Racing Commissions with Izzy Trejo
Tucson, AZ — On Monday March 27, RTIP Alum, Ismael (Izzy) Trejo, Executive Director of the New Mexico Racing Commission returned to the RTIP in the role of a guest professor. He spoke in the Joe Hirsch Speaker Series as well as Advanced Racing Laws and Enforcement.
In Speaker Series, Mr. Trejo focused much of his discussions on the regulatory role of the racing executive director which also included some discussion on initiatives to keep the horses healthy. With so much scrutiny on the animals, it is only logical that the regulatory vets be the best advocates for racing’s athletes. Trejo is quick to point to this fact as the driving force behind many of New Mexico’s programs. The horses need a voice, and by building programs around the vets themselves, Trejo hopes that the horses have the best possible representation.
Trejo also spoke about the many challenges involved throughout the regulatory process. In Advanced Racing Law, he talked about management of racing commissions and the licensing of new racetracks. While communication and transparency are generally not the first concepts that come to mind when one thinks of politics, Trejo stressed that lack of communication is a point of great contention that leads to many issues within commissions.