EFA Letter

Dear Horse Deals,

Many thanks for your very informative blog and also your well-researched updates and interviews - it is an excellent public service.

The Battle Continues

The Equine Influenza Battle Continues

"Eradicate! Eradicate!" is still the battle cry. The best solution for the sport and the industry is to contain the virus and let it burn itself out. Let's make sure the victory is going to be as crushing as Geelong's football victory today.

Message from the President

EFA President and National Board Chairman Geoff Sinclair has written a message to all members. Please read it. You can download as a PDF file.

Event Calendar

We hope to be able to get back to some level of "normality" with our events in most areas of Australia in the New Year. It is very disappointing for organising committees to have to to cancel their events. In many cases, a lot of work has already gone into the planning and often, substantial costs have been incurred. Then there is the issue of whether sponsors and other supporters are prepared (or able) to carry their contributions over to a postponed date, which in many cases falls into the next financial year. Thousands of dollars are being lost.

In the meantime, State Departments of Primary Industry (or equivalents) are allowing events including coaching clinics to be held in disease-free States and within "green zones" in the affected States, either under a permit system or with registration and other restrictions. As one has come to expect, forms, processes and guidelines vary from State to State (and Territory).

Our first priority must, of course, always be to contain the spread of the virus. We expect our members and the members of affiliated clubs and associations to strictly adhere to the respective biosecurity guidelines.

On the other hand, a risk analysis for holding localised events hundreds or even thousands of kilometres away from the infected areas will have different results to one carried out for an event planned near a buffer zone in NSW or Queensland. In all cases, strict adherence with "biosecurity" guidelines issued by the respective authorities and compliance with any other permit requirements and movement restrictions is an absolute must. To get some level of consistency, however, we have developed draft special regulations for members and affiliated bodies to ensure we meet our own obligations in respect of insurance and risk management.

The EFA has its own responsibilities as the National Sporting Organisation for Equestrian sports. We need to achieve some level of consistency, something that appears rather difficult to achieve across the various Federal and State Government departments that issue directives and guidelines.

"Australian International 3-Day Event" in Adelaide

As most of you will know this event will not take place in 2007. Next year's dates are 14 - 16 November 2008. Organisers are, however, finalising plans for a "Black Tie and Gumboots Ball" in the Adelaide parklands for Saturday, 17 November 2007. This will be the launch of the 2008 event, which promises to be bigger and better, and will be a fun- and fundraiser with top entertainment. Please watch out for other notices. Seats will be limited. Mark your diary now, go to Adelaide, "have a ball" and visit the SA wine regions while there.

Morgan Park / "Morgantown" (Warwick, Qld.)

Riders, owners and grooms are anxiously waiting for the "clear" signal for the 250 horses still on site to go home. The horses have all gone though their infectious stage and have now recovered and are apparently becoming quite boisterous. They pose no infection threat to other horses and have developed their own natural immunity to the virus. As this e-mail goes out, the Consultative Committee on Emergency Animal Disease (CCEAD) is considering the release protocol that has been agreed by the working party set up to develop it.

Let's hope these horses and their carers can go home next week.

EFA National Awards

The EFA National Board has decided to postpone the EFA Annual Forum until February 2008. As a consequence, the submission deadline for Annual Award nominations has been extended to 15 December 2007, so you still have a chance to nominate a worthy member, horse, club or event.

Club & Coach Insurance Renewals

We appreciate that many clubs and coaches are experiencing cash flow problems as a result of reduced income in the current circumstances. A number of coaches have written, some as early as in the second week of the crisis, suggesting that the EFA not charge registration and insurance fees to those that are finding it hard to make the required payments in the present circumstances.

Let me make a couple of points:

We renewed our insurance policy, the best and cheapest that clubs and coaches can get. We based the negotiations on certain assumption and committed to the contract well before the current crisis started. We need to pay the premium by the due date and are negotiating with the brokers for an extension of time. The premium is a considerable sum.

I doubt that the majority of members would support a knee-jerk decision to waive all or part of what we charge clubs and coaches. Is it not better to carry out a more thorough assessment of the situation and then make a considered decision on how to proceed? Renewals are not due until 30 October 2007.

And one more point on the subject of cost, in this case the cost of containing and eradicating the virus: A large portion of this already huge amount is likely to be charged back to the horse industry. Even if it is not, someone will have to pay.

