SA Horse flu public meetings

PIRSA and Horse SA are keen to ensure that horse owners across South Australia understand the implications of the current horse flu outbreak interstate.

Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Rob Rahaley said another round of public meetings would be held to provide information to horse owners.

“The aim is to provide an overview of the current situation interstate and how this impacts on South Australia, the decisions that have been made and why, and to allow people to ask questions,” he said.

“We are currently asking people in the horse industry to cancel or postpone events until the end of the year if they can to ensure that SA remains free of horse flu.”

Dr Rahaley said that PIRSA would continue to monitor the situation closely and, if anything changed, would advise the industry accordingly.

“We also want people to continue to be vigilant and to check their horses regularly for runny noses, lethargy, coughing and high temperatures and to report such symptoms to PIRSA’s hotline 1800 675 888,” Dr Rahaley said.

Testing of horses with suspicious symptoms is done at no cost to the owner providing the procedures have been authorised by PIRSA.

Meetings organised to date include (All are evening sessions starting at 7pm):
Oakbank 15 October Oakbank High School
Strathalbyn 17 October Town Hall
Kadina 19 October (Kadina Football clubrooms - Copper Coast Leisure Centre)
Pt Lincoln 24 October Pt Lincoln Racing Club
Wudinna 25 October Wudinna Community Club
Clare 8 November Clare Golf Club

People wanting more information about horse flu and equestrian activities in SA can contact:
PIRSA website – www.pir.sa.gov.au
PIRSA hotline – 1800 675 888
Their equestrian clubs and associations
Horse SA 0402 488 306
Media contact: Kaye Noske 0401 121 444

Reply to “Buffer Zone in Qld”.

In reply to “Buffer Zone in Qld”. The buffer zones actually need to be up to 200km out from thenearest infected property. The infection has been known to travel up to 8km a day. Currentreports is that is currently moving at about 5kms per week outwards.

If you vaccinate a horse immunity doesn’t start until 14 to 21 days after the vaccination – so if itcan travel up to 8km a day, your buffer needs to be far enough out to insure horses in the bufferhave immunity when EI reaches the buffer. ( 8km x 21days = 168km).

The qld buffer zone is a close as 21km from the nearest infected property in the southern sections.So you can see how pointless it is. Also vaccinating a 10km ring around a IP is also a little bit ofwasted effort.

A buffer works great - if all activity stops and horses were the only means of infection…..Brumby population in SE QLD is estimated at 1.5 horses to a hectare in the state forests.

Remember what happened when Nat Parks did a cull in NSW………..
Steve

EI

I bought my daughter her first pony 4 years ago. She's just a little 'paddock-basher' , but to us she is priceless. Not too long ago, she came down with colic. The vet came, set up a drip, and I stayed in the stable with her all night. In the morning she was worse, so I called the vet back. Before he arrived, I made the desicion to take her to the Eqine clinic about 100km's away. The vet had already rang them for me, as he had come to the same conclusion. My preciouse little pony travelled to the clinic like an angel, despite her desperate sufferring. At the clinic I was given the news that they suspedcted a twisted bowel, and my pony was given less than an hour to live, unless they operated, and even then there was no guarentee. I didn't hesitate to tell them to operate, even though they quoted me around $10,000. No, I am not rich, not even a little bit. I had to increase the mortgage on my house to pay for the operation, which in the end cost $15,000. I will be paying it off for the next ten years, but I don't regret it because we still have our precious girl! She pulled through, despite how sick she was. My daughter and I drove to the clinic and back almost every day for the nearly three weeks she was at the clinic. We sufferred with her as she recovered, and despite the fact that my daughter has now outgrown her, we will never part with her.

NOW, HOW DO I TELL MY DAUGHTER, that because her pony is not a race horse, that she won't get a vaccine to stop her from getting the E.I. virus so severley that it may kill her; that we don't matter because we aren't wealthy enough to matter to the politians?

