Notable Horse Transport, “A Woolly Tale”.

Just about the worst thing to happen to a horse transport company is for a national equine standstill to be declared. Well, the worst has happened and Prue Jenkins, who bought Notable, the 20-year-old national horse transport company, based in Western Australia, 18 months ago, just had to cope.

“We certainly came to an abrupt halt a month ago, as we don’t do any local WA work. We have two trucks and they each do the Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and return trip each week. There is quite a bit of work and the trucks are usually full coming back to WA.

“With truck payments and overheads, we have had to turn out hand to other things and have actually been carting sheep. WA has always been very strict with its quarantine protocol as we are the only state that is free of ‘Liver Fluke’ (worms), which mainly affects cattle and sheep, but can also affect horses. The horses are inspected and tested at Pt Augusta and again at Kalgoorlie.

“I have been told there will be a meeting next Monday 24th to determine when the border will open. We have quite a backlog wanting to come out of Melbourne and Adelaide, so as soon as we get the go ahead we will be on the road”.

Good news has come sooner rather than later for Notable as at 1.40PM today it was announced that, “Western Australia will partially lift a ban on horses coming into the state”.

It is difficult to know whether this expedited opening of the WA border had anything to do with David and Linda Dobson’s lawyer “with political clout”. It is however good news for Notable.

“Horses from equine influenza free states will be permitted entry into WA as long as they meet strict entry conditions”, said WA Minister for Food and Agriculture, Kim Chance. “They will need to meet a number of criteria before leaving their state of origin, including an application for entry to WA and relevant permits, a period of isolation from any other horses and a veterinary inspection prior to loading for transport”. This only applies to EI free states and is also applicable to tack and semen.