Grayson-Jockey Club Announces $1.8M in 2026 Equine Research Funding

New studies aim to improve wound care, tendon health, and osteoarthritis treatments for horses.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 5:04am

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The Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation announced it is funding 13 new projects and 13 continuing projects at 16 universities, as well as three career development awards in 2026, totaling $1.8 million in research support. The new studies focus on innovative approaches to equine wound care, tendon biology, and osteoarthritis treatments.

Why it matters

The Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation has funded over $45.8 million in equine research since 1940, leading to advancements that benefit the health and welfare of horses. The 2026 funding will support critical research in areas like antibiotic-resistant wound infections, tendon injuries that commonly affect racehorses, and osteoarthritis - major issues facing the equine industry.

The details

The new research projects include developing a targeted phage therapy to treat severe, drug-resistant equine wound infections, investigating the role of elastin and lubricin proteins in tendon function, and creating a new class of synthetic proteoglycan replacements to halt cartilage deterioration in osteoarthritis. Additional continuing projects will study the effects of steroid medications on insulin regulation and laminitis, as well as using PET scans to better characterize and manage laminitis.

  • The Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation announced the 2026 funding on March 28, 2026.
  • The funded research projects will be conducted throughout 2026.

The players

Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation

A nonprofit organization that has funded over $45.8 million in equine research at 50 universities since 1940 to benefit equine welfare.

Lia Danelishvili

Researcher at Oregon State University leading a project on developing a phage therapy platform to treat drug-resistant equine wound infections.

Sushmitha Durgam

Researcher at Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Ohio State University leading projects on the biology and mechanics of equine tendon elastin and lubricin proteins, as well as using finite element analysis to study tendon microdamage.

Charlotte Barton

Researcher at Colorado State University receiving the Storm Cat Career Development Award to study osteoarthritis treatments.

Kyla Ortved

Researcher at the University of Pennsylvania developing synthetic proteoglycan replacements to treat osteoarthritis in horses.

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What they’re saying

“Wounds in horses are common, often resulting from trauma or surgery, and are highly susceptible to infection due to the diverse, microbe-rich environments in which horses live. Infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterococcus faecium are especially difficult to treat.”

— Lia Danelishvili, Researcher, Oregon State University

“SDFT injuries continue to be a common cause of wastage in racehorses and sport horses. At present, treatment strategies for tendon injuries emphasize improving only the collagen fiber architecture even though tendon function is largely mediated by the sliding motion between collagenous fascicles governed by the matrix between the fascicles. Therefore, current tendon treatments fail to address the underlying biology and altered structure-function in tendon injury.”

— Sushmitha Durgam, Researcher, Texas A&M AgriLife Research

What’s next

The Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation will announce the results of the 2026 funded studies in early 2027.

The takeaway

The Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation's continued investment in innovative equine health research is crucial for developing new treatments and improving the welfare of horses, especially in high-impact areas like wound care, tendon injuries, and osteoarthritis.