Speaker Series: Dr. Mary Scollay

April 24, 2023
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Dr. Scollay with faculty and students on the UArizona campus

Race Track Industry Program/Denise Pharris

Dr. Mary Scollay of the Horseracing Welfare and Integrity Unit (HIWU) came to Tucson to speak in RTIP classes. Dr. Scollay has spent over 30 years as a racing regulatory veterinarian, including 11 years at the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission’s equine medical director. Dr. Scollay also served as the executive director of the Racing Testing and Medication Consortium (RMTC), before starting her role as Chief of Science for HIWU last year.

Dr. Scollay spoke to students in the Advanced Racing Law and Enforcement course. Her long career in racing regulation provided valuable, first-hand insight into the evolution of rules in racing over time. She discussed the plans of HIWU when it is fully implemented, from the different types of testing processes they will use to the adjudication steps if a positive test were to occur.

Dr. Scollay also spoke as part of the Joe Hirsch Speaker Series. She discussed her career in racing and shared lessons learned along the way. Dr. Scollay spoke to the vast improvements racing has made in veterinary care over her time in racing, as well as areas where the industry can improve. Dr. Scollay was also willing to speak about various hot topics in horse racing, such as shared medical records, void claim rules, out of competition testing, and the overall health of the Thoroughbred breed.