Re: [RC] Drug testing - detection and sample size - Truman Prevatt
Drug testing gets very funny. Basically it is a legal process by which
you are required to give potentially self incriminating evidence
against yourself. Because of that the rules are quite stringent. It is
very difficult for example for an employer to zero out a particular
individual to test and if they do it can be throw out because it is not
"random." This has happened. The US DOD is very careful to maintain
randomness in it's policy (under federal law anyone with a security
clerance - including all military personnel - must be willing to
undergo random drug testing.) They can not for example text the ranks
of PFC higher than they do the ranks of the General Officers. When I
was at Fairchild testers showed up one morning drew employee ID
numbers at random and those that matched the drawn numbers were tested.
Those that were in plant were tested that day and those that were on
travel were tested by the nurse when they returned. I was drawn and so
was the division president.
I suspect if it ever got to the court the same standards would be
applied to drug testing an equine events. One ride where testing was
done I was running the P&Rs at the finish line. The tester asked me
to draw numbers from a hat before the horses finished and horses that
finished in the places drawn were the ones tested. At one other ride
the riders pulls slips of paper from a hat when they check in with the
in timer at the finish. If it was blue they were tested. I think
randomization of the process is quite important.
However, there is no reason the process could not include the winner,
BC and 8 horses drawn at random. The one flaw may be at rides I've seen
it done only finishers were tested. If someone was really intent on
using drugs - particularly some that really had some performane
enhancing capability like steroids - and he/she heard testing was
going on he could eaisly skirt the process - and walk - by pulling
himself for RO ("...doc I have a bad case of cramps and can't go on as
much as I want to..."). So I would think it should be directed at the
field of starters and not just finishers - collect blood or urine at
random at some points in the ride. From the feed back I have gotten
that's the way CA does it and that's the way I've seen it done at FEI
rides. That I think it is the proper method to use.
I can calculate from the number of top 10's - there are about 4000 of
them - but I sure don't think testing should be directed only at them.
But it won't be till after I get back from riding this morning and
entertaining my inlaws (oh boy what fun) this afternoon. It would be
nice if Bob would provide the total number tested last year. He may
have already done it, I haven't gone though my in box yet. However, I
don't really know if CA reports the number number tested, but rather
only the positive test.
Truman
Ed & Wendy Hauser wrote:
Would it be reasonable to assume
that Rule 13 violations would be more common among the top 10 horses in
a ride, and thus concentrate the random testing on those horses? If an
effective use is being made of prohibited substances, it may be among
those who dream of selling the "winning" horse internationally. The
monetary value of ride, year end awards, and endorsements is not that
great at AERC (that is non-FEI) rides is not that great.
Could you recalculate on that
basis. It may bring the cost somewhere near that which can be afforded
by the AERC.
Ed
Ed & Wendy Hauser
2994 Mittower Road
Victor, MT 59875
