World Trotting Conference Concludes

The 2019 World Trotting Conference concluded on Friday (May 31) with its General Assembly and recommendations of the committees.

Before the presentations from the committees, the delegates heard from the principals behind breedly.com, Sweden's online breeders catalogue, as well as representatives from the University of Newcastle in Australia where researchers have developed a more efficient and effective way to store semen for breeding. The ambient sperm extender should available in September 2020. As a result of this new innovation, the researchers have also developed a three-day pregnancy test for mares.

A number of proposals were put forward by the committees that met over the course of the World Trotting Conference. Here are some notable recommendations from each Committee.

Constitution Committee

• The host country for the 2021 World Trotting Conference and associated driving championship have not been finalized. Germany will host the next Inter Conference in 2020, but the WTC/WDC could be held in either Italy or Germany. Details on the host country will be finalized later this year.

• No new membership applications

• Observers shall not have the right to vote at meetings of the conference but have full rights under the authority of the delegate at the discretion of the host country

• Discussion about the need of the organization to work more between the conferences

• No change in the membership fees

Breeding Committee

• The use of semen from a dead stallion or one that has been gelded is forbidden and not to exceed the end of the breeding season following his death of date of gelding. No foal may be registered for an insemination performed beyond this time limit

• ITA member countries limit the number of series annually per stallion by either a number of services or a percentage of the registrations in the studbook, regardless of method. No foal may be registered from an insemination performed beyond this limit, and a financial sanction be applied

• ITA members adopt country of origin code ISO 3166 suffix to two letters

• Member countries prohibit the registration of foals born as a result of frozen embryo transfer or sex sorting techniques

• Only the country of origin can change the name of the horse. Once the horse is imported to another country, the name cannot be changed by the new home country

Equine Health, Welfare, and Integrity Committee

• Whip Use

• Can only be used for correction or light promoting in the last 400 metres

• Any use of the whip after that cannot be in quick succession and a horse must have a chance to respond after that; cannot be in quick succession and a horse must have a chance to respond prior to using again. Horses should not be whipped if they are tired, out of contention or after the finishing line

• All corrections and prompting must be affected with a rein in each hand, the whip pointed forward and in the confines of the sulky

• The drivers shall refrain from any brutality, kicking, boxing, excessive goading, blows to the sulky and other equipment in not allowed

• Penalties should be severe and suspension is the preferred method of penalty

• Prohibited Substances

• Countries have been asked to consider Zoledronic Acid, Bisphosphonates and Altrenogest as prohibited

• Prohibitive Practices

• The procedure of thermocautery (pin or bar firing) a horse should be banned

• Gene Doping

• Substances or other agents that directly or indirectly affect or manipulate gene expression should be banned for racing and breeding

• No foal may be registered from a mare or stallion who has been subjected to gene manipulation

Marketing & Business Development Committee

• Establish agreed-upon criterion for an international poll ranking the top horses worldwide and design a marketing strategy to promote to industry by January 2020

• Working with national racetracks, determine best ideas that created excitement and interest at the racetrack or for the sport in general. Each ITA member will submit and upload to the ITA portal a minimum of one idea in a two-page document detailing how and why the idea was effective and the instruction and order by of the promotion by March 31 and be updated at least every six months

• ITA members to connect various social media platforms to strengthen communication, interaction and engagement among racing fans by having each country list and follow the other social media platforms to the audience in their country

Racing and Wagering Committee

• Reaffirm main conclusions of the 2017 WTC in Canada:

  • Exchange of data between ITA members

  • Work with governments on positive impact of horse racing

  • Promote compliance to combat fraud and money laundering

  • To support to strive to ensure a minimum fee is collected from domestic and international bettors

• Recommendations:

  • All ITA members will encourage the creation of an international bet on the main trotting races organized in the world, in a common pool

  • Therefore, an establishment of a list of races is a priority, as is the participation of selected betting companies

  • Will encourage racing authorizes to adapt to the digitization of the sport to assist in attracting and accommodation of new customers, specifically a younger audience