IFHA Executive Director Andrew Harding Highlights Global Racing Integrity Achievements
The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities has made significant strides in global doping control harmonization that extend beyond recent U.S. efforts, according to IFHA Executive Director Andrew Harding.
While acknowledging HISA/HIWU’s progress in enhancing testing standards across American racing laboratories, Harding emphasizes the importance of viewing laboratory standardization from an international perspective.
“As events like the Kentucky Derby gain greater international prominence, further harmonization of testing protocols—specifically pre- and post-race testing—is essential both domestically and globally,” Harding notes.
The IFHA has implemented several key initiatives to strengthen worldwide racing integrity standards.
The organization’s International Agreement on Breeding, Racing, and Wagering (IABRW) establishes comprehensive guidelines for equine doping control in Article 6, covering prohibited substances, genetic therapy, gene doping, prohibited practices, medication in training, and out-of-competition testing.
Since 2017, the IFHA Reference Laboratory Program has designated six laboratories from Australia, France, Great Britain, Hong Kong, USA and Japan to support significant races relevant to IFHA world rankings. Laboratory heads contribute to the IFHA Reference Laboratory Technical Committee, which trains assessors and recommends practices for harmonizing testing procedures.
The Advisory Council on Equine Prohibited Substances & Practices brings together international experts to update the IABRW and address emerging issues like gene doping.
To ensure consistent reporting of therapeutic and environmental substances, the IFHA has established International Screening Limits and International Residue Limits for racing laboratories worldwide.
The federation maintains a memorandum of understanding with the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation aimed at standardizing practices across racing laboratories through consistent accreditation requirements.
In October 2024, the IFHA released its Racing Integrity Handbook, detailing components that ensure integrity across all racing jurisdictions, with a comprehensive chapter dedicated to doping control.
Harding points out that horse racing often surpasses human sports in integrity measures and doping control sophistication. Approximately 522,000 racehorse samples were tested in 2022, compared to about 257,000 human athlete samples.
“Comprehensive blood testing and hair analysis have long been standard in horse racing, enhancing detection capabilities,” Harding explains.
While human gene-doping testing has typically focused on a single gene, horse racing has advanced to include various genetic modifiers. The sport continues to develop innovative testing methodologies and data analytics, providing racing’s regulatory authorities with increasingly effective tools for doping control.
