AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION—SEPTEMBER 27, 2018—The American Quarter Horse Association has policies concerning awards and publicity of horses and trainers with racing medication positives for a Class 1 substance, Class 2 substance, Clenbuterol, any prohibited substances in the presiding jurisdiction, or any medications other than those defined by ARCI as being a Controlled Therapeutic Medication. Details of the policies can be found at www.aqha.com/racing.

In summary, if a racing jurisdiction reports a positive test for a horse, such horse and record trainer as of the violation date shall be ineligible to be considered for AQHA awards associated with the calendar year in which the positive test occurred and shall be ineligible to be included in AQHA media during the calendar year in which the positive test occurred; this includes pending appeals of violations.

Further, ALL horses that record an official start under an offending trainer anytime in the calendar year AFTER the expiration of thirty (30) days of an Offending Trainer’s Positive Test being published on the AQHA website shall be ineligible to be considered for AQHA awards associated with the calendar year in which the positive test occurred and shall be ineligible to be included in AQHA media during the calendar year in which the positive test occurred; this also includes pending appeals of violations.

It is an owner’s ultimate responsibility to know whether any horse under their trainer’s care has tested positive in as much as a positive test, per the above policies, could affect the owner’s horses’ eligibility to receive AQHA awards and be included in AQHA media.

If an owner discovers that their trainer has had a positive test, the owner may avoid the application of the policies to his/her horses if the owner moves his/her horses to another licensed trainer in good standing within 30 days of the Offending Trainer’s positive test being published on the AQHA website and notifies the AQHA racing department of such action.

Such notification must be made by emailing a statement naming the new trainer, and the date the horse(s) was placed in the new trainer’s care. Confirmation of the horse’s status will be reported to the owner within two weeks of receipt of notification.

AQHA maintains a list of horses and trainers that racing jurisdictions have reported as having a positive test for a Class 1 substance, Class 2 substance, Clenbuterol, any prohibited substance in the presiding jurisdiction, or any medications other than those defined by ARCI as being a Controlled Therapeutic Medication. This list includes horses and trainers that are the subject of positive tests even if such cases are under appeal.

While AQHA works diligently to ensure the list is accurate and up to date as reasonably possible, it is the ultimate responsibility of an owner to know whether the trainer to whom they entrusted the care of their horses has had a positive test. In addition to checking the provided list, owners should independently check with racing jurisdictions their trainer races for purposes of verifying whether their trainer has had a positive test. The fact that a trainer does not appear on the AQHA list for whatever reason shall not be a defense to the application of AQHA’s policy. Again, it is the owner’s ultimate responsibility to know and understand whether their trainer has had a positive test.

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AQHA News and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more news and information, follow @AQHARacing on Twitter, watch the AQHA Racing Newscast and visit aqha.com/racing.

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