dr. Jerry Black and Dr. Nancy Cox, who will select the members of the board of directors and the standing committees of the Horseracing Integrity & Safety Act Authority.

However, for the horse to be best served, the AAEP will continue to advocate for additional veterinary representation on the HISA board and committees beyond the single position currently designated for each.

“In the previous version of the bill, the AAEP was a strong proponent for the governance structure to include individuals with the requisite expertise needed to capably address anti-doping and therapeutic medication regulation,” said Dr. Jeff Berk, AAEP immediate past president and Racing Committee chair. “The composition of the Authority Nominating Committee gives us confidence that the needed scientific expertise for these important positions will be considered, but we believe the breadth of knowledge needed to successfully protect equine athletes requires additional individuals.”

Regarding the race-day administration of furosemide (Lasix), the AAEP's position continues as one of support, as the medication remains the most efficacious treatment for exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) in the horse.

However, in 2019, a coalition of 20 racetracks, including hosts of Triple Crown races, along with numerous racing jurisdictions committed to restricting administration of furosemide on race day, independent of federal legislation.

“We are pleased to see in the revised legislation that the Authority will convene an advisory panel comprised of horse racing anti-doping and medication control experts to study race-day furosemide, including its impact on equine health and the integrity of competition,” added Dr. Scott Hay, AAEP president-elect and a racetrack practitioner. “Investigating effective management strategies for EIPH which do not require race-day medication administration has been a central goal of the AAEP's Prescription for Racing Reform developed five years ago.”

The American Association of Equine Practitioners, headquartered in Lexington, Ky., was founded in 1954 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the health and welfare of the horse. Currently, AAEP reaches more than 5 million horse owners through its over 9,000 members worldwide and is actively involved in ethics issues, practice management, research and continuing education in the equine veterinary profession and horse industry.

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Auburn University Faculty Clinician Selected As AAEP’s My Vet Rocks Recipient For August

Alfredo Sanchez-Londoño, DVM, MS, DACVIM, associate clinical professor, equine field service, at the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine in Auburn, AL, has been selected as the August honoree of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) My Vet Rocks Contest, which celebrates the important relationship between veterinarian, owner and horse.

Dr. Sanchez-Londoño was among dozens of AAEP-member veterinarians nominated by horse owners for the award during August. Also recognized for their exemplary care were runners-up Dr. Lynn Gomes-Berkelaar, owner of Performance Equine Veterinary Services in Holly Springs, NC, and Dr. Anne Christopherson, owner of Western Skies Veterinary Services in Morriston, FL.

As co-supervisor of the equine field service, Dr. Sanchez-Londoño works with veterinary students to provide on-the-farm primary and emergency care within a 35-mile radius of the university's J.T. Vaughan Large Animal Teaching Hospital. He received his veterinary degree from Universidad de La Salle in Bogata, Colombia, and joined Auburn in April 2019 after 14 years in a similar capacity at Tufts University in Connecticut.

Nominators praised Dr. Sanchez-Londoño's clinical proficiency, communication skills and deep-seated commitment to owner and student education. According to nominator Donna Tommelleo, “His approach to horses, horse owners and all things equine is rooted in constant learning, teaching and compassion. … He is ever the teacher and, just as important, ever the student, always in tune with the latest research and best practice. As a horse owner, you know Alfredo's approach is at the forefront of what's new, what's next and what's best.”

Holly Whitney added, “To say that he always makes himself available to his clients is an understatement. Even if he was not on call, he would still call to speak with me and the veterinarian on duty. Then he would have me send him pictures or videos. … He also created a program in which area farms hosted veterinary students for a weekend to introduce them to species with which they have had little to no previous exposure hoping to someday inspire the next great equine veterinarian.”

“I'm very honored that my clients thought that I provided good service to them and that they decided to nominate me,” said Dr. Sanchez-Londoño. “Although I left Connecticut about 18 months ago, my clients from up there still call and keep me updated on their horses. I enjoy staying in touch with them and appreciate their recognition for this award.”

Dr. Sanchez-Londoño received a prize package from the AAEP and contest sponsor American Regent Animal Health, manufacturer of Adequan i.m. (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan). In addition, he is now eligible to win the contest's grand prize, which will be announced later this year in conjunction with the AAEP's Virtual Convention & Trade Show. The grand-prize winner will be selected from the winning entries from each month of the contest, which ran from June through August.

AAEP And RMTC Issue Warning: Thyroxine Isn’t A Wellness Supplement, It’s A Prescription Drug

At its February 2020 Meeting, the Racing Medication Testing Consortium's (RMTC) Board of Directors discussed reports of, and evidence for, the wholesale use of thyroxine in entire populations of racehorses as a 'wellness' supplement rather than as the prescription medication that it is.

The Board elected to seek input from, and partner with, the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) in producing an advisory on the appropriate use of thyroxine by providing education to stakeholders and addressing inappropriate or indiscriminate use of the prescription medication. And in so doing, also preserving the equine veterinarian's ability to prescribe thyroxine within the context of an appropriate examination and diagnostic testing in an individual horse.

The RMTC's Scientific Advisory Committee and AAEP's Racing Committee collaborated in drafting the advisory. During its deliberations the AAEP Racing Committee relied on the principles in the AAEP's Position on Therapeutic Medication for the Racehorse, particularly the following:

The AAEP condemns the administration of non-therapeutic or unprescribed medications to racehorses based on our belief that it is not in the interest of horse welfare and racing integrity. (Note: the definition of prescription includes the concept of an individual patient)
The AAEP believes that all therapeutic medication (prescription or otherwise) should be administered by or under the direction of a licensed veterinarian and based on a diagnosis.

“The health and safety of racehorses are inextricably linked to racing's integrity, and the drafting of this document has reinforced the AAEP's and RMTC's shared priorities of promoting equine health and racing integrity,” Jeff Berk, VMD, Chair AAEP Racing Committee.

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