Pony In Limbo

A good deal of the excitement for well-known NSW showing personalities, Greg Gerry and Daren Telford regarding the recent purchase of a Riding Pony stallion has turned to angst in the last two weeks, as the delightfully named Turberry Tom Kitton, by Cusop Dimesnions out of a full sister to Kitty Kelly still languishes in the quarantine station in England.

Greg (pictured) explains;-

“We bought the pony in June and he went into quarantine towards the end of July and was due to fly out to Eastern Creek on the 25th August and be released from quarantine on the 11th September.

“We had heard there was a situation in quarantine before anyone advised us, as people we know went to collect a horse and were turned away. We were advised on the 25th of the situation. So now our pony is stuck in quarantine at our expense until such time as they clear a quarantine station in Australia and he can be sent this way. The biggest frustration for us is that every time frame has been changed with no real communication. IRT have been very good, but they have had their hands ties as well.

“We are being told now that quarantine in Victoria will be clear by the last two weeks of September. The plan now is fly him in to Melbourne and he will stay with someone there. At this stage he might have had two crops of foals, been broken in and shown, before we can get him back! It could be worse as we are not in a situation where we were hoping to use him this season.

“What does complicate the issue is that all the horses in quarantine are positive for EI as all have been vaccinated, which does not encourage AQIS to release them.”