International Authorities to Combat Gene Doping

Two leading world organizations, the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) and the International Stud Book Committee (ISBC), are to work together on ways to combat gene doping in Thoroughbreds, which one expert has said could put the integrity of racing and the breed in jeopardy.

The decision was taken following a meeting between officials from the IFHA's gene doping control sub-committee and the ISBC's genetics and welfare sub-committee, including chairman Dr. Peter Webbon. The ISBC's two-day annual meeting in London had been devoted to the subject.

ISBC vice-chairman Simon Cooper, who reported on deliberations at the annual meeting to the IFHA executive council Oct. 9, said: "Both organizations have been travelling on the same line and the key was to get the two committees working together.

"To that end, we have agreed to principles to combat the problem and a road map for adopting practical deterrents across all 66 approved stud books, so that we are working hand in glove."

Cooper added: "There is a problem of awareness and we need to look at a program of education, on which we will be working jointly. We want scientists to go out to all the conferences and forums to persuade people in the Thoroughbred industry to accept there is a potential problem."

The ISBC meeting heard from Kanichi Kusano, chairman of the IFHA gene doping control sub-committee, who in a presentation to the IFHA annual conference in Paris Oct. 8 raised the specter of gene doping as a major threat to racing. "It will endanger the integrity of the sport and wagering, and will risk creating genetically modified Thoroughbreds," he said.

Dr. Kusano added: "The worst-case scenario of gene doping will happen at the breeding stage, by modifying eggs, sperm, and embryos. If this happens, it could have a major impact on those racing jurisdictions that use Thoroughbreds.

"The second scenario is if a horse was triggered by genetic medication, it would have possibilities to create genetically modified horses in the next generation."

Detecting genetically modified Thoroughbreds needs more study, more time, and more resources, Dr Kusano said. But, he added: "Gene doping is not a rumor anymore."