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About the Sales Integrity Program

Mission

"To maintain the highest levels of integrity in horse sales for both buyers and sellers, while ensuring a competitive, fair and vibrant marketplace for the benefit of the entire industry."

What Is The Sales Integrity Program?

In 2004, the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) created the Sales Integrity Task Force in response to an expressed desire within the Thoroughbred industry. The Task Force sought to improve the opportunity for buyers and sellers at public auction sales to feel informed, understand the various aspects of the process and be confident they were being fairly treated.

The Sales Integrity Task Force, which consisted of 22 members, met several times during 2004 to formulate a code of ethics for Thoroughbred auctions. The code was geared to new buyers, however it recognized that the interests of consignors, breeders, agents, veterinarians, sales companies and horses needed to be protected as well and that all public auctions involve inherent risks for all concerned. Key elements of that code included articulating the fraudulent nature of dual agency without disclosure and pre-sale price manipulation; providing for a sample legal agreement for use between buyers and bidding agents; requiring disclosure of physical procedures that alter conformation permanently; banning temporary alteration of conformation; requiring veterinarians to sign a legal form (prior to entering the repository) disclosing any equity interest in horses offered for sale and encouraging full disclosure of ownership while protecting rights to privacy.

After the release of the code of ethics in December 2004, the Sales Integrity Program was established to implement the recommendations in the code through a communications and education campaign.

In 2007, pursuant to an agreement between the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA), Consignors and Commercial Breeders Association (CBA), Fasig-Tipton, Inc., Horse Owners' Protective Association, Keeneland Association, Inc., Kentucky Thoroughbred Association (KTA) and Kentucky State Representative Larry Clark, the Sales Integrity Task Force reconvened to develop industry consensus on licensing of bloodstock agents and consignors, transparency in ownership in the sales arena and transparency in medication in the sales arena, all of which were implicated by Kentucky House Bill 388. The task force recommended a bloodstock agent code of conduct be added to the conditions of sale, voluntary ownership disclosure in an ownership registry, updated prohibited practices and exogenous anabolic steroid testing at the buyer's discretion.

As with the first Sales Integrity Task Force, the Sales Integrity Program was charged with overseeing the implementation of the task force's 2007 recommendations. The Sales Integrity Program is managed by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA).

Who Is The Sales Integrity Program?

The 2007 Sales Integrity Task Force Members were:

John Adger - Stonerside Stables Mike Akers - Dapple Bloodstock Headley Bell - Nicoma Bloodstock Jimmy Bell - Darley USA Reynolds Bell, Jr. - Reynolds Bell Thoroughbred Services Wayne Boyd - Western Kentucky Horse Sales Bill Casner - WinStar Farm Robert Clay - Three Chimneys Joe Costa - Tattersalls Charles "Redd" Crabtree - Crabtree Farms Bruce Crowe - United Mountain Horse Association Bill Farish - Lane's End Bill Heiligbrodt - Heiligbrodt Racing Stable Jess Jackson - Stonestreet Farm Ken Jackson - Kentuckiana Farms Bill Landes - Hermitage Farm Norman Luba - Kentucky Quarter Horse Association Tom Ludt - Vinery Reiley McDonald - Eaton Sales

Martha Jane Mulholland - Mulholland Springs Farm Nick Nicholson - Keeneland Association Denny Nunnelley - Ky. Quarter Horse Racing Assn. Frank Penn - Pennbrook Farm Walt Robertson - Fasig-Tipton Earl Rogers - Kentucky Walking Horse Association Geoffrey Russell - Keeneland Association Dermot Ryan - Ashford Stud Satish Sanan - Padua Stables Fred Sarver - American Saddlebred Horse Assn. Fred Seitz - Thoroughbred trainer/Brookdale Farm John Sikura - Hill 'n' Dale Farms Mark Taylor - Taylor Made Farm D.G. Van Clief - Fasig-Tipton John Ward - Thoroughbred trainer Bayne Welker - Mill Ridge Farm Jack Wolf - Starlight Stables Alex Waldrop - NTRA, Task Force moderator

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