EI claims another victim

Chris Haigh, EFA National Office,

Friday, 9 November 2007

Nature Vet has announced that its 2007 Eventing Star Search Final, scheduled to take place during the Lakes & Craters 3DE CCI***, 6-9 December, has been cancelled because equine influenza-induced horse movement restrictions mean that many of the finalists will not be able to attend the event.

Nature Vet spokesperson Clare Oxley says, ‘We’re really disappointed about having to take this decision, but we realise it just wouldn’t be fair to all riders and horses if we had to disqualify a lot of our finalists simply because they can’t attend the event.

‘The competition only began in 2005 and already we know it’s a great way to showcase and support our up and coming eventing riders. Our inaugural winner, Christopher Burton, and 2006 winner Megan Jones are both rising stars on Australia’s elite eventing scene and Nature Vet is proud to have been able to give them substantial support in their ongoing campaigns’.

The winner of the Nature Vet Star Search Final receives a $2500 cash prize and a year’s supply of Nature Vet products for their horse.

All horse/rider combinations at CIC*, CIC** and CCI* events accrue points throughout the eventing year and after Adelaide CCI**** the top 20 combinations are invited to contest the Nature Vet Star Search CCI** at Lakes and Craters in Victoria.

It was going to be another great final in just a few weeks time, but EI killed that dream.

2008 is another year. Nature Vet says, ’The show will go on! We can’t have our Star for 2007 but we’re definitely searching for our 2008 Star. We hope our continuing support for eventing’s rising stars will encourage riders to put EI gloom behind them and start planning for a great season in 2008’.