NEWS&VIEWS You Can Use


Mechanicsville Cruelty Case Update Jennifer Katherine Hurry of Mechanicsville


was sentenced on November 30, 2022 on 20 counts of animal cruelty. After receiving several complaints about ani-


mals on her property since 2018, the St. Mary’s County sheriff 's offi ce and animal control of- fi cers obtained and executed a search warrant in January 2021. At that time, 19 horses, three cows, two goats and 12 fowl were recovered from “deplorable conditions,” according to court documents. Hurry, who is 53, was charged on September


14, 2021 and was convicted on April 29, 2022. At that time, the state was able to obtain an order for the immediate forfeiture of all seized animals so adoptions could begin. T e horses were moved to Days End Farm Horse Rescue in Lisbon. Hurry was sentenced to jail for 540 days, plus


an additional 1260 days that were suspended. She was also sentenced to fi ve years of super- vised probation with the requirement of 500 hours of community service, 100 hours must be completed each year at a minimum. Addition- ally, Hurry was ordered to pay $25,000 in res- titution with a minimum of $5,000 to be paid each year. She is also not allowed to own any additional animals, not including the two dogs and six cats she currently owns.


HISA Anti-Doping & Medication Program Update


T e T oroughbred Horsemen’s Association,


Inc. (THA) issued a press release on December 12, 2022 stating that “the FTC today rejected ‘without prejudice’ HISA’s proposed Anit-Dop- ing and Medication Control rules, which means they will not go into eff ect on January 1, 2023.” T e Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is-


sued an “order disapproving the Anti-Doping and Medication Control proposed rule” sub- mitted by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) to the FTC after a public comment period. Part of the Horseracing In- tegrity and Safety Act required that all rules must be submitted to the FTC for approval. T e FTC’s order comes after the U.S. Court


of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit declared the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act uncon- stitutional. THA explained that “because the next steps in the litigation could render the proposed rule unenforceable in the states that make up the circuit and in those that are plain- tiff s in litigation, approving the proposed rule


would be inconsistent with the Act’s founda- tional principle that horseracing rules be uni- form across the nation." In response to FTC’s decision, HISA re- leased the following statement: “HISA appreciates the Federal Trade Com-


mission’s (FTC) decision to deny HISA’s draft Anit-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) rules without prejudice as we ac- tively seek to resolve current legal uncertain- ties. HISA is eager to launch T oroughbred racing’s fi rst and long-awaited national, uni- form ADMC program and stands ready to do so. We will re-submit the draft ADMC rules to the FTC for their re- view as soon as these legal uncertainties are resolved, and once approved, we will implement the program through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU). In the mean- time, HIWU will continue to work towards the implementation of a uni- form, independent anti-doping and medica- tion control program that is administered con- sistently and fairly across the United States.”


VA Tech Releases Helmet Ratings On December 7, 2022, Virginia Tech’s Hel-


met Lab released the fi ndings of its research into equestrian helmet safety. T e resulting helmet ranking system came after two years of research, including analyzing over 100 videos of riders falling from horses, measuring the hardness of the sand, dirt, grass and synthetic surfaces underfoot at equestrian events, and dragging dummy heads and other equipment. In addition, actual helmets were used at Vir- ginia Tech’s equestrian facilities during rider fall simulations. T e results from the study show that only two of the 40 helmet models studied receive a top “fi ve star” rating. Eleven models earned four stars and the rest were rated at three stars or below. All of the helmet models tested are ap- proved helmets through ASTM and SEI, which requires manufacturers to submit helmets for extensive testing before being sold to the public. Noteworthy is that the Virginia Tech rating


system is based primarily on low impact falls, while the ASTM and SEI requirements focus on high impact testing. “Standards for eques- trian helmets are typically based on severe im-


pacts,” Stefan Duma, director of Virginia Tech’s Critical Technology and Applied Science de- partment stated. “What we found is that a lot of riders come off at lower velocities, and many helmets are too stiff to eff ectively cushion those softer impacts. T e helmets that perform better are able to deal with diff erent energy levels.” According to Virginia Tech, its new ratings


Don’t Forget New Tests for 2023!


go beyond existing standards by using a for- mula that considers the rotational acceleration that occurs when a rider’s head hits the ground, in addition to linear acceleration. Each helmet model was tested at three impact locations and two impact speeds to represent real-world falls. Virginia Tech has previ-


For those competing in the sports of Dressage and Equitation… there are new tests for the 2023 competition season! Be sure to check them out at usef.org.


ously used similar meth- ods to rate helmets used in football, soccer, cycling, hockey, snow sports and whitewater sports. T e hel- met lab was started in 2011. In response to the new helmet rankings,


several


helmet manufacturers issued statements. Mips stated, “helmet-based safety leader Mips wel- comes Virginia Tech Helmet Lab’s equestrian helmet ratings but warns tests may fall short.” Mips, which stands for Multi-directional Im- pact Protection System and is based out of Stockholm, Sweden, added, “after carefully evaluating the test methods and ratings pro- cess, Mips believes that the STAR ratings sys- tem should adopt additional testing methods.” Mips co-founder and chief science offi cer Pe- ter Halldin explained, “T e Virginia Tech rat- ing program conducts tests to the helmet that primarily include compression forces to the helmet, mimicking an accident situation where the rider falls straight towards the ground, a vertical velocity relative to the ground. Howev- er, even if rotational kinematics are measured, rotation is principally induced due to the head rotating around the neck, not at the fi rst con- tact with the impacting surface.” Halldin went on to state, “If a horse and its rid- er have a speed forward during their fall, there will be both vertical and horizontal velocity rela- tive to the ground, and rotation could also be in- duced at the initial contact with the ground due to tangential force. To be able to replicate this phenomenon, another test method is required.” Mips uses a rating system created by the Swed- ish insurance company Folksam, whose rating continued...


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www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580 THE EQUIERY YOUR MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL PUBLICATION | JANUARY 2023 | 11


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