We may not generate millions in revenue, but as non-race horse owners, we love our horses too. In fact, in most cases, we probably love our horses more. Political leaders, take note! We may not be wealthy, but we do have a vote!

From a VERY ANGRY horse owner, and voter!

Debby!

Boekelo Enschede CCI***

A number of Australian riders are competing at Boekelo Enschede CCI*** this weekend.




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Australian riders include;

• Lucinda Fredericks
  Classic Touch
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  Gunna B Good
• Andrew Hoy
  Balloo IV
• Samantha McLeod
  Enchanted

Tasmanian Update 5 pm Saturday

Folks

The key task tomorrow (Sunday) is rechecking the suspect horses and we'll have vets taking a close look at the so-called "hot traces" - the horses that have been in close contact with those suspect horses. If any of those hot traces show any signs of sickness, the vets will take blood samples and nasal swabs and send them off to the Mt Pleasant and Geelong labs for testing.

It's possible we may get new reports of sick horses overnight. We have been asking horse owners to ring us if they see the slightest sign, and that's what they are doing. So we are getting reports, including those that are probably nothing more than a mild cold - something that wouldn't be an issue if we didn't have a horse flu alert in place! It's great that horse owners are doing that because we don't want to miss a horse that might turn out to be EI.

I am off tomorrow, but have asked a colleague to email you if anything significant happens.

Cheers
Barry Calderbank
CommunicationsBiosecurity and Product IntegrityDPIW
New Town
ph 6233 6300 or 0407 858 293

Tasmanian Update 2.30 pm Saturday

Folks The horse standstill is NOT being lifted at this stage.

We are currently investigating suspect horses on 2 new properties in the north west. The horses have been inspected by an experienced horse vet and he has reported that the horses have mild signs that are “consistent with equine flu”. In short, that means it could be one of a number of things, including EI. Blood samples and nasal swabs have been taken for testing at Mt Pleasant and Geelong.

These new suspect cases came up in the tracing and surveillance we are doing from the DPIW disease control centre. The standstill means that the race meetings scheduled for tomorrow (Sunday) and Monday are off and all other horse events scheduled for at least the next few days are off as well. The situation will be reviewed as we get more information about the health of these new suspect horses. We understand that extending the standstill will inconvenience some horse owners and apologise for that.

But the standstill is a precaution that is absolutely necessary at this stage.

I’ll email you again if/when anything significant develops.

Best wishes

Barry Calderbank
CommunicationsBiosecurity and Product IntegrityDPIW
New Town

Over The Worst.

13th October.

Over the last seven weeks we have heard from Heath Ryan about his worries for the horses, with 50 odd foals expected and his concern that we were not “all pulling together” in the fight to eradicate EI.

“Whilst we may have different ideas and opinions as to what should be done, we are obliged by law to follow certain protocols, and from the beginning that has been the policy of eradication and until such time as the protocol is changed, we must all adhere to it. What concerns me is that does not appear to have been the case, with anecdotal evidence suggesting there has been illegal horse movement. The DPI have been constantly reminding us that the virus can be transmitted from human to horse and many of the outbreaks have been allegedly due to that. However, I know it is not that difficult to decontaminate yourself, as Warwick director, Simon Goddard went home every third night and none of his horses at home have contracted EI. You just have to take care and follow the procedures. I would suggest that some of the outbreaks within the racing stables may have been due to horses being smuggled in, because surely people would not have been so careless?”

“At home here it looks as if we are coming out the other side of EI. The Grand Prix Dressage horses, (Greenoaks) Dundee, Regardez Moi and Donna Carrera have had a mild bout and will be brought carefully back into work in November. The stud season is in full swing and we have had ten foals and they are beautiful and are all well, which is a huge relief. Between now and March we are expecting about 40 more. It is to be hoped that by the time the foals loose their colostrum immunity, nothing here will be shedding the virus”.

Sleepless Nights.

13th October.

