Horses should be fully vaccinated and on a strict anti-parasitic treatment program

…said Dr. Dwight Waldron

Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) and renowned veterinarian, Dr. Dwight Waldron, has advised horse owners to work closely with their respective veterinarians to ensure the health and welfare of their horses.

The 16th Guyana Cup will be held on August 11, which is less than a month away, and Dr. Waldron explained that during this period, horses should be fully vaccinated and foals/yearlings should be on strict anti-parasitic treatment.

“The welfare of these animals is critical to reducing stress in harsh environmental conditions. The industry urgently needs to adopt more evidence-based medicine,” explained Dr. Waldron.

In sharing his views on what horses need, Dr. Waldron realized that the sport of horse racing needs a legislative tool. “Without the necessary legislative tool (the Welfare and Racing Bill), this will be difficult to achieve,” Dr. Waldron said.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports revealed in an interview last month that the draft legislation had been approved.
“The draft is complete. It has been approved for presentation to a subcommittee. Over the next few weeks, the subcommittee will review it in detail. Once it is approved and finalized, it will be approved for presentation to Parliament and then we will debate it,” Minister Ramson explained.
The 16th Guyana Cup is hosted by the Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Club and offers a total purse of over 40 million Guyana dollars, with the top horse in the main event set to receive a whopping $11,625,000.
Total purses for all Guyana Cup events last year were $24 million, with the top horse in the feature event winning $10 million.
According to the organisers, the 2024 Guyana Cup will certainly be the biggest yet, with many exciting activities to come on race day. The first ever amusement park will be lit up at the Rising Sun Jockey Club, children will be able to watch the parade bar live, and multiple stages will be set up across the race venue.
Ten tournaments are listed in the provisional programme, with registration opening on July 27 and closing on August 3. No late registration will be accepted for this year’s Guyana Cup.
In addition to the featured races over about 1800 meters, other races on the provisional schedule include: 1600m Derby, 1000m Sprint Classic, 1000m Two-Year-Olds, 1000m F1, 1600m H1, 1400m J and Under, 1400m K, 1400m L and 1400m No Prize.