University of Kentucky

As anecdotal sightings of tent caterpillars in central Kentucky give rise to concerns that this might be a bumper crop for the region, entomologists at the University of Kentucky have weighed in with guidelines to control the pests. Dr. Jonathan Larson, an entomologist at the UK's Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, said that they do not currently have data to support the notion that this year is worse than others, but indicated that a survey would be sent to farm managers to gauge their opinions. However, he said,...

The Thoroughbred transcends borders, oceans, entire cultures. To do so literally, of course, it will need a little help: ideally, nowadays, a plane. And that's where Andrea Branchini's day job comes in, as a shipping clerk with the transport firm Mersant International. But this is a man himself without frontiers. Branchini has lived and worked in five different countries, and traveled widely in between, constantly absorbing what makes one society different from another, and what brings them together. Few fields of interest, Branchini has observed, achieve the latter quite like...

Taylor Made Stallions's Travis White will succeed as president longtime leader Ben Taylor, who is retiring from day-to-day operations and will assume the role of chairman of the board, the farm said in a Friday morning press release. White began at Taylor Made in 2007 and has worked alongside Taylor in the stallion department for 18 years. The Louisville-native graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in sports management, and began his career in the industry at Buck Pond Farm before moving into the role of stallion nominations...

The University of Kentucky has terminated the employment of former lab director Scott Scanley following what they call "a serious breach of ethics and policy violations related to misconduct and mismanagement of the institution's former Equine Analytical Chemistry Lab (EACL), which provided drug testing for the equine industry," according to a Sept. 11 press release from UK. After the initial findings from a UK Internal Audit investigation, the university announced last September that it had begun the process to revoke Scott Stanley's tenure as a faculty member, with the intention...

The Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory at the University of Kentucky is now under the ownership of Eagle Diagnostics, according to a release from the school. The newly branded Equine Integrity and Anti-Doping Sciences (EQIAS) Labs will continue to serve as a leader in anti-doping testing for the equine and competition animal industries, while expanding opportunities for research and innovation, the release said. EQIAS Labs utilizes state-of-the-art analytical equipment to detect performance-enhancing drugs in horses and other animal species to ensure fairness, integrity and animal welfare. The laboratory also performs routine...

Over a month ago, the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) and the University of Kentucky issued their respective reports into multiple alleged management and operational failures at the university's Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory (UK-EACL) under the leadership of its former director, Scott Stanley. Earlier this month, Stanley issued a response through his attorney. He categorically denied falsifying results and claimed many of the allegations leveled against him were made without evidence. At the same time, Stanley criticized the logistical challenges of running a lab under HIWU's regulatory oversight, including...

Twelve students of full-time horse farm workers are pursuing higher education this year with help of the Horse Farm Workers' Educational Assistance Fund, the non-profit said in a Friday release. Qualifying parents of scholars must be employed full-time for at least three years by one of the following central Kentucky Thoroughbred farms: Benson Farm, Betz Thoroughbreds, Godolphin, Hermitage, Shadwell Farm, Shawhan Place Farm and WinStar Farm. So far, 760 annual scholarships totaling $1,677,501 have been awarded since the Fund's inception in 1996 by Rob Whiteley of Liberation Farm, Tom Evans...

Central Kentucky Riding for Hope (CKRH), a non-profit which offers a variety of equine-assisted therapies and activities for people of all ages, will host its 21st annual gala fundraiser, Night of the Stars, June 22 at Fasig Tipton in Lexington. "Broadway Nights" is the theme of the event, which begins at 6 p.m., and  which includes dinner and drinks, a silent auction and a live auction in which the highest bidders earn a sponsorship of CKRH participants and their equine partners. "Night of the Stars is a meaningful way for...

Jacob West will join the Claiborne Farm team in October as the Stallion Seasons & Bloodstock Manager, the organization said in a release Wednesday. West, a Kentucky native, graduated from UK with a degree in Economics. He began his career in the Thoroughbred industry at the ground level, first serving as a groom in Taylor Made Farm's broodmare division. From there, he ascended to barn foreman, divisional yearling manager, and then Buyer Account Manager. During his tenure at Taylor Made, West managed all aspects of his clients' investment portfolios, including...

It has been two months since the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) stopped sending samples to the University of Kentucky's Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory due to "concerns with the performance" of the facility. Prior to that, the laboratory had been one of six drug testing facilities used under The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's (HISA) drug testing program. Since then, several key developments have unfurled amid limited public explanations. HISA and HIWU announced that they have opened an investigation into the UK Laboratory's performance, alongside the university's own investigation...

The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC) has suspended its accreditation of the University of Kentucky's Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, according to the RMTC's executive director, Michael Hardy. This follows news last week that the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) have opened an investigation into the UK Laboratory's performance, and that the agencies were cooperating with the university's own investigation into the matter. The university is also conducting an ongoing personnel investigation relating to former lab director Scott Stanley and that "Dr....

The 11th Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit will be held June 25 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Longship Room at Kroger Field on the campus of the University of Kentucky. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be co-hosted by the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and The Jockey Club. Annise Montplaisir, equine education coordinator of the Kentucky Equine Education Project Foundation and president of Amplify Horse Racing, will emcee the event, which will be livestreamed....