Victorian, Mary Hanna has competed for Australia at the last three Olympic Games, Atlanta, Sydney and Athens and has her sights set on again representing her country at the Beijing Games in Hong Kong. Whilst Mary in no way compares her plight with that of the many people in the associated horse industry, the outbreak of EI and the strategy to combat it have thrown obstacles in the way of her realising her ambition of a fourth Olympic Games.

“I am waking up at 3am in the morning wondering what to do. I have planned to leave for Europe in two weeks (with Port Said (pictured) and Tango V) and the horses, which have been vaccinated, are in quarantine at the moment for that. But really I did not want to go until February. There is no problem about leaving Australia if they are vaccinated and the property has been EI free for 30 days. If I thought the EI was not going to get to Victoria I would stay, but I can’t just sit here waiting. The rules seem to change daily and the EI protocol here is absolutely insane, it makes me want to go. Unless we officially vaccinate here we will not have competition for a very long time. It is very frustrating and I am pulling my hair out, trying to decide what to do.

I used to love traveling overseas, but after Limbo died of travel sickness complications on the way back from Athens, travel is fraught with worry. Going into winter adds to that and also getting into CDI competitions over there is extremely difficult. Tango V (seven-year-old by Jazz) is working at Grand Prix and he needs to start at that level, but again it is difficult in Europe. There is the possibility of going to the Sunshine Tour in Spain which will give both Port Said (which has an Olympic MES) and Tango competition experience”.

Olympic Qualification.

European based combinations in FEI Group 8 (Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Korea) will compete in front of a judging panel at Cannes in France next January and the same panel will come to Australia in February to judge the domestic Grand Prix combinations. The same judges will visit all the countries in the Group to determine what two teams will qualify for Hong Kong. The choice will presumably be made on percentages. Some readers will remember the Samsung International competition run along similar lines, with the judges and not the horses traveling. This method of Olympic qualification was put in place after it was clear the Regional Qualifier was not going to happen in October due to the EI outbreak.

Not Happy.

I live in Victoria and am mind blown over what is occurring over EI
in NSW & QLD. We went away on a holiday in NSW at Denni for a week, we took our Gooseneck which we also stay in when we go on holidays in caravan parks. We got a permit from DPI to enter back into Victoria from NSW, and boy was that a job to get a permit, over 10 phone calls and passed on one phone number to another but eventually we got one. I disinfected my gooseneck out thoroughly before we left and at the border. Where we were inspected by DPI, which l am in full support of for security measures. I get very angry and frustrated when l hear of inconsiderable people not adhering to the restrictions and that goes for different rules by the DPI for the thoroughbred industry, even people in Victoria.

Race horses are at present being vaccinated free of charge, l have being told by a race horse owner that some vets are charging a fee to vaccinate each horse, so LOOK OUT when other horse owners have to get their horses vaccinated, it is going to cost a fortune. We are all going to pay for the cost of the EI. More so if we except Government hand outs.

DO THE GOVERMENT BODIES CARE?? NO THEY DONT!!!
From a person who is thinking of you all up there in the EI area who has competition horses as well, even though am in no hurry to have them in work while EI is rampant.

Jayne.

What about the brumbies!

The purple zone is being expanded, the buffer zones are being forged, the racing industry has gotten it's own way.

However has anyone given a thought to the brumbies.

NO!!!!!! of course they have'nt.

It is sooooooooo wrong.

The brumby means so much to Australia.

The racing industry is being covered, yet there are gorges, valleys in the red and purple zones, which are home to some of Australians wild horses.

Why has this issue not been raised before now.

It would be a great blow to our country if our brumbie population were to effected by Equine influenza.

They are in more danger than any horse domestic horse in Australia.
Please Mr. McDonald, take the brumby into consideration.
Our domestic horses have their owners and careers to see to them and nurse them back to health. However brumbies have none of these securities.

They are surely weak, and no doubt recovering from the winter.

Foals, born around this time will have a low hence of survival if EI attacks the Australian brumbies.It is true that they are somewhat protected from direct contamination as they do not have contact with humans and they don't usually have contact with domesticated horses.

