Behind the Warwick Lockdown

Wednesday, 29 August 2007

Behind the Warwick Lockdown

Early Wednesday morning, Blair Richardson one of Australia’s popular and well known eventing riders contacted Horse Deals, Blair along with close to another 150 people are currently living in LOCKDOWN at Morgan Park in Warwick QLD. Blair and his counterparts are just another victim of the EI Outbreak.

Blair requested 100 HD magazines be delivered to the Morgan Park address to help provide some welcome relief to those ‘stuck’ in this most unfortunate position. Naturally we were happy to oblige and felt the story of those at Warwick lockdown should be shared.

Any of us involved with horses know the planning and effort it takes to head off on a road trip to any equine event, you take what you can for the duration of the trip, not without all the organization need for home, horses left at home have to be cared for, properties looked after and annual leave organised at work. To head off for a 3 day event that suddenly turns into an indefinite time frame beats all comprehension to any equestrian competitor. This is the exact situation Blair and others find themselves in right now.

So, Horse Deals asked Blair, how are the riders, grooms, parents and Co, coping in lockdown?

“At the moment there are approx 300 horses with around 80 struck down with EI with new cases cropping up daily. Early in the piece the horses that had EI were isolated from the other horses. The situation we are facing now is, we have to stay in lockdown for 30 days from when the last horse is diagnosed with EI, therefore the horses are now all together, the virus is gradually working its way through the horses, the sooner they get it, the sooner we can all get home. We are hoping by the end of next week most of the horses would have it. Then it’s 30 days from the last case, so potentially we could be here for over 60 days”

What are the facilities like at Warwick lockdown like for the Horses?

“The majority of horses are in basic undercover yards, there are around 20 or 30 horses that are in normal yards, which is fine for the moment as it’s fine and warm, but if it rains we will be in major trouble. We are walking our horses out in hand daily as that’s the only exercise they can get, as you can imagine the horses are getting a bit sick of being cooped up in yards so some are being a bit difficult now as you could imagine. After speaking with the the DPI & QLD Govt about this they are organising close to 40 small turnout paddocks around 20x40 in size, they will be built with panels as you would find in cattle yards, so they are safe for the horses. The paddocks will take a few days to set up, but it will be welcome relief for our horses to get some exercise. It will work to be one day yard for about 8 horses and we will rotate it so each horse has at least an hour out per day.

The vets are monitoring the horses constantly. They are going around all the horses twice a day taking their temperatures and hitting those with antibiotics that need to be treated and recording the information on each horse. They have a massive job to monitor all the horses, they are doing the most amazing job. Those horses struck down with EI are exhibiting the usual flu symptoms as you would see if humans, runny nose, coughing, generally just not feeling well.

The QLD govt, has supplied hay and feed for the horses so at this stage we are right there, in the next few days shipping containers will come in so the feed can be stored, this is critical when the rain finally comes.

And how is the 2-legged variety coping?

Its sort of like our own community, yesterday Premier of QLD Peter Beattie came on site, he has authorised a $20,000 contribution that is currently being used to keep all of us fed, we go to the communal ‘shed’ for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We told Peter Beattie what we needed and they are looking after us pretty well. They have organised laundry facilities on site for us so we can wash our clothes and last night was the first night we had TV access, which was great, we all saw ourselves on the channel 7 & 9 news, this is the first news we have watched. Tomorrow Sport and Recreation are bringing in some things for us to do which will be great. They are setting up a classroom and teachers for the children, it just goes on, you just wouldn’t believe how massive it is. Next week we should have computers and internet lines set up so we can have access to the ‘outside’ world, and I think tomorrow ATMS are being brought in. So you could certainly say it will basically be our home - our own little community.

And the morale?

It’s pretty good at the moment, most of us have stayed on to see what’s happening with our horses, plus to get things organised so if we can go away for a week how we can do it. Most people have jobs, so everyone will pull together so some of us can leave; we think one person can look after 10 horses so that we will eventually rotate it like that. A number of professional riders are going to feel the pinch, they can’t give lessons, any horse here that has had EI needs time to recover so financially it’s a worrying time. At this stage it’s just a waiting game and we have to take each day as it comes.

Horse Deals will be in regular contact with Blair & Co to keep you up to date on the Warwick Lockdown. To all of those at Warwick and other lockdown locations across NSW & QLD – our thoughts are with you.


Kerri Cock
Horse Deals General Manager