Furlong’s Healthy Horse virtual seminar, presented by B.W. Furlong Associates will host a presentation by Dr Aja Harvey Wednesday March 24 at 6:30 p.m. The topic is information about theEHV-1 virus and biosecurity recommendations to keep your horses safe. Don’t forget this virus has shut down shows in Europe through April 11. Click on this link to join the session. Or go to B.W. Furlong Associates Facebook page for the livestream.
Several key topics came up last night at the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s Town Hall meeting on Zoom, one in a series of sessions that enables members and board members to share their thoughts. USHJA President Mary Knowlton (formerly Babick, who changed her name after her divorce), ran the meeting, which allowed for a good back-and-forth.Here’s an overview:
A questioner showing at A and AA hunter/jumper shows for 20 years stated “In our area, the shows are getting smaller and smaller, I think because the cost is too high” and said she would like the matter looked into. “I think this is something we have to continue to dig into,” said Mary. “As exhibitors, when we ask for more, when we’re getting more, it’s going to cost more. That money has got to come from someplace.” Meanwhile, Californian Marnye Langer is conducting a research program looking at the difference in costs for jumping and reining competitions at the same facility and trying to find out why one is so much less expensive. (Guess which one…) It is not USHJA’s business to tell show managers what to charge, Mary said, but added, “I do think as an industry we have to start looking at the cost of things and start trying to make things as affordable as we can. Otherwise, we are going to price ourselves right out of business. We’ll keep our eyes on that.”
We wrote on March 10 that it looked as if only residents of Japan would be allowed to attend the Games in person, and that is indeed the case.
It was confirmed today that foreign spectators have been banned from the Games because of Covid fears. A majority of the Japanese residents polled recently said they thought the Games should be cancelled or postponed due to the pandemic. But the International Olympic Committee has said there is no Plan B and that the Games will go ahead. However, compromises have had to be made, and this is just one of them.
As IOC President Thomas Bach said in explaining he organizers’ position, “Every decision has to respect the principle of safety first. I know that our Japanese partners and friends did not reach this conclusion lightly.
“Together with them, the IOC’s top priority was, is and remains to organize safe Olympic and Paralympic Games for everyone: all the participants and, of course, our gracious hosts, the Japanese people.
“We stand shoulder-to-shoulder at the side of our Japanese partners and friends, without any kind of reservation, to make the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games a great success.
“Together with our Rights-Holding Broadcasters, we will make every effort so that the fans from around the world will be able to experience the Olympic spirit.
“In this way, the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 will be the light at the end of the tunnel and a safe manifestation of peace, solidarity and the resilience of humankind in overcoming the pandemic.”
Tremaine Cooper died last weekend in an accident while working outdoors near his home in Bluemont, Va., the U.S. Eventing Association announced. He was 52.
An eventer, course designer and builder, his thoughtful approach resulted in tremendous advancements for the sport of eventing in all areas, but especially in the safety and design of cross-country courses.
Tremaine Cooper. (Photo from his Facebook page)
Tremaine grew up on a Connecticut farm and started riding when he was five.. A graduate ‘A’ Pony Clubber, he started eventing in 1984, competing through the Advanced level. At an early age, Tremaine began helping out with the cross-country courses at the Pony Club rallies at his parents’ farm.
At the end of high school and through Colby College, where he got a geology degree, he started building seriously and ended up constructing courses throughout the U.S. as well as in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Tremaine then focused more on course design, earning his FEI ‘I’ license more than 15 years ago. He designed at some of the country’s premier venues, including Morven Park, Millbrook, The Fork, Aspen Farms, Poplar Place, the USEA American Eventing Championships, and many others.
Tremaine, who had trained with Bruce Davidson, was one of the USEF national course advisors. He was involved in the educational design seminars for both the USEF and the FEI, and was co-chair of the building/design committee. Tremaine also sat on the USEA Board of Governors. In 2006, he was awarded the Neil Ayer Course Designers’ Award for his service to the sport as a cross-country course designer. Most recently Tremaine worked with the USEA staff to establish the frangible distribution program through the USEA headquarters.
Tremaine’s family is establishing a fund in his memory. Donations may be sent to the USEA Foundation, 525 Old Waterford Road NW, Leesburg, VA 20176 or by visiting www.useafoundation.org/donate and by using the drop-down menu titled “Use my donations to support:” indicate that the donation is “In Honor of Tremaine Cooper.”
Equestrian Sport Productions announced today that a horse who spiked a temperature at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival grounds has tested negative for Equine Herpes Virus-1. The horse and its barn mate were isolated.
Anyone shipping horses into the Palm Beach International Equestrian Festival and Global’s Equestrian Village facilities will be required to sign a declaration stating that the horses entering the facility have not competed at Florida venues outside Wellington or been in close contact with horses that competed in other Florida venues outside Wellington within 10 days prior to their arrival.
Meanwhile, elsewhere on the EHV-1 front, a three-year-old filly who tested positive was euthanized at a training facility near Versailles, Ky., where 24 horses in the same barn as the affected mare were tested. Five of the nine horses in the isolation barn were positive, with the last fever reported on March 12. Enhanced biosecurity measures have been implemented at other sanctioned training facilities in Kentucky and at Turfway Park.
A 14-day quarantine was initiated at the University of Tennessee Veterinary Teaching Hospital for the main equine barn facility and for horses in the isolation unit. One horse has been confirmed with EH Respiratory. In a Shelby County, Tenn., boarding facility, 100 horses were exposed, but only one horse was confirmed as EHV-4 and it is alive.EHV-4 can occasionally cause abortions in unvaccinated mares.