Please think of the horses that join the rank of Australians unique creatures.

Henry

Unfair again

I live in an amber zone and live right on a highway.I have spent a small fortune from the start calling the police for the huge amount of horse trucks and floats(with horses in them) going past my house. Any one of them could have given my horses the flu.(I thank every selfcaring one of them for their kindness for those around them).

After sitting here waiting to bring my broodmares home and keeping my horses in work incase I am allowed to show them soon. After paying a fortune in agistment, losing four sales on young stock and not being able to bring my newborn colt home. All the while staying calm and saying this has to be done. I could not hold my rage after reading the DPI site tonight and finding out that they have extended the purple zone so that now THEY CAN MOVE AROUND AND HOLD EVENTS ECT !!!!!!

HOLD EVENTS ECT ???????

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?????????

Mate if my horses don’t have it and I have to sit on my arse at home and lose money then as sure as the sun shines so does everyone else.

As far as I can see the amber and green zones should have been the ones to be vaccinated and allowed to get on with life while the infected zones should have been left to get over it just like they use to do with the infectious colonies.

Sooner or later my horses will get it from all of the horses going past so I just wish they would get it now so I can tend to them and get it over and done with and then we can get on with our lives.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH !!!

Suzie

A CONSPIRACY THEORY?

I am a professional associated with the horse industry, and lately, when talking to my counterparts, there has been a general consensus that there is more to this EI infection than meets the eye. So much so, that it has prompted me to put pen to paper to allow people to read this and make up their own minds.

It is my belief that the current EI disaster is one of the greatest political conspiracies ever perpetrated upon the Australian people. The current Govt stands to gain at least three things from this crisis.

• Much political mileage over the apparent poor handling of the situation by the Labour State Govts involved
• The implementation of a national identification scheme for horses using microchipping
• The slow down of the economy caused by shutting down one of the largest industries in the country, which in turn may influence the Board of the Reserve Bank of Australia (the next meeting is on 06 Nov 07), to put interest rates on hold during the election campaign.

Why?
The current Govt is in serious trouble heading into the looming election and the last thing they need is another interest rate rise. The mining boom is pushing the economy along at an alarming rate, and at the time that EI "escaped" Eastern Creek, at the end of August, the major news on the economic front was the sub-prime mortgage crisis in the US. This crisis is set to push interest rates even higher around the world. Labor was giving the current Govt a lot of pain over the previous nine rate rises since 2002.

What to do?

The quickest way to cause a slowing in the economy is to put a lot of people out of work immediately in one fell swoop.

Why the horse industry?

The horse industry, according to a study conducted by Rural Industry Research and Development Corporation, in 2001, and authored by Jenny Gordon, was then (based on 1990’s figures) worth in excess of $6 billion dollars to the GDP. This did not include wagering (betting) and, as she stated, was one of the largest industries in the country. This industry has experienced considerable growth since this report. It consists of thousands of micro businesses, and with the exception of the thoroughbred and harness racing industries, has no major representative body, and virtually no union interest. It is large, diverse and un-coordinated. The horse industry is, along with the cattle industries, subject to the AusVet plan which, by law, provides for a complete standstill in the case of an outbreak of an exotic disease of which EI is one.

To shut down the cattle industry would be far too damaging, as the beef industry is largely an export industry and the long-term implications of a disease like foot and mouth would be too great. The horse industry is by and large domestic and uncontrolled. We import more horses than we export, and most people will obey the law in the case of an exotic disease because they don’t know much about it and they love their horses, and don’t really want them to get sick.

How?

There was a known EI outbreak in Japan and known shuttle stallions about to enter the country. It was also well known within the industry that biosecurity precautions were being largely ignored at the Eastern Creek Quarantine facility, which has been confirmed by a subsequent inquiry. Just how EI got to Centennial Park will probably never be known, but it was, I believe intended to get into the three day event horses, because of the three day event at Maitland and Morgan Park, Qld, plus Parkes and a few other places like Narrabri. So why did the Qld Govt allow an event to go ahead after Minister McGauran had declared a standstill?

