About
The Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) was established in 2022 by Drug Free Sport International (DFSI) to administer the rules and enforcement mechanisms of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority’s (HISA) Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program.
HIWU oversees testing, educating stakeholders on the ADMC Program, accrediting laboratories, investigating potential violations, and prosecuting any such violations.
The ADMC Program establishes a centralized testing and results management process and applies uniform penalties for violations efficiently and consistently across all American Thoroughbred horse racing jurisdictions that HISA governs.
Drug Free Sport International (DFSI) is a worldwide leader in the sport drug testing industry. It administers comprehensive drug testing programs, manages national and international collections, develops drug testing policies, and provides educational services to a wide range of professional and amateur athletics organizations around the world. Its highly educated, experienced, and diverse staff is committed to quality, technical innovation, and maintaining the most extensive network of highly trained and certified sport drug testing collectors in the industry. Its business partners include the National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), PGA Tour, NASCAR, and Major League Baseball (MLB).
About HISA
The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) was established when the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act was signed into federal law in 2020 and is responsible for drafting and enforcing uniform safety rules and anti-doping and medication control rules in Thoroughbred racing in the U.S. Overseen by the Federal Trade Commission, HISA is composed of two programs: the Racetrack Safety Program and the ADMC Program.
About the Internal Adjudication Panel
The Internal Adjudication Panel (IAP) is responsible for hearing Controlled Medication Rule Violation Cases under HISA’s Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program. Controlled Medication Rule Violations are defined in the Rule Series 3000: Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Protocol.
IAP members are appointed by mutual agreement of HISA and HIWU for four-year terms and serve as independent contractors to both entities. The individuals, which include state stewards, are selected for their deep equine regulatory experience. State stewards are prohibited from participating in cases originating in their state of employment. All members of the IAP will receive training on HISA’s adjudication processes under the ADMC Program before they can hear cases and must complete continuing education on an annual basis to maintain their eligibility to serve.
Those who are interested in applying for the IAP should submit a cover letter, resume, and list of references to info@hiwu.org with a subject line of “Internal Adjudication Panel.” Interested candidates should have experience in hearing equine medication cases, either as stewards or in other regulatory roles in the equine industry.
The current members of the IAP are as follows, with their “prohibited states” in relation to hearing cases included in parentheses where applicable: