Effect
James Gilkerson, President of the Australian Equine Veterinarians Association, said the horse racing and breeding industries could come to a standstill if horse flu took hold. John Messara, President of Australian Thoroughbred Breeders, said the industry would lose hundreds of millions of dollars in lost gambling revenue and stallion servicing fees. Federal Treasurer Peter Costello said "when you take into account breeders, trainers, jockeys and race meetings the outbreak will affect the economy."
Peter McGauran called for the Melbourne Cup to be postponed. Racing Victoria Limited admitted the outbreak would affect the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival but vowed to defy the call to postpone the Melbourne Cup. Several betting agencies temporarily suspended betting on the Melbourne Cup.
New South Wales police said the ban on horse movements could affect crowd control at the APEC Australia 2007 summit where mounted police were planned to be used. Mounted police patrols for APEC were cancelled on 28 August after all NSW police horses were quarantined.
By noon on 27 August, police had stopped over 100 people transporting horses in violation of the ban, and plans to bring police horses from Victoria for APEC had been scrapped.
The Parkes Show was cancelled after several horses in the area were diagnosed with EI and the showground was quarantined. For the second time in its 125 year history, the Birdsville Races were called off as Queensland Racing Minister Andrew Fraser cancelled all horse racing in the state.
The Australian Racing Board agreed to move the breeding season forward by six days to ease anticipated congestion of servicing bookings once the movement ban was lifted.
The Randwick Trainers' Association ceased negotiations with the Catholic Church and the NSW Government over plans to hold a World Youth Day Papal mass at Randwick Racecourse in July 2008. Trainer John O'Shea said holding the mass at Randwick was now "out of the question" as the disruption and damage to the racecourse would multiply the damage of the EI outbreak. However, the mass went ahead, with all horses being removed from the track starting 13 June 2008 in preparation for construction work needed for the event.
The outbreak forced the cancellation of a 3-day qualifying event for the 2008 Summer Olympics scheduled to be held in Sydney on 13 September.
Cattle mustering in Queensland, which is often carried out on horseback, was halted due to the ban on horse movements.
The Sydney spring racing carnival was cancelled following the outbreak at Randwick racecourse. NSW horses will be prevented from travelling to Melbourne for the Melbourne Cup.
The Equine Influenza has also had an ongoing effect on the Largest National Equine Endurance Event The Shahzada which was to be held at St Albans NSW from 27–31 August. All horses at the event were locked down for over a week, with many competitors travelling from interstate. It has been a disaster, with many not being able to bring their highly trained animals home. Many of these horses have had to be left on properties within New South Wales.
On 23 January 2008 The Keeper of the Australian Stud Book, Michael Ford, reported that "To date, 23,305 mares have recorded coverings by 679 stallions, a decrease of 13% on last year’s 26,800 coverings." However, Mr Ford expected the gap to be narrowed to 10% after late lodgements and paddock services were received later in the season. "A depleted foal crop will have an effect on racing in two years, lasting for several years” explained Mr Ford. ”It also impacts on future foal crops in six years’ time when horses from that crop go to stud."
New South Wales was declared free of equine influenza by the state Primary Industries Minister, Ian Macdonald on 29 February 2008. Queensland, the only other state affected by the outbreak, has no infected properties and is expected to be declared EI free within a few weeks.
Read more about this topic: 2007 Australian Equine Influenza Outbreak
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