Well this whole thing is being run and orchestrated by Animal Health Australia, a public company of which the largest shareholder is the Federal Govt and they are the people responsible for the NLIS being implemented. They administer the Ausvet plan and the States, which are also shareholders, do as they are told.

However, they knew what would happen with EI, because, according to Dr David Lovell, Dr Reg Pascoe had spelled it out at a conference some years ago, and Dr Lovell said at the Ipswich EI forum, that it is uncanny how accurate Dr Pascoe was in his predictions.

The horse is the only commercially produced large animal in Australia, without any ID scheme. However AHA, I believe, consider ID essential. Mike Bond, the Director of Programs for AHA, said at the Ipswich EI forum, that once the $60million cap set, (to deal with EI) is reached, everyone will have to register their horses and there will be a $10 levy per horse. Last Monday a DPI investigator confirmed to me that all registered horses would be micro-chipped.

So why would they do such a thing?

When they tried, and finally managed, to implement NLIS they met with huge resistance. If they just tried to bring it in for the wider horse population (racehorses are already micro-chipped) it would have been nearly impossible to do so. They needed a trigger whereby people would accept it willingly – and this is it! No chip – no move – no sale – no competition!!

AHA chose the genetically modified canary pox vaccine, as it is expensive, rare and very sensitive, so that only trained personnel could administer it. This was ordered against the advice of Dr Tim Roberts, who is a highly respected vet who was involved in the EI outbreak in South Africa.

The racing industry, because of their political power and the betting revenue, were to be the first to get it. This was to limit the loss of revenue to the Govt. but (due to typical bureaucratic bungling, and their inadequacies in dealing with such a disease) this has now come back to bite them. So NSW racing has argued for, and got, the killed or inactive vaccine, but it is too late for a lot of us.

So there you have it, my fellow horse owners. I hope this helps everyone to see what is at play here. This, no doubt, will be discredited as another silly conspiracy theory. However when you take into context the timing of it all, and this Govt.’s past history in attempting to gain back voters with extenuating circumstances such as Tampa and children overboard affairs, all this has a very nasty smell to it.

Democracy is nearly dead in this country, and it is disgusting to realise that a political agenda has caused the pain and heartache of horse owners across this once free land – free from Big Brother and equine influenza – not so now people!!

Anthony

Buffer Zone in Qld.

I'm finding it difficult to understand why the buffer zone in SE Q'ld is approx 100 km away from the nearest infected property (to the north anyway). I would have thought that in order to minimize spread in order to contain and eradicate EI it would have been more efficient to quickly create a buffer zone closer to the original outbreaks.

As it stands now there are thousands of still healthy horses in the red zone who will not be innoculated and instead are being left to catch this disease as it continues to spread outward. Just check out the infected properties list on the dpi site (www.dpi.qld.gov.au) to see the daily increase in infected properties and, in the last week, 3 new shires.

It particularly irks me to then read how the disease is being contained to the red zone. Cold comfort for those of us who won't be getting vaccine for our horses as we wait for "when, not if," our horses get sick.

Oh and I'm PARTICULARLY thrilled to hear on this evening's news that racing will be resuming shortly - wonder when those of us in the recreational horse industry will get to compete again?

Fran.

sent to the DEPARTMENT OF PEST INTRODUCTION.

Quote.
There are currently 4259 Infected Properties (IPs), 407 Dangerous Contact Properties (DCPs) and 462 Suspect Properties (SPs).

Whatever zone you are in, if you suspect your horse is infected with EI you must legally notify NSW DPI on the EI hotline as soon as possible. The sooner you let us know the sooner we can contain it.

Unquote.

....and you would know this how?
Maybe the Iraqi information Minister has a new position in the DPI do you think? lol

Why is it I get the feeling laurel and hardy or the three stooges could do a better job.

WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO BLOODY CONTAIN IT TOO.?

