Canada Wants “Progressive” Drug List Delayed

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Equine Canada LogoOTTAWA, Ontario, Dec. 17–Equine Canada announced Thursday it supports a delay in implementing the so-called “Progressive List” of drugs to allow more time for study.
Canada’s national federation said that at the recent International Equestrian Federation (FEI) General Assembly it voted in favor of implementing the list that allows the use of some non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) effective Jan. 1, but has since been delayed to early April.

“Equine Canada expressed serious concerns that the proposal had been circulated to the national federations shortly before the General Assembly, allowing no time for consultations with our veterinary advisors, equine welfare committee or disciplines,” it said.

“Equine Canada and a narrow majority of NFs voted in favour of the new NSAID policy, on the grounds that the underlying principles were consistent with those of the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) position on the palliative use of non-performance enhancing NSAID treatments for human athletes.

In response to a request by Princess Haya, the FEI president, to agree to postpone introduction of the NSAID policy until it can be discussed again at the 2010 General Assembly in Taipei, “Equine Canada agrees that implementation of a FEI NSAID policy would benefit from additional research, education, and consultation.
“Whatever knowledge is available about the effects of implementing a NSAID policy should be documented and presented to all NFs, so that the best possible program can be structured to protect the health and welfare of our equine athletes.”As a result, Equine Canada supports the FEI President’s request to delay the adoption of the NSAID policy until it can be discussed at the 2010 General Assembly, with all of the relevant facts and research presented to the NFs for their review well before the meeting.”