Blea to be reinstated as CHRB equine medical director

Dr. Jeff Blea, who was placed on administrative leave from his position of equine medical director of the California Horse Racing Board early in 2022, will be reinstated to that position on Sept. 21 after reaching a settlement of a complaint from the California Veterinary Medical Board, according to his attorney.

Michael Casey, a Lexington, Ky., attorney, said Wednesday night that the settlement will require Blea to attend continuing-education classes on proper record-keeping and that Blea will be placed under a three-year probationary period.

Blea was placed on administrative leave after the CVMB filed a complaint alleging that the longtime veterinarian had violated the board’s regulations on prescribing and administering medications to racehorses as a practicing vet just prior to being selected as the CHRB’s equine medical director in 2021.

In a statement, Scott Chaney, executive director of the California Horse Racing Board, said that the board was “aware” of a settlement, but he also said it was not a party to the agreement and could not comment on its details.

“We can say that we are pleased that the parties came to an amicable agreement, and that Dr. Blea soon will be permitted to return to his important work as EMD,” the statement said. “The CHRB considers the safety of horses to be one of its most important responsibilities, and the work of the EMD is critical to that effort. The board itself has supported Dr. Blea throughout this process and that support remains as he resumes his essential work.”

Blea was one of the most widely respected equine practitioners in California at the time the accusations were made by an anonymous source. The CHRB and the state’s horse racing industry are under constant scrutiny by animal-rights groups in the state.

Just prior to being placed on administrative leave, the CVMB issued a suspension of Blea’s veterinary license based on the complaint. The CHRB then removed Blea from the oversight of a necropsy of Medina Spirit, the disqualified winner of the 2021 Kentucky Derby who died of a heart attack shortly after completing a workout at Santa Anita in early December. The CHRB is required to conduct an inquiry into the death of any horse that dies at a licensed racetrack or training facility in the state.

The complaint issued by the CVMB alleged that Blea prescribed and administered medications to racehorses “without any documented examination or diagnoses” from a period running from Sept. 30, 2020, to Jan. 26, 2021.

Blea was a practicing vet for 28 years prior to his appointment as the equine medical director.