THIS is what everyone but the racehorse industry think of the great job the minister for the Department of Pest Introduction DPI is doing.
Taken from the HORSE DEALS Blog.

No plan for widespread vaccination.
I thought I'd bring up something that is possibaly the dumbest thing to have been done in relation to the plan to get rid of EI."There is no plan for widespread vaccination of horses in Australia while the eradication program is in progress."Okay do I need to explain just how stupid that is? Has nobody told the "officals" we are forced to rely on during this crisis that if you do a widespread vaccination, eradication will happen quickly? It seems as though the people in charge of vaccinations are either really stupid or on the pay-roll of some hot shot racing trainer. You see the thing that gets me is the racing world only want their horses vaccinated so they can compete - we want our horses vaccinated to protect their health.Look at Makybe Diva - she has gone from being the Legendary Mare of Track to a money factory. Her little boy is only 7 weeks old and they already have her in foal again? While EI is running around the property she is kept on? It might be nothing for a millionaire to loose a foal but to the NON-RACING crowd - who work day-in, day-out just to be able to aford the ability to breed it's a huge lose. And i'm sure the Diva doesn't want to loose her little boy.Bottom line is that if no one bets on the Melbourne Cup - they dont make any money! And as the Non-Racing world currently hates them for the special treament they are receiving it looks like it will be a fun time for them. If it happens that is.Word directly from the VIC DPI (my family called them this afternoon) is that 297 properties in VIC with over 496 horses between them had been tested for EI as of 12.30pm today. Bet nobody knows about that little detail.So to the Racing Industry I hope your happy - you get to run your precious race, Victorian horses now get to suffer.

Thanks a bloody lot!Emma.

AND THIS GEM

SITUATION UPDATE
There are currently 4,563,000 Infected Properties (IPs). Encouragingly, Dangerous Contact Properties (DCPs) and Suspect Properties (SPs) have dropped to 0!

Although there was a further increase in IPs over the last 24 hours, the new IPs are still occurring within existing Australian borders, and further cases are predicted to occur around existing IPs and SPs where there are very high seahorse densities. We are considering an expansion of the purple zone into New Zealand, with the aim of reaching Iceland.
The disease containment situation remains encouraging and there is still reason to be optimistic about the prospects for eradication, since all high risk horses have now died and none remain to be infected. However, the DPI still expects a sustained response effort will be required over the next six or more months with recreational horse owners maintaining high bio-security (racehorse owners are exempt). SDCHQ epidemiologists have ceased to trace the epidemiology of the outbreak, they are now busy investigating the Foot and Mouth outbreak.

posted by Horse Deals Reader
- Kind Regards


HOLDS UP WELL AGAINST YOUR OWN BLOG OF THE
DPI foot in mouth comments

Quote
6:00pm, 4 September 2007
Current predictions are for some 300 properties to eventually become infected and this is still within the expected course of the outbreak.
More than 1500 horse owners have registered through the website or by fax. Thermometers have been sent to 283 owners, while 92 have reported sick horses through this reporting facility. Ongoing industry support for self-registration and for self-monitoring of horses is of enormous importance in pinpointing suspect properties as soon as possible. It will also be important for developing comprehensive information to support the possible future release of areas from quarantine.

'Closed racing' will commence at Warwick Farm on Saturday 8 September and Newcastle on Wednesday 12 September. This will provide much-needed economic relief for a major section of the NSW racing industry.
Unquote

As of today 12 October I have 45 uninfected horses. they sit and wait for the inevitable because your boffins in power instead of locking down ALL BLOODY HORSES NO EXCEPTIONS and actually had protocols already in place just in case such a disaster waiting to happen for the past 10 years certainly the past 5 arrived.

