A two-week extension of the shutdown of international events across mainland Europe until April 11 announced by the FEI (international equestrian federation) due to the outbreak of the neurological form of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1).has led to cancellation of the FEI World Cup Finals in show jumping and dressage for the second year in a row.
Although the shutdown of all FEI disciplines was originally scheduled to end March 28, two days before the World Cup had been set to get under way in Gothenburg, Sweden, the further blackout is designed to minimize the spread of the very aggressive strain of the virus with a goal of saving the rest of the show season. (For an update on the U.S. situation, look for the article in the On the Rail section of this website or click here.
Olivia Lagoy-Weltz and Lonoir, one of four North American combinations that were set to compete in the FEI World Cup Finals. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
The decision, which is based on scientific evidence from world leading epidemiologist Dr Richard Newton and a full risk assessment by the FEI Veterinary Department, will mean the cancellation of the FEI World Cup™ Finals for the second consecutive year following the loss of the 2020 Finals in Las Vegas (USA) to the Covid-19 pandemic. Four North Americans were scheduled to represent North America in the World Cup finals. They were Olivia Lagoy-Weltz (Lonoir), Charlotte Jorst (Kastel’s Nintendo) and Shelly Francis (Danilo) along with Canadian Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu (All In).
“It is very disappointing that it had to be cancelled, but it’s the right thing to do,” said U.S. Dressage Technical Advisor Debbie McDonald.
The extended lockdown applies to all countries that have international scheduled events in the period through April 11. They are Austria, Belgium, Spain, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portuga, Slovakia and Sweden. At the same time, the FEI again strongly recommends that all national federations in mainland Europe cancel their national events in order to minimize horse movement.
“The extension of the lockdown is difficult for everyone, and the loss of the FEI World Cup Finals for a second year is particularly devastating, especially for the qualified athletes and for our loyal Top Partner Longines,” FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said. “We know how much work Tomas Torgersen and his incredible team in Gothenburg have put into organizing the 2021 Finals, which would have been part of the 400th birthday anniversary celebrations for the city, so this is a desperately bitter blow.
The Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden, known for its enthusiastic crowds (but not in the Covid era) was to once again be the home of the FEI World Cup Finals until they were cancelled today.
“We cannot eradicate EHV as it is endemic in many countries, but we need to work together to minimize the transmission of this particular strain, which has already caused the death of 12 horses in Europe. All of the original in-contact horses from Valencia, Vejer de la Frontera and Doha are already blocked on the FEI Database, but the whole community needs to be on the alert and monitoring their horses. We strongly urge all European-based FEI athletes to avoid travel with their horses during this prolonged shutdown, as travel is a very clear risk factor.
“Sadly this additional lockdown is crucial to slow down the spread of the virus so that we can preserve the rest of the season, get our athletes and horses back competing safely and allow as long a period as possible for those aiming for Tokyo to earn their Minimum Eligibility Requirements and confirmation results.
“Nobody wants to see an outbreak like this ever again. There will be a comprehensive and fully transparent investigation into every aspect of this outbreak and the way it has been handled, and the findings will be published so that, together with our community, we can all learn from this.
“We will be putting in place enhanced protocols to allow for a safe return to play once this outbreak is under control, and we will advise our community on those well in advance of the resumption of international events, but the priority right now has to be the treatment of sick horses and getting healthy horses back to their home countries in a safe and biosecure way. We all need to focus on safeguarding not just FEI horses, but the wider European horse community.”
Work on identifying the gene sequencing of this strain of the virus is already underway, and the FEI is continuing to monitor the evolution of the virus through the FEI Veterinary Epidemiology Working Group, which was formalised this week. The Group is composed of world-leading EHV specialists Professor Ann Cullinane (IRL), Dr Richard Newton (GBR), Dr Gittan Gröndahl (SWE), FEI Veterinary Director Dr Göran Akerström and FEI Senior Veterinary Advisor Caterina Termine. Reports from this Group will be published on a weekly basis.