Finally some heroes to applaud!
George Strawbridge and Charlotte Weber have announced their resignation from the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association over the industry organization's reversal of their previously announced
position of a ban on raceday medication in 2-year-old graded stakes in 2012. The pair sent a letter to TOBA President Dan Metzger, and made the letter available to media outlets. It reads:
Dear Dan,
We were appalled by your recent decision to not enforce a previously announced ban on race day medication for juvenile graded stakes. It was one of the most craven acts we have witnessed.
The question now has to be asked "What does TOBA stand for?" Your actions clearly demonstrate that TOBA doesn't stand for anything.
As a result we are resigning our membership in your organization.
Sincerely,
George Strawbridge, Jr., Augustin Stable
Charlotte C. Weber, Live Oak Plantation
George Strawbridge & Charlotte Weber Resign From TOBA
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Patuxet
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George Strawbridge & Charlotte Weber Resign From TOBA
"He is pure air and fire and the dull elements of earth and water never appear in him; he is indeed a horse ..." Wm. Shakespeare - Henry V
Two very influential breeder/owners have the integrity to stand up and be counted. Race day medication has put a black mark on the integrity of racing. Yearly handle continues to decline for most race meets and race day medications has continued to be, in my opinion, the largest and most important factor in breakdowns and failure to cope with training for racing. Medications do mask the true physical effort to win races and consequently when horses are retired to the breeding shed, breeders attach considerable weight on a stallion's or broodmare's racing record when selecting horses to breed, when in fact that record was accomplished racing on medication. When the head honchos can't or won't follow and enforce the rules the loss of integrity is automatic.
Hats off to them both.
DDT
Hats off to them both.
DDT
Last edited by DDT on Sun Mar 04, 2012 5:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Patuxet
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Another influential name heard from! His tail wagging the dog analogy is especially apt.
What a sad day for the Thoroughbred industry. It has come to pass that TOBA has bowed down at the feet of the veterinarians, trainers and other service providers who owe their very existence to the owners of Thoroughbreds who pay their bills. This is a reversal of roles, where the employers are now subservient to the agents.
Sadly, this kind of role reversal will only lead to the demise of the industry, which will ultimately lead to the employees' own detriment as well.
TOBA, because of its conflicts of interest in representing opposing interests of the service providers and the owners, is attempting to serve two masters. This will not stand. Either you resume the attack or you lose my support.
To paraphrase Winston Churchill, "If you're going to lose a war, you should at least fight a battle."
Arthur Hancock
What a sad day for the Thoroughbred industry. It has come to pass that TOBA has bowed down at the feet of the veterinarians, trainers and other service providers who owe their very existence to the owners of Thoroughbreds who pay their bills. This is a reversal of roles, where the employers are now subservient to the agents.
Sadly, this kind of role reversal will only lead to the demise of the industry, which will ultimately lead to the employees' own detriment as well.
TOBA, because of its conflicts of interest in representing opposing interests of the service providers and the owners, is attempting to serve two masters. This will not stand. Either you resume the attack or you lose my support.
To paraphrase Winston Churchill, "If you're going to lose a war, you should at least fight a battle."
Arthur Hancock
"He is pure air and fire and the dull elements of earth and water never appear in him; he is indeed a horse ..." Wm. Shakespeare - Henry V
I just spoke to a new nurse practitioner in my workplace with a history of working in the Thoroughbred industry as a groom. She said she is totally turned off by racing at this time, and named medication as the #1 reason; she sees its overuse as being detrimental to horses just as it is in humans. Hancock, Strawbridge, and Weber are right -- it is time and past time that this issue was addressed. How can racing attract a new fan base if potential fans are increasingly convinced that what's going on is animal abuse?
"A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher...You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse." C. S. Lewis
