KHRC tabs Howard as interim equine medical director

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has elevated its chief veterinarian to the position of interim equine medical director as it continues to search for a replacement for Dr. Mary Scollay.

Dr. Bruce Howard, the chief veterinarian for the KHRC since 2016, will fill the position on an interim basis “effective immediately,” the KHRC said in a release. He will continue to fulfill the duties associated with the chief veterinarian position as interim director, the KHRC added.

Scollay resigned in July to take the position of executive director of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, a research and policy group funded by a wide variety of national racing constituencies. She began working at the RMTC on Aug. 5.

Howard received his doctorate of veterinary medicine in 1989. Since then, he has worked as an assistant trainer, broodmare manager, veterinary assistant, and ambulatory veterinarian. He joined the KHRC in 2013 as a state veterinarian.

The equine medical director is responsible for policies affecting the health and safety of racehorses, a topic that has been much in the spotlight in the past six months.