Title of Regulation: 11VAC10-60. Participants (amending 11VAC10-60-20, 11VAC10-60-130).

Statutory Authority: § 59.1-369 of the Code of Virginia.

Effective Date: April 16, 2012.

Agency Contact: David S. Lermond, Jr., Regulatory Coordinator, Virginia Racing Commission, 10700 Horsemen's Lane, New Kent, VA 23024, telephone (804) 966-7404, FAX (804) 966-7418, or email david.lermond@vrc.virginia.gov.

Summary:

This regulatory action prohibits a practicing veterinarian from treating any other horse entered in the same race as a horse owned or trained by the veterinarian's spouse after entries have closed and clarifies the meaning of "ownership." The duties of a practicing veterinarian are amended to include maintaining complete medical records consistent with the laws and regulations of the Virginia Board of Veterinary Medicine; making electronic records available; and disposing of syringes, needles, and infusion tubes as directed by the commission veterinarian. Further, the action prohibits a jockey agent from being licensed as an owner, trainer, or authorized agent and establishes limits on the physical areas where a jockey agent may be present and on communication with a jockey.

11VAC10-60-20. Practicing veterinarian.

A. Qualifications. A holder of a permit allowing the person to participate as a practicing veterinarian in Virginia shall possess a full and unrestricted license from the Virginia Board of Veterinary Medicine.

B. Prohibitions. A practicing veterinarian shall be prohibited from engaging in the following activities:

1. Owning, directly or indirectly, entirely or a portion of any horse racing at the race meeting where he is practicing veterinary medicine. For purposes of this section, ownership shall be based on being named on the certificate of registration or eligibility paper, or named in a syndicate, corporation, lease, partnership, or other joint venture owning or managing the racehorse and shall not be based solely on community property laws relating to marriage;

2. Wagering on the outcome of any race, either directly or indirectly, at the race meeting where he is practicing veterinary medicine; and

3. Furnishing any injection device, injectable substance, or any other medication intended for use by injection to another permit holder without the written permission of the stewards.; and

4. Treating any other horses entered to race in the same race as a horse owned or trained by the veterinarian's spouse after entries have closed for that race.

C. Duties. In the exercise of his duties, the practicing veterinarian shall:

1. Treat all horses under his care in a humane manner and report all instances of animal abuse or neglect immediately to the stewards and commission veterinarian;

2. Report immediately to the commission veterinarian and stewards any illness in a horse presenting unusual or unknown symptoms;

3. Retain Maintain complete medical records consistent with the statutes and regulations of the Virginia Board of Veterinary Medicine, and retain duplicate copies of bills or statements issued to trainers or owners for at least one year;

4. Make available to the commission veterinarian, stewards or other commission personnel, upon request, copies of any written or electronic records or billing statements to trainers or owners; and

5. Use only single-use disposable syringes, needles, and infusion tubes, and whenever using a hypodermic needle or syringe, the practicing veterinarian shall destroy the needle and syringe and remove it from the enclosure dispose of the syringes, needles, and infusion tubes as directed by the commission veterinarian.

11VAC10-60-130. Jockey agent.

A person shall submit an application to participate in horse racing as a jockey agent. The jockey agent acts as an agent for the jockey he represents in securing riding engagements. The stewards, in their discretion, may ask a person to take a written or oral examination to determine his fitness to participate in horse racing as a jockey agent. In addition to all of the requirements imposed upon all holders of permits, the following shall apply to jockey agents:

1. A jockey agent shall designate in writing those jockeys for whom he is making engagements;

2. A jockey agent shall have in his possession at all times an engagement book, approved by the stewards, and all engagements made for a jockey by the agent shall be recorded in the book. The book shall be presented to the stewards upon request;

3. A jockey agent shall not make or assist in making any engagement for a jockey other than those he has designated in writing;

4. A jockey agent may make engagements for only two jockeys, one of which must be an apprentice jockey;

5. A jockey agent may make engagements for two journeyman jockeys only with the permission of the stewards;

6. If a jockey agent relinquishes the making of engagements for any jockey, the jockey agent shall immediately notify the stewards and clerk of scales and turn over to the stewards a list of any unfilled engagements he may have made for that jockey;

7. A jockey agent may give only one "first call" and one "second call" per race for each jockey he represents, and conflicting claims for the services of a jockey shall be decided by the stewards;

8. A jockey agent shall be able to explain, to the satisfaction of the stewards, rival claims for the services of a jockey or that the rival claims are the result of bona fide error;

9. No jockey shall have more than one agent;

10. An owner, trainer or authorized agent may make engagements for an apprentice jockey or jockey; and

11. A jockey not represented by an agent may make his own engagements.;

12. A holder of a jockey agent permit may not be licensed as an owner, trainer, or authorized agent; and

13. Under no circumstances shall a jockey agent be permitted within the saddling enclosure during racing hours nor shall he be allowed on the track proper or in the winner's circle at the conclusion of any race run. An agent may not have access to the jockey quarters at any time or communicate with any jockey during racing hours without permission of the stewards.

FORMS (11VAC10-60)

Apprentice Jockey Certificate, DLLR/MRC/P/#6/97-786 (eff. 9/98).

Authorized Agent Form (eff. 9/98).

Application for Participants 20___ (eff. 8/00).

Renewal Application for Participants 20___ (eff. 8/00).

Multi-Jurisdiction Racing License Application for Owners (eff. 8/00).

National Racing License Owner's Application, nrcpaper__version1.pm5 (eff. 10/00).

Apprentice Jockey Certificate (rev. 6/05).

Authorized Agent Form (rev. 3/12).

Application for Participants (rev. 2/07).

Renewal Application for Participants (rev. 2/07).