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Tuesday 20 November 2007

Show Horse Events Cancelled

Rebecca Keartland,
Tuesday, 20 November 2007


The following Show Horse Events have been cancelled.
Please not that there will be no measuring days at Werribee Park for the remainder of the year.

1 December 2007

**Open Horse Show @ Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre
Junior and Rising Star events as well. CANCELLED

15-16 December 2007

EFA Victoria Show Riding Clinic & Christmas break up
Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre. CANCELLED
Co-ordinator Mark Jacobi naredinpark@hotmail.com. Or 52512084

Attention Clubs - Protocol for events in the purple zone


Toni Venhaus, Thursday, 15 November 2007


The EFA NSW and the DPI have established protocols for purple zone only competitions

If you visit the EFA NSW web site you will see a notice about protocols and guidelines for conducting events in the purple zone.

We are aware that many clubs (and riders) will find all of this very daunting and may feel that “it is all just too hard” for you to operate and run competitions during this difficult period under these constraints. Please don’t “fling up your hands” in despair - things will improve!

The discipline councils will be meeting with the EFA NSW next Thursday (22 Nov). We will let you know the outcome of this meeting and notify you of any relevant information which we hope will make the way forward clearer for all.

I am sorry that we have not been able to give you answers to your questions - things are changing rapidly and all are trying to keep on top. We also acknowledge that riders are confused about what sort of documents they need to be able to compete.

At the recent DNSW Committee Meeting, the committee decided that all “Official” competitions are to be cancelled up to the end of January 2008. This may be extended past January depending on the situation with EI.

The Committee felt that due to the current restrictions and travel limitations across the zones, it is not possible to conduct “open” competitions. Competitors in some zones can not compete at all, while in other zones, events are limited to riders within that particular zone. Therefore it is not a level playing field.

Please contact me or any member of the Committee or your local Area Delegate if you have any questions.

Qld DPI Report

20 November AM: There are 2176 Infected Properties (IPs) in Queensland. There were 29 new IPs identified since Saturday; 9 of these IPs are in the same road.

However, there is a continuing reduction in IPs due to reclassification to the status of R (Resolved). A property's R status means that its horses are no longer shedding the virus. Please maintain decontamination procedures and remain vigilant.

I am pleased to report that the latest trend analysis from the EI epidemic is looking promising. The following epidemic curve shows that it peaked in early October and has been declining ever since. Note that this is the overall epidemic curve for Queensland, and that some individual areas will show a different pattern.

An analysis of these trends by Dr Nigel Perkins from AUSVET Animal Health Services in conjunction with DPI&F has also supported the prediction that the outbreak should be largely under control by Christmas. However, a note of Caution, this scenario very much relies on people continuing to do the right thing and not spreading the virus into new areas.

Read full report

EFA NSW

20th November 2007


The EFA NSW has been advised by the CVO of the NSW DPI that vaccinations will only be approved for EFA horses holding perfomance cards in the green and amber zone if those horses are going to compete in the purple zone in the first half of the 2008. Other horses on properties may not be vaccinated at this time.

The DPI is currently working on protocols to enable horses from green and amber zones to compete in the purple zone, the EFA will update this information as soon as it comes to hand.


NEW FORMS NOW AVAILABLE - 19 November 2007

The sixth period for CHAP claims has been extended to Monday 19 November (17 days rather than 14 as previously stated). Please see the updated "Follow-Up Application Form"

The new claim period will begin on Tuesday 20 November and will commence in fortnightly claim periods as previous.

If you believe that you are eligible to claim for the periods prior to 20 November (periods 1-6), your application must be received NO LATER than Friday 7 December. This applies only to horses that were "in work" on or before 25 August.

Horses that were in work or came into work between 25 August and 19 November can only claim from the 20 November.

If you have already made a claim and have not been contacted by our CHAPs centre, please call the hotline ASAP to ensure your claim is complete.

CHAPS HOTLINE NUMBERS: (office hours - Mon-Fri 9am - 5pm) Phone: 1800 859 611 (please note fees may be charged depending on your provider) Fax: 1800 644 337 or 02 9620 2260

PIRSA changes for South Australia

See the full report on the Horse Deals Equine Influenza Gallery. Changes will include
• New Event Participation Declarations.
• Horse health statements.
From today the permit system for transporting vaccinated and non-vaccinated horses i SA from non-infected states will change to a Horse Health Statement, you will no longer need a vet certificate.
From December, SA riders.competitors wanting to attend events will be required to complete an Event Participation Declaration.
From January 2008, the permit system for horse events will continue but with changes to help organisations resume activities.
For further information: www.pir.sa.gov.au/horseflu

South Australia has just eased its restrictions

South Australia has just eased its restrictions on horse imports - basically, permits no longer required for horses from non-infected states, just a horse health certificate. SA is still asking non-racing horse event organisers to postpone until 31 December.

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

New Zealand Horse of the Year Show

With regard to Australian Horses traveling to New Zealand for the Horse of the Year Show in March, at this stage the boarder is till closed to Australian horses coming to NZ. NZ horses can travel to Australia but not allowed home again. The NZ MAF Bio Security authorities are considering the opening of the boarder and what that may mean in regards to quarantine protocol’s but when exactly that may happen I am not yet sure.

I hope this helps answer your query and really it is just a wait and see game to see if movements will be allowed before the Horse of the Year Show in March.

Regards
Warrick Allan
National Sports Manager
Equestrian Sports NZ
Phone +64 4 4998994 I Fax +64 4 499 2899
www.nzequestrian.org.nz

Floating The Dollar.

