Consensus study sets standards for yearling sales endoscopy

A new Delphi consensus study in Equine Veterinary Journal says expert equine veterinarians in Australia and New Zealand have agreed on a more standardized approach to Thoroughbred yearling sales endoscopy, aiming to restore confidence in a process that had been criticized for inconsistency. In three survey rounds involving 40, then 39, then 37 veterinarians, the panel reached consensus to adopt the Havemeyer grading system for yearling laryngeal function, standardize pre-sale endoscopic technique, and use a four-tier risk framework: grades I and II.1 as low risk, II.2 as low-moderate risk, III.1 as moderate risk, and III.2 or higher as high risk. The paper follows earlier work from the same research group showing that stakeholder concern centered on variable interpretation of “grade 3” scopes and uncertainty about how those findings relate to future racing outcomes. (madbarn.com)

Why it matters: For equine veterinarians working in sales medicine, the consensus gives a clearer, evidence-linked structure for reporting laryngeal findings and discussing risk with clients. That matters because Australasian sales companies had already moved toward implementation after reviewing the research, with Inglis, Magic Millions, and New Zealand Bloodstock rolling out the new system for the 2025 sales season, according to AgriFutures Australia. In practice, that could reduce interobserver variability, improve transparency for buyers and consignors, and better align repository endoscopy findings with likely performance and laryngoplasty risk. (agrifutures.com.au)

What to watch: Watch for broader validation of the risk categories in live sales settings, and for whether standardized technique and the Havemeyer scale continue to gain traction beyond Australasia. (madbarn.com)