The conference program consists of Joint, Analytical and Veterinary Sessions. Abstracts will be accepted for either oral or poster presentations.
Please click the image above to enlarge scientific program
Joint Sessions
Alkalinising Agents (TCO2)
Detailed studies, primarily by the Australian laboratories, were performed to establish the International Threshold for T-CO2. These studies used the Beckmann Elise and the threshold is dependent upon the use of this equipment. Subsequent to the acceptance of the international threshold, many laboratories throughout the world have adopted the Beckmann Elise to control bicarbonate loading in horse racing. However the manufacturer will phase out this equipment at the end of 2008. The industry has been pro-active in addressing this issue and a number of laboratories throughout the world have been investigating alternative approaches to the use of the Beckman Elise. Through invited speakers and submitted papers, delegates will be informed of the background to the current challenges and the outcome of the on-going studies. We hope a general discussion period will provide an internationally agreed solution.
Pharmaceutical Developments and Impact on Racing
Throughout the world we have a very innovative pharmaceutical industry producing new and often very potent drugs and improved drug delivery systems for use in human therapy. Some of these drugs will eventually cascade down into veterinary use or be abused in the racing industry. For example, for the last few years, the racing industry has been addressing the challenge of the introduction of protein based drugs. The session will review developments in the pharmaceutical industry and their potential threat to horse racing.
An example of developments in veterinary science has been the production of new vaccines and strategies to combat the equine influenza outbreak in Australia. This outbreak was devastating to the racing industry in Australia, however the disease, currently, has been contained. Through invited speakers the Conference will be informed of the impact of the outbreak upon the racing industry in Australia, the lessons to be learned in disease control and the development of the new vaccines.
Join Session for Submitted Papers
At the Round Table Discussion Session on the Future of ICRAV held in Tokyo (2006), it came to light that a number of submitted papers presented in the separate Analytical and Veterinary sessions were of joint interest to both analysts and veterinarians. This outcome of the discussion session was that at future ICRAVs we hold a joint session for presentation of such papers. This session will provide the opportunity for delegates to bring the Conference upto date with developments in topics covered in themes for Joint Sessions at previous Conferences, for example, biomarkers, proteomics, genomics, EPO, growth hormone etc. We encourage you to submit papers in these areas and other areas you may feel are of joint interest to analysts and veterinarians.
Future Strategies for Control of Prohibited Substances in the Racing Industry
We hope to open this session with presentations from two administrators to address the broad concepts of future strategies for the racing industry in different geographical regions and then narrow the concept to address future strategies for the control of prohibited substances.
Regarding future strategies for control of prohibited substances, for many years now drug control strategies in thoroughbred racing have been based on the post race urine sample. However developments in analytical technology have provided the analyst with the opportunity to develop very sensitive methods and thus consider the analysis of alternative matrices. This coupled with the consideration of alternative sampling approaches provides the industry with the opportunity to re-address its future strategy for control of prohibited substances. The session will address retrospective testing, out of competition testing, therapeutic substances, alternative matrices, international collaboration and the concept of racing without borders.
We also hope within this session to provide delegates with an update from WADA of strategies for drug control within the human field.
Analytical Sessions
The Analytical Sessions will provide the opportunity for AORC members to bring fellow analysts up to date with developments in their laboratories in the fields of drug metabolism, the application of mass spectrometric techniques to drug testing, the application of new analytical techniques and addressing new and existing problem drugs. Speakers will be invited to introduce some of these important topics but the success of these sessions will depend up on you, the analysts, presenting results of your research and development studies in these important areas.
The AORC Round Table discussion session will provide you with the opportunity to express your views on a range of topics nominated by AORC members.
Veterinary Sessions
Preventing Injury
This session will examine the latest preventive strategies and an international recording system.
herapeutic Drugs – Use and Abuse
Is this ethical:
Routine drug treatment (eg NSAIDs) of all horses in a stable?
Repetitive, long-term use of intra-articular corticosteroids? and
Use of pain-killing drugs in horses that may have stress fractures?
These questions will be examined in papers and discussions.
The IGSRV Round-table discussion includes:
Regional reports
EIPH
Continuing education
Welfare
Managing the severely injured horse
Poster Session
The Poster Session continues to be an extremely valuable and integral part of ICRAV. The session provides the opportunity for an intimate exchange of views between presenters and conference delegates. As with previous conferences, poster presenters will have the option of a 5 minute oral presentation either at the posters or through powerpoint facilities within the poster hall.
We encourage you to submit posters addressing analytical and veterinary topics.
The Standing and Management Committee for ICRAV agreed, at the Tokyo Conference, to extend the Young Scientist Award to the Poster Session. Thus, in additional to awards for the best oral presentation by a young scientist presenting on analytical and veterinary topics, there will also be an award for the best poster presentation by a young scientist.