The EI outbreak is having a devastating affect on the horse industry, we all know that, but for those within the industry whose livelihood relies on movement, the virtual standstill and cancellation of most equestrian competition for the foreseeable future, has put a handbrake on their income. Horse Deals caught up with three float manufacturers to find out how they were coping.

For Premier Floats principle, Brett Hickey, there is good new and bad news. But it is fair to say the bad outweighs the good by a considerable margin. Brett is a successful showjumping rider with five horses in work. “I did not want to take them out until after the Spring Carnival, as I could not risk having them locked down somewhere”. Now there is not much of an opportunity for an outing until the end of the year. So it can be argued that Brett is saving on petrol and perhaps that is good news. But not only has he been unable to attend shows, the telephone at his Premier Floats company at Geelong in Victoria,“has been very quiet. We have plenty of work to do at the moment, as we are catching up on work already contracted, but come February, unless we get orders, we will really feel the economic impact of EI”.

Premier Floats as well as producing the conventional float, specialise in commercial horse transports. “We do regular work on some big horse transports that is worth about $400,000 to us annually, but as they have not been on the road for the last three to four months, we have not had that work. We have a couple of big semis in at the moment for show people, but the near future is not looking good, however, we will have to wait and see”.

Sue from the national Kara Kar Float company explains; “as Australia’s largest horse float manufacturer, EI has dramatically affected our business. Fortunately we have the resources and variability in our product lines to ride out this outbreak; others may not be so lucky. We have international markets that we service and also sell RV’s, so with out product range of fifth wheel caravans and slide on campers in stock, and with quite a few orders to full fill, we are managing to keep out head above water.

The cancellation of Equitana has taken away one of our major advertising events for the year, where we get out from our yards and meet the people of Australia and show them our new and innovative ideas. Just as the EI outbreak hit, we were launching a new product for larger horses called the Warmblood. Response has been enthusiastic, but the urgency has been taken out of the market due to the lockdown. We have been fortunate enough to appoint new dealers to add to our already extensive network in Melbourne and Adelaide, where there is no EI, and they will be working with us to provide excellent sales and service to all new and existing customers. We are open and hungry for business.

Danny Voyka brought the 40 year-old Brisbane based Roswal Trailers six years ago. “We have spent a lot of money improving the machinery and computerizing the business. We just bought a $300,000 machine; of course I did not know we would have an EI outbreak at the time. My background is in engineering and stainless steel and I am a specialist welder. We are fairly flat out with orders we already have, but if we don’t get orders from February, we are really going to feel it with the horse related business, which at the moment is about 99% of what we do. We used to do a lot of commercial kitchens, but became very busy with the horse trailers. With so many of our customers living in the country, we try to organise everything for them. If they want we can buy the truck and organise the tray and the body and try to get them the best deal possible.

“When EI first started, our phone calls and emails went up four fold, then all of a sudden the other day, no calls, no emails, nothing. Now we would be lucky to get a phone call every third day. Early on everyone thought they would get work done, as they could not go to shows. It has given me breathing space to put up another building, but you have to be concerned as to what will happen in February/March. I have always been taught never to burn bridges and we can do anything and will make it, but it will be hard. You have to be able to cope with changes, be it in the economy or because of EI. If you think positively, there is no problem”.

Royal Melbourne Horse Show

The 2008 Royal Melbourne Horse Show will be held at the Werribee Park, National Equestrian Centre from 12 -15 March.

The first three days of the show will be a breed showcase including competition for 33 horse breeds such as Standardbreds, Thoroughbreds, Friesians and Warmbloods as well as some of the rarer pony breeds such as Fjords, Dartmoors and Highland Ponies. Competition for coloured horses and ponies will also be offered with classes for Buckskins, Pintos and Palominos.

New in 2008 will be competition for Morgan Horses, Irish Draft and Sport Horses, and a Heavy Horse Program which will include the first competition in Australia for Gypsy Cobs. Other heavy breeds to be shown are Shires, Percherons and Clydesdales.

The culmination of the breed competition will take place on Friday 14 March where the Supreme Led Champion of each breed will take to the arena as part of the first ever Best of Show Championship. The championship will be judged by a panel of three expert judges, who will decide upon the first annual Best of Show Champion.

Pony Club, HRCAV and Riding for Disabled events be held in the ten competition rings on Saturday 15 March.

Exhibitors should note that extended programs have been offered for all sections and a class timetable is back.

Should you require further information, please contact us: Phone: (03) 9281 7444Fax: (03) 9281 7592Email: horses@rasv.com.au
2008 RMHS Pony Club Entry Form
2008 RMHS HRCAV Entry Form2008
RMHS RDA Entry Form
2008 RMHS Section 1-23 Breeds Entry Form
2008 RMHS Schedule 2
Judges List for Schedule

Eastern Creek horse quarantine slammed

The world's leading studs considered horse accommodation at Sydney's Eastern Creek quarantine station sub-standard and funded their own improvements with one also holding preliminary talks to build a new centre.

The inquiry into equine influenza (EI) was told that Darley Australia, a branch of Sheik Mohammed's global operation, and the Australian arm of Irish stud Coolmore, built their own day yards to allow the horses more freedom of movement within the complex.

Darley Australia stud manager John Sunderland said the valuable stallions imported from around the world for the southern hemisphere breeding season were used to better conditions.

"When our horses are stabled, both overseas and in Australia, the level of comfort and safety that they are subjected to is far superior to anything at Eastern Creek, and I guess our concerns are that these horses are worth millions and millions of dollars, and any injury that they may succumb to while in a dangerous environment is a serious loss of income," Sunderland said.

"Obviously the horses are in a box and it's quite nice to get them out for a little while, just to keep them fresh.

"Some of those facilities at Eastern Creek are a safety hazard.

Read more.