96186-Veterinary Services

The Texas Racing Commission (TXRC) is seeking qualified veterinarians to provide comprehensive veterinary services for horse racing regulation and oversight across four Texas racetracks: Gillespie County Fair, Retama Race Park, Lone Star Park, and Sam Houston Race Park. The Request for Qualifications (RFQ) #476-24-001 requires respondents to be licensed Doctors of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) in Texas with a DEA number, minimum one year of equine or racetrack veterinary experience, and ability to perform critical services including pre-race soundness inspections, triage of injured horses, test barn sample collection, postmortem exams, morning training monitoring, and critical injury reporting. The solicitation was published on December 30, 2024, with responses due by February 14, 2025, at 12:00 p.m., to be submitted via email or fax. Evaluation criteria are weighted across four key areas: 25% for experience in regulating horse racing, 25% for equine practice experience, 10% for other veterinary practice experience, and 40% based on a potential face-to-face interview demonstrating lameness examination protocols and knowledge of communicable equine diseases. The contract term will run from the date of full execution through August 31, 2025, with potential renewal options for four additional one-year periods.

The contract does not specify specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises. Contractors must maintain $1,000,000 in liability insurance, use the E-Verify employment verification system, and comply with Texas state requirements including Buy Texas affirmation and boycott prohibitions. The contract includes a fiscal year cap of $150,000 per blanket contract, with a fixed hourly rate of $125 for all active veterinary services. Compensation does not include travel time, mileage, rental vehicles, flights, or lodging, though emergency medication costs for racehorses will be reimbursed. Contractors must maintain active licensure with all required federal, state, and local licenses, and provide an updated statement of good standing from the Texas Veterinary Medical Board upon renewal. Payment will be processed bi-monthly, with contractors required to submit detailed time sheets documenting work across specific activity categories such as training, veterinary duties, morning and afternoon pre-race activities, and live races. All work will be conducted under the supervision of Dr. Steve Bond, Chief Veterinarian, and Aaron Grigsby, Deputy Executive Director of Operations.