Professor Wayne McIlwraith of Colorado State University will be one of three main presenters at the FEI Congress on NSAID Usage and Medication in the Sport Horse in Switzerland in August. (Colorado State University photo)

All’s been quiet on the FEI medication front since the fall, when the FEI decided to postpone implementation of a liberalized medication rule overhaul that would have conflicted with some national organization’s zero tolerance policies for medication and which would have offended the sensibilities of others. A new vote on the proposal is planned for the FEI General Assembly in November.

First, however, the FEI will hear from leading experts on Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID) research in equestrian sport at the FEI Congress on NSAID Usage and Medication in the Equine Athlete in Lausanne, Switzerland this summer.

Dr Wayne McIlwraith (Director of the Gail Holmes Orthopedic Research Center at Colorado State University), Professor Pierre-Louis Toutain (Ecole Nationale V?t?rinaire in Toulouse, France) and Professor Ken Hinchcliff (Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Science at the University of Melbourne) will be part of a high-level panel of speakers at the Congress, which will be held at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland on August 16-17.

Dr McIlwraith will speak on the effectiveness of NSAIDs in pain control, Professor Toutain on determining effective levels and Professor Hinchcliff on the effects NSAIDs may have on equine performance.

In order to bring together the various aspects of this important debate, speakers on the non-scientific perspective will also be involved in panel discussions. This will allow for the presentation of important non-scientific aspects, including the legal status in certain countries, and the media and sponsors’ perspective, enabling a full overview of the subject.

Registration for the Congress is now open to representatives from all stakeholder groups, including National Federations, Vets, Officials, Riders Clubs, Organisers, FEI Laboratories, racing and breeding authorities, sponsors, the IOC and the media. Booking information is available through the FEI and there is a discounted rate for early registration. Other speakers will be announced at a later date. A finalized timetable will be published shortly. Please check www.fei.org for updates.

All interested parties are advised to register for the Congress early to book their places and ensure that their voices are heard in this important debate.

The actual vote on the use of NSAIDs in competition will not be taken until the FEI General Assembly in Chinese Taipei, 1-6 November 2010. No action will be taken on any NSAID-related rule changes before the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky September 25-October 10.

Details contained in this blog post about the meeting were provided by the FEI.

by Fran Jurga | 18 June 2010 | The Jurga Report at Equisearch.comFollow @FranJurga on Twitter.com for more horse health news!