The U.S. Equestrian Federation and the University of Kentucky have entered into a Letter of Intent to develop an equine regulatory testing laboratory based in Lexington, Kentucky.

In January 2018, the USEF Board of Directors appointed a task force headed by Tom O’Mara to work with senior leadership to analyze USEF’s laboratory functions and future options for their sample testing program. The creation of the task force led to conversations with the university regarding potential collaborations. The USEF Board of Directors met on Oct. 3 and unanimously approved the signing of this letter.

“Our senior leadership and task force have done a fantastic job of analyzing our laboratory and equine testing program,” said USEF President Murray Kessler. ‘The recent announcement by the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment that Scott Stanley will be joining their faculty in January provides a unique opportunity for UK to build upon the foundation of the USEF Laboratory and expand the program under the direction of a leading expert in this field. This arrangement will provide USEF members with state-of-the-art equine testing, research and the independence between the laboratory and the USEF regulatory process.”

The lab will expand upon UK’s expertise in equine pharmacology and toxicology. Additionally, this partnership builds on the college’s mission of serving Kentucky and the world through unparalleled teaching, transformative research, and relevant service.

“We are excited about our partnership with USEF,” said Nancy Cox, dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment “Dr. Stanley has an international reputation for sound application of the best technologies to pharmacology in the horse. Under his leadership, the lab will enhance our ability to provide state-of-the-art, dedicated service to the health and welfare of the horse.”

USEF and UK expect to finalize the details of an agreement in the near future.