What the EFA has done

Some of our efforts are described in Geoff Sinclair's message, so please refer to the PDF file.

The EFA was probably the first horse organisation outside the Racing industry to notify its members of the outbreak and to request a cancellation or termination of events through web notices, mass e-mails (to 16,500 adresses) and other communication on the morning of Saturday, 25 August 2007.

During the week after the first "horse standstill" orders in late August, the National Office asked those who were affected by the crisis to complete and send us a survey indicating the impact the crisis is having on them. We have received over 500 responses but had expected more. These and other figures have been useful in meetings with Federal and State Ministers in order to convince them that more help is needed. We have had some success but more needs to be done, particularly if the crisis continues much longer. Right now, we are waiting for a "date" with the Federal Minister to press for addtional measures.

Our industry is represented on the National bodies through the Australian Horse Industry Council (AHIC). The EFA has "observer" status on the National Management Group and can exert some indirect pressure. This is some recognition of the importance of the EFA as a sport-regulatory body, the rules of which are used by affiliated and non-affiliated horse organisations across the country.

We have been in contact with the FEI about assistance in various areas. FEI President H.R.H. Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein has called personally to discuss the situation. We hope more will develop from this.

EFA Branches and in particular NSW and Queensland have been working with authorities to assist in the processing of the assistance schemes and put the case for the EFA and the horse industry in other ways. In NSW, Branch Chair David Lawrence is the representative of the Sport and Leisure Horse Industry and joins meeting of NSW Agriculture Minister Ian Macdonald together with Thoroughbred Racing and Harness Racing representatives.

The EFA's principal partner, the Australian Sports Commission (ASC), is being kept up-to-date and has been very supportive.

At the National Office, we hope to be able to appoint a part-time person soon to help with promotion of, and publicity for, the sport, particularly in the current cricumstances. This position was advertised some time ago but the selection process experienced delays for some reason .....

Vaccination

We realise that some industry groups have called on the Government to accept the fact that Equine Influenza is here to stay and that all horses ought to be vaccinated. We on the other hand believe that current efforts to contain and eradicate the virus must be given our full support. While the current crisis is creating financial difficulties for many individuals and businesses, accepting vaccination as fait accompli brings with it many other long term costs, not just the cost of inoculation. The way our sport is run would change dramatically and impose ongoing burdens on organisers, administrators and participants. A return to an EI-free Australia is a much better option. So let's not throw in the towel as yet.

Vaccination is not a total solution in any case. The stallion that brought the virus to our country was, I am sure, vaccinated. Vaccination can mask the presence of the disease and can lead to the unsuspected spread of the virus. Outbreaks will occur even when large parts of the horse population have been vaccinated. The virus mutates and can render vaccination ineffective.

To repeat our point, the eradication of the virus is the much-preferred option, particularly in the longer term.

That said, our "Olympic Shadow Team" horses (basically the various National Squads) are being vaccinated, as are valuable breeding stock in our industry.

The Callinan Inquiry

Federal Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran MP has appointed the Honourable Ian Callinan AC to conduct a Commission of Inquiry and report before 25 April 2008 with respect to:

(a) the circumstances that have contributed to the outbreak of equine influenza in Australia and

(b) the need for any strengthened biosecurity procedures for quarantine management of imported horses.

All persons who can assist in this inquiry are asked to come forward. These would particularly be people who have in the last couple of years been involved with the import of horses through the Eastern Creek Quarantine Station and have had first-hand experience with procedures followed there. If you wish to seek leave to appear before the Commission on 03 October 2007, you need to provide written notice of that intention to be received by the Inquiry by Tuesday, 02 October 2007 (not much notice). For details on how to submit information or how to seek leave to appear, please download a PDF file.

Supporters and Sponsors

I cannot close without thanking our funding agencies, sponsors and supporters.

In particular, we would like to mention

• the Australian Sports Commission, our Principal Sponsor,
• the Australian Olympic Committee,
• Horseland
• Kentucky Equine Research and Ridley Agriproducts,
• Horse Deals magazine, and
• Aon Risk Management Services.

For more news and other information, please visit www.equestrian.org.au or your State Branch web (www.[state].equestrian.org.au).