Dickinson Joins Water Hay Oats Alliance

The Water Hay Oats Alliance noted April 10 the addition of trainer Michael Dickinson to its ranks of supporters. Dickinson provided 10 reasons of why he has added his name to the ranks of WHOA members working to pass federal legislation to prohibit the use of performance-enhancing drugs in North American horse racing.

Dickinson, a champion steeplechase rider and trainer before a successful career training flat runners in the United Kingdon and U.S., is founder of the Tapeta Footings synthetic racing surfaces company.

His points, also listed on the WHOA site, are presented below.

1. I have trained in the UK on zero medication. I've also trained in the USA using the permitted medications. The job satisfaction of the former easily outweighs the latter. In the USA I raced all my horses on Lasix and used some of the other permitted medication but I have had my "Road to Damascus" moment. 

2. During the last seven years I have traveled extensively around the world to 10 of the best Thoroughbred racing countries where the question is always the same: "When is the USA going to ditch its permissive medication policies?" The rest of the world can run excellent racing without medication and they can't understand why the USA can't do likewise. They are disappointed that we can't do what the rest of the world can do and the ability of our horses and the skill of our trainers has become needlessly questioned. Some people are addicted to the culture of permissive medication and the leaders of the industry don't have the appetite to change. The outsiders feel that it is hurting our product. The public doesn't like drugs. We have the best horses in the world. Let them race without drugs and remove all doubt. 

3. Many of the younger trainers have not trained without some of the 26 permitted drugs now allowed and are scared to go cold turkey. I don't think they have anything to worry about. We have many hardworking good horsemen who will have no problem adjusting. Maybe a small percentage will struggle, then so be it. Actually the 26 controlled therapeutics do not require anyone to go 'cold turkey.' The intent is to provide guidance on their use such that they can be used to address equine health disorders, but withdrawn prior to a race in such a way that they cannot impact the horse's performance.

4. It is not true to say that 'no drugs' is inhumane. The injury rate overseas is far less than the USA. If we are saying we need a shedload of drugs because our races and conditions are so severe, then maybe horseracing does not deserve to survive. 

5. Surely it is better for the best horse with the best trainer to win the race rather than the best chemist. It is not morally defensible to medicate a physically compromised horse in order to get it to race. 

6. Gene Blood doping has now arrived in the USA. 

7. The current lab accreditation is a misnomer and misleading because the bar is so low it is difficult to fail. One lab director knew their equipment was outdated and feared there was "open season" in the state so they sent some samples to Hong Kong where they found so many drugs it took 7 days to clean the equipment.

8. We have good personnel running our racing labs but they are hopelessly underfunded. USADA (U.S. Anti-Doping Agency) would accredit and monitor the labs and the racing commissions would have to up the ante. This way nobody loses their job and the labs will be held to a higher standard. We need more out of competition testing and freezing samples.

9. If there is a change in American racing, I believe it will be brought on by the breeders. There are less and less international buyers coming to the USA and the problem is only going to get worse. Since 2007, yearlings sold for more than $100,000 or more are up 12% in Britain and Ireland but down 22% in the USA (a stat from Blood-Horse MarketWatch). France and Hong Kong are leading the way for all graded stakes to be run medication free. If this continues, it will devalue the American Thoroughbred. 

10. It is disappointing that the debates always revolve around Lasix when it is the vast amount of painkillers given the week of the race that are far more dangerous. The stacking of anti-inflammatories for 5 days leading up to the race is only one paralyzed jockey away from a gigantic lawsuit.

I support the Water Hay Oats Alliance as the only way forward.