In Utah, a horse with EHV-1 was euthanized after becoming sick after being at the Weber County Complex, where events have been cancelled for the next two weeks. While two more horses previously at the Weber County Complex have fevers, are being tested for EHV-1 and quarantined, it is estimated that 100 horses were exposed.
Two EHM (myeloencephalopathy) and 2 EHV-1 cases were quarantined and isolated at a stable in Brewster, N.Y., after one of the EHM horses competed in equitation on March 5 at Old Salem Farm in nearby North Salem. It started showing symptoms on March 7.The stable has already implemented strict biosecurity measures, temperature monitoring and has been very cooperative during this investigation and situation. The origin of the disease is unknown and still under investigation. Old Salem Farm has no known cases of EHV-1 or EHM at this time. Show management is cleaning and disinfecting the facility and following appropriate EHV-1 biosecurity protocols.
Earlier this month, EHV-1 struck in California. A 12-year-old warmblood gelding in Los Angeles County displaying neurological signs was confirmed positive last Tuesday. Following an assessment of the facility where the gelding lives, 45 potentially exposed horses have been quarantined with enhanced biosecurity measures and twice-daily temperature monitoring. The owners of all exposed horses have been notified and no additional cases have been identified..
There also are seven horses under special quarantine at a boarding facility for show horses in Chester, Pa. The quarantine was triggered by detection of EHV-1 in multiple febrile horses on the premises. Investigation is ongoing, but due to a possible connection to an EHM case NOT located at this premises, the Department is issuing an official quarantine and is working with the very proactive barn management and private practitioners to monitor the health of the horses on the premises.
Also in the Keystone State, a horse showing neurological signs of EHV-1 was euthanized at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center.. The limited number of potentially exposed horses have been identified and are being contacted by New Bolton Center and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.This case has no known association with international travel, transport, or shows.
Three barns at Maryland’s Laurel Park were quarantined because of the Equine Herpes virus. All horses in residence must stay on the grounds until further guidance is offered. One horse tested positive at Laurel. Also in Maryland, there was an unrelated infection of a horse in Cecil County, That animal was euthanized.
At the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, a horse who spiked a fever which led to a quarantine of Barn D turned out to be EHV-1 negative. Based on that, the State of Florida, WEC veterinarians and management lifted the quarantine on the 16 horses housed in Barn D and horse showing will continue as scheduled.
As of today, no horses have tested positive for EHV-1 on WEC property. Moving forward, horses that have traveled to another Florida competition venue and horses who have been exposed to horses that have been at other Florida competition venues in the last 10 days will not be allowed on WEC grounds.
All equines entering the property must present a health certificate or statement of health from a licensed veterinarian within 7 days to the horse show office.
Until further notice, ship-ins (those working from trailers) will be restricted from the property. A dressage show scheduled for this month at WEC already was cancelled, but next month’s dressage show–with several top Olympic contenders scheduled to compete–will be held.
Shows in Florida have issued restrictions and new measures to insure the safety of horses on their grounds after a horse in Ocala came up positive for EHV-1 earlier this month. The horse was not at a show venue when its symptoms appeared, and it was not shipped in from Europe.
It was doing well after being treated at the University of Florida large animal hospital, according to the Chestnut Hill Farm Facebook page. A second horse whose stall was adjacent to the index horse while at the farm has also been confirmed positive.. The second horse is not exhibiting neurologic symptoms, although it has been febrile and is being treated at the separate isolation facility.
The farm’s horses that were at WEC were evacuated as soon as the positive test was revealed. Owners are working with state veterinarians and and inspectors as well as the University of Florida to achieve a tight quarantine.
On March 1, international equestrian competitions in 10 European countries were cancelled by the FEI (international equestrian federation) until March 28 due to the rapid evolution of a very aggressive strain of the neurological form of EHV-1, which originated in Valencia, Spain and already has led to related outbreaks in at least three other countries in Europe.
The FEI cancelled events in all disciplines in France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Italy, Austria, Poland, Netherlands, Germany and Slovakia until March 28.The advent of the disease also led to cancellation of the FEI World Cup Finals in jumping and dressage that were set to start March 30 in Sweden. (See the story in the main section of this website.)
“This was not an easy decision to block events in mainland Europe, particularly after the major disruption to the FEI Calendar caused by the Covid-19 pandemic,” FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said, “but this EHV-1 outbreak is probably the most serious we have had in Europe for many decades and our decision is based on clearly identified epidemiological risk factors.
“This strain of EHV-1 is particularly aggressive and has already caused equine fatalities and a very large number of severe clinical cases. We need to keep our horses safe. We are also aware that a large number of horses left the venue in Valencia without an official health certificate, meaning they had an unknown health status. Some horses were already sick, and the risk of transmission from these horses is a major concern.
“Cancelling these competitions in mainland Europe…limits the number of horses traveling internationally and therefore reduces the likelihood of this very serious virus being transmitted on an increasingly wider scale. We also strongly recommend that the affected member federations should also cancel their national events.
“We are very conscious of the fact that this is a very stressful and distressing time, and that this is potentially hugely disruptive for those athletes aiming for their Minimum Eligibility Requirements (MERs) or confirmation results for Tokyo, but we are looking at ways to alleviate that in order to assist athlete/horse combinations in getting their MERs or confirmation results once the events in mainland Europe are allowed to resume.”
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.
