USEF and UK have signed a Letter of Intent to develop an equine regulatory testing laboratory in Lexington, Kentucky, the federation announced Oct. 31. | Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt/The Horse

The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and the University of Kentucky (UK) have signed a letter of intent to develop an equine regulatory testing laboratory in Lexington, Kentucky, the federation announced Oct. 31.

In January 2018, the USEF Board of Directors appointed a task force headed by Tom O’Mara to work with senior leadership to analyze USEF’s laboratory functions and future options for their sample testing program. The creation of the task force led to conversations with the university regarding potential collaborations. The USEF Board of Directors met on Oct. 3 and unanimously approved the signing of this letter.

“Our senior leadership and task force have done a fantastic job of analyzing our laboratory and equine testing program,” said USEF President Murray Kessler. “The recent announcement by the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment that Scott Stanley (PhD) will be joining their faculty in January provides a unique opportunity for UK to build upon the foundation of the USEF laboratory and expand the program under the direction of a leading expert in this field. This arrangement will provide USEF members with state-of-the-art equine testing, research, and the independence between the laboratory and the USEF regulatory process