Cochranville resident George Strawbridge Jr., a prominent horse breeder and safe racing advocate, welcomed the reforms recently adopted by the Pennsylvania Racing Commission, saying they were “a long time coming,” writes David Wenner for the Harrisburg Patriot-News. 

“At last, they’ve arrived, and we do have a chance now, with these reforms, to preserve racing for the future in a much better state,” he said. 

The reforms include new rules that put a stop to indiscriminate joint injections that were causing a staggering number of racehorses to suffer catastrophic breakdowns. 

“That kills horses, obviously, because it enables them to run when they’re injured,” said Strawbridge. “That’s probably the greatest cause of all these horrible horse accidents that occur.” 

The measures include putting state-employed veterinarians at morning workouts so they can spot signs of ailing horses and increasing scrutiny of racehorses’ medical records and recent performance. 

Strawbridge was recently recognized with the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award for excellence in breeding. Throughout his career, which has spanned more than a half-century, he has been responsible for several Keystone State-bred standouts, including Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Tikkanen and With Anticipation, a five-time grade 1 winner. 

Read more about George Strawbridge in the Harrisburg Patriot-News.