The board of directors of Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation approved expenditure of $1,389,637 to fund 17 new projects at 13 universities, four continuing projects, and the Storm Cat Career Development Award. Since 1983, the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation has distributed over $28.8 million to underwrite 383 projects at 45 universities.
One of the projects, to fund sample collection, storage, and cataloging of tissue related to nocardioform placentitis for future submitted research, was accepted because it is directly affecting the 2020 Kentucky foal crop.
“All of our projects are important and designed to help the most horses with the most relevant and critical research, and I'd like to thank all of our many donors and supporters,” said Dell Hancock, chairman of Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation. “However, some projects are extremely time-sensitive, such as the one for nocardioform placentitis, which is affecting our foals in Central Kentucky right now. Nocardioform placentitis cannot be replicated, so we urge farms to provide tissue samples to the University of Kentucky to help solve this terrible problem.”
The University of Kentucky has made arrangements with local veterinarians, who have been supplied with the proper testing kits. Veterinarians who would like additional information should contact gluck@l.uky.edu. All of the testing for this research will be done at no cost to enrolled mares on participating farms.
Additionally, the Storm Cat Career Development Award, inaugurated in 2006, grants $15,000 to an individual considering a career in equine research. This year's recipient is Sherry A. Johnson, Colorado State University. Dr. Johnson completed her sports medicine and rehabilitation residency in conjunction with her master's program and now is in the second year of her PhD program. Her project, “Validation of Blood Flow Restriction Training in Horses,” represents her passion of researching soft tissue injury and rehabilitation.
For more information on all of the new projects, click here.
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