Koester Joins WHOA

Owner and breeder William Koester, a former RCI and Ohio State Racing Commission chair, joined WHOA in support of federal legislation to ban race day drugs. He released the following statement: 

“While most trainers born after 1960 have little or no experience racing without drugging their horses on raceday. I refuse to believe that North American trainers are not as good as the trainers in the rest of the world. 

For the last 35 years I have been an owner-breeder, a past chairman of the Ohio State Racing Commission, and a past chairman of the Association of Racing Commissioners International. I have heard every conceiveable excuse in the world as to why a horse must be drugged on raceday to compete. Choose any name you wish, lasix, salix, or furosimide, they are all the same, and they are a performance enhancing drug given 4 hours before the horses go the the starting gate. Yes race fans, we drug our horses to make them run better, where parimutuel wagering is involved. 

Horseman’s groups, represented by the well dressed, well spoken, well connected, and well paid obstructionists, like to call it medication to give the impression that it’s all good. The horsemen groups will also tell us they believe in transparency in the sport, but don’t believe that for a minute, the more the public doesn’t know, the better. Imagine 16 million Kentucky Derby viewers witnessing 17 of the 18 Derby starters being shot up with a needle in their necks before the race. We all know, that would never pass the smell test at any Derby party. 

Leading Hong Kong trainer John Size says it best, ‘good horsemanship doesn’t come in a syringe or a bottle’. It’s way past time for North America to get in step with the rest of the world, and race our horses, raceday drug free. 

Please add my name to the membership list of WHOA, I admire the members that have joined before me, and I hope many more will follow.”