But noooo can’t be prepared can we. Was paperwork in place to bring in any vaccines necessary in case of just such an eventuality for any of the possible accidental (or were they) importations, (now we know Eastern Creek Quarantine Station is nothing more than a 10 star agistment property well it should be at $100 a day to stay there) but no have to make application to parliament for permission as no one had ever planned for the day when it might happen so even new legislation has to be enacted first before application can be lodged and accepted so it takes 6 weeks to get vaccinations in to put in buffer zones then what? (can provide copy of email from dpi to verify that ) What have you in place for West Nile Fever, or foot and mouth? kill everything like you did for Ovine Johnnes? (for those who don’t know, our rural sector knows only too well how incompetent the DPI are, thousands of farmers went to the wall on that futile kill bill campaign and priceless bloodlines lost before they stopped the slaughter).

The non agricultural people of Australia haven’t a clue what a lot if idiots are running the nuthouse that is Australia’s politics and departments. Country people know and shudder but they don’t count because they haven’t the astronomical numbers of the city folk to vote em out.

What buffer zones, have to vaccinate the bloody tb's first.

Well their vaccinated and its too late now for the buffer or should that be bugger zones?

You don’t give a bugger do you? Mr McDonald.

So now I get an email asking me to lodge application to vaccinate my horses.

Now when its only 2 miles or less from me in all directions.

McDonald shouldn’t be in charge of a chook raffle.

Neither should the heads of the DPI since they cant see an idiot from 100 yards and refuse to heel.

Good night

Hope the bedbug’s bite
Sandy

Latest EI confirmation in South East Queensland

In the Courier Mail this morning it says more cases in South East Queensland have been confirmed, but they don't tell you where these cases are. People have a right to know where new infections are cropping up so people can be extra vigilant with their biosecurity measures.

We are now hearing rumours its in the Redlands. It would be easier for the DPI to actually name theare as involved instead of just saying new cases are occurring which would at least stop people whispering.

Now it seems we are being blamed for the spread by not being vigilant enough. You can't have it both ways give people more information in a timely manner to help stop the spread.

They then go on again about the Race horse industry and how it will be soon be back on track to race never mind all the kids that want to go out and compete and go to pony club and ride with their friends. Once again we are forgotten.

Lets just hope the kids don't find new sports to take up their time and don't want to ride when all this is over because that will be a tragedy.

Mark.

Black Tie & Gumboots Ball

Incorporating the presentation of the 2007 Anna Savage Medal and the Peppermint Grove Award.
Come along and show your support and don’t forget to wear your gumboots!

A sensational night of fabulous fun, fine wine, great food and music in support of the AI3DE as the South Australian horse industry fights back
against the impact of the Equine Flu, and we celebrate the launch of the 2008 Australian International 3 Day Event.

Saturday, November 17, 2007 R ymill Park lake, Adelaide Parklands (enter off bartels road)

Tickets $135

For further details, please contact:
Event Director
Gillian Rolton
Phone: 0418 825 018
Email: ggrolton@bigpond.com
http://www.australian3de.com.au/

Date set for Qld racing to resume

Queensland Racing has earmarked December 1 for a resumption in racing in south-east Queensland, after a better than-expected vaccination program against the equine influenza virus.

Last month Racing Minister Andrew Fraser said racing would not resume in the south-east until February next year.

Queensland Racing spokesman Malcolm Tuttle says a site has not been selected yet, but it is great news for the punters.

"We've had a void of TAB racing of course in south-east Queensland for a period of time," he said.

"We have had some meetings that've been produced in the green zone which is through central, north and north-western Queensland, and they've been very successful.

"I guess there's a lot of people down here in south-east Queensland that can't wait to get back to the races, so hopefully from December 1 they'll be able to do that."

Racing industry in EI cloud

The Tasmanian Racing Club hopes to find out today whether planned events for tomorrow can go ahead.

All horse movements within the state have been banned because of a possible case of horse flu in the north west.

Two initial tests returned positive results however subsequest tests have not found the contagious virus.

Further tests are being carried out.

The racing industry says tomorrow's planned events at Elwick and Mowbray could go ahead if the ban on horse movements is lifted today.
However, the Head of the Racing Club Geoff Harper says the government still needs to consider a program of mass vaccinations.

Read more.