Shelbyville, Tenn. – The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration® included random drug testing of animals in an overall plan to protect the health and safety of the horses, the integrity of the event, and enforcement of the Horse Protection Act. 

“I would like to thank the trainers, owners and exhibitors of all horses that I tested at the 2008 Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration®.  Everyone was courteous and cooperative while allowing me to perform blood testing procedures on their horses,” said Dr. Mike Harry veterinary for The Celebration®.

Test horses were selected at random each night for a total of thirty samples.  Ten of the thirty samples detected a variety of medications from local anesthetics, anti-inflammatories, antihistamines, and bronchodilators.  The majority of these medications are used for horses uncomfortable in a tail set.

This information is a very important guideline for future testing and subsequent violations.  Dr. Harry, working on recommendations from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, selected Industrial Laboratories of Wheat Ridge, Colorado to perform drug screening analysis.

Dr. Harry is also a part of a task force put in place to compile a list of medications that will be permitted, restricted, or forbidden.  United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) medication guidelines will be compared to facilitate this list.

“I appreciate Dr. Harry’s work in obtaining the samples at The Celebration® and his interpretation of the blood test results.  This is just another tool to allow for fair play and honest competition at The Celebration®,” said Celebration CEO Dr. Doyle Meadows.