No hoof unchecked for the Easter Show

ELECTRONIC identity checks, compulsory document inspections and careful monitoring of every entrance and exit are more reminiscent of a German border crossing in the 1950s than getting into the Easter Show.

But in the wake of the equine influenza epidemic that rocked the NSW and Queensland horse industries, the Royal Agricultural Society is leaving no hoof unchecked to prevent another outbreak.
This year's show will include the Easter Show Horse Classic - the first big horse-judging competition since influenza flattened the industry last August - and every horse owner will be required to produce a ream of documents and testing information at a special inspection site before their charge is allowed to nibble a single blade of showground grass.
Each horse must be accompanied by a certificate of immunity, extensive blood-test and nasal-swab information and a travel plan specifying the exact route taken from the stables to the showground door. Then there is the microchip - scanned upon arrival and checked against all documentation to prevent the entry of impostors.
When each horse leaves the showground all of its bedding, food and water will be disposed of and the stables cleaned according to strict Department of Primary Industries standards.
"Getting accepted for the show is daunting enough from a performance perspective; now actually getting through the door is a challenge as well," said Jane Tayler, a show groom and horse owner.
"I've got a little Welsh mountain pony and it wasn't going to be allowed in initially. It was only when they relaxed the restrictions that my little horse was allowed in. It took three full days just to put together all the paperwork."
But if it was not for Thursday's lifting of restrictions on horse movements the regulations might have been even tighter.
Sources in the industry say show organisers were considering placing all horses in sealed-off individual stables declared strictly out of bounds to the public. There were also rumours that horses would have to spend the duration of the show in the stables, making it almost impossible for all but the most committed breeders to attend.
The actual restrictions are still tough - the public will be allowed to look but not touch the horses while they are in their stables and on parade - but most breeders, trainers and riders are just happy to be back in the action.
"It's just a huge boost to the industry that the horses are actually in," said Jackie Long, a stock horse breeder and trainer.
"Shows are the lifeblood of our industry, but just about every country show in NSW has been horse-free since August.
"Some people have missed out and that's disappointing, but I think most of us would run through a brick wall to get here."
The horse classic will run over the last six days of the show and consists of a range of classes including Champion Hack, Pony Hack, Galloway, Saddle Classes, Led and Ridden Breeds and Harness Classes.