Thoroughbred found starving in bushland

RSPCA officials are talking to a far north Queensland horse owner after a severely malnourished ex-racehorse was found wandering in bushland. The chestnut thoroughbred gelding had a torn upper lip, cuts on its legs and a skin infection when it was found on the bottom of the Gillies Range, south of Cairns, on Sunday.

RSPCA far north region inspector Cameron Buswell said the horse was thought to be around 15 years old and weighed about 350 kilograms.

"A horse that size should be around the 450kg mark," Mr Buswell said.

"We occasionally encounter horses in poor condition, but this horse in particular was probably on the more severe side."

Mr Buswell said the owner had contacted the RSPCA today and was being interviewed.

He said the owner could face neglect charges.

"We're just trying to work with the owner at the moment but there may be a possibility of charges," Mr Buswell said.

Bloke takes the cake at the Royal Easter Show

A male has won the cake making competition at Australia's largest rural show for the first time.

Ray Keft, from Bega in southern New South Wales, has taken out the rich fruit cake competition at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
All contestents had to use precisely the same recipe, and Mr Keft says he's cooked hundreds of cakes over the years to perfect his entry.
"Hundreds I tell you, ha ha, yeah, because you cook one and oh, it looks a bit too burnt on top, righto, start again! So perseverance is what's it's all about."
His secret? Well, it's not the oven, he says, as his thermostat is broken.

EI-Vaccination Policy For Visiting Horses At NSW Autumn Carnival

Racing NSW yesterday completed a review of its Equine Influenza vaccination requirements & reaffirmed "a commitment to its risk management policy which requires all NSW-domiciled racehorses to have a current vaccination programme in accordance with Racing NSW Local Rule 48". However following representation from "a significant number of owners with horses trained in states where ProteqFlu vaccine is not available & who might otherwise be denied the opportunity of their horses participating in the NSW Autumn Carnival, Racing NSW will empower its stewards to grant horses from EI-free states permission to campaign in NSW on a visiting permit basis up to & including a stay of 1 calendar month, providing they are satisfied that such horses provide no foreseeable danger to NSW's EI-free status".

comment on $6bn industry at risk amid race to prevent horse f...

"Last year's outbreak, which resulted in 488 confirmed cases and 1646 suspected cases of horse flu on 100 properties, is thought to have been spread by racing stallions brought in from Japan."

Where did The Age get these numbers? WILDLY inaccurate - numbers were hugely higher than "488 confirmed cases" or EI!!!!
KM