ITBA Hosts European Breeders’ AGM

[Wandering Eyes]

The Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (ITBA) hosted the AGM of the European Federation of Thoroughbred Breeders’ Associations (EFTBA) last weekend. Twelve countries were represented and delegates enjoyed a number of stud farm visits and two days of Classic racing at the new Curragh Racecourse. The agenda focused heavily on the veterinary side of the industry and following discussions covering various issues the following points were agreed upon:

• The EFTBA board was unanimous in the continued opposition to Artificial Insemination, Embryo transfer and Gene Editing in the thoroughbred industry.
• The board agreed to write to sales companies urging them to ensure that unvaccinated horses, or those with incomplete, or out of date influenza vaccine status, do not enter sales premises. The meeting also felt that there was a need to increase the number of horses that are vaccinated against EHV infection.
• The different policies among EFTBA member countries over the use of Regumate was noted. The veterinary committee recommended that the EFTBA board should write to the Racing Authorities, calling for a uniformed approach to Regumate usage, with an awareness of its importance in the breeding sector.
• The industry’s commitment to the welfare of the thoroughbred was highlighted. The French TBA advised it had recently produced a paper on welfare matters which would be sent to the EFTBA secretariat and formalised as a template for the EFTBA to be used by member states going forward.
• Communicating good news stories from the bloodstock industry should be a priority while the uncertainty of BREXIT was discussed and the meeting unanimously agreed that, irrespective of the outcome, the UK should remain an integral part of the EFTBA executive.

Commenting on the meeting EFTBA chairman Joe Hernon said “I was particularly delighted with the level of engagement from member states that are all keen to further build on the success we have achieved over the past few years. There are 220,000 people employed in the industry which equates to circa 2.4% of all agricultural jobs in Europe. This includes 40,000 breeders producing over 30,000 foals who need to be represented at the highest level. There is no doubt that the political landscape in Europe is changing and we need to ensure that our message is articulated especially to newly elected MEP’s. The high health status of the horse, availability of vaccines, welfare and the positive promotion of our industry are the main agenda items we will follow over the next year.”

 

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