HIWU’s Newest Tool in Standardizing Horseracing Welfare Standards
In early November 2022, the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) announced its new website, HIWU.org. HIWU is the independent agency that will be enforcing the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority’s (HISA) Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program. This program applies to Thoroughbred racing and comes into force on January 1, 2023. HIWU, established in 2022, is a division of Drug Free Sport International, a worldwide leader in drug testing in sports. The current version of the website has educational resources in English and Spanish about the ADMC Program. Future website updates will include a Prohibited Substances database and a searchable list of sanctions imposed against Covered Persons or Covered Horses for ADMC Program violations.
HIWU will oversee centralized testing and results management across all American Thoroughbred racing jurisdictions that HISA governs. HIWU’s role also includes accrediting laboratories, educating stakeholders, investing and prosecuting violations.