FRA: 2007 Monpazier Endurance

Image by Celine Clerc

Karin Boulanger and Armia are Firstto Finish the 7th Anual Monpazier 160km Endurance Race. The race, held Friday, 21 September, was held under beautiful skies and with great warmth of spirit!

More images and stories may be found at:
www.enduraceEurope.net and
www.ceer-fc.com

Denmark: Sweden Takes Team Gold

Minam Kongevold/Ferrari
Image by Edgar Schrader

Minam Kongevold of Norway riding Ferrari finished first at the Nordic/Baltic Endurance Championship held today at Vesterhavs Denmark. Following closely for second and third place finishes were Liza Sundberg on Kristall and Jessica Holmberg riding Ztefan, both of Sweden.

Sweden captured team Gold at the event, with Norway taking Silver and Denmark Bronze. The race weather was perfect for a sand and surf ride to championships!

Full coverage of the event may be found at EnduranceEurope.net with special images from Edgar Schrader of Germany!

USA: APEX North Takes Team Title

Endurance.Net
Riders from the APEX North achieved the best overall team time at the Zone Team Endurance Challenge race, held yesterday in Montana. The Fort Howes endurance venue provided a challenging course which allowed team members Valerie Kanavy, Steve Rojek, Meg Sleeper, and Hernon Barbosa to complete with a team time of 30:40:44.

The second to finish team, JG Ranch (36:11:17) and third to finish team, Whistle (37:04:50) lead in the completion of 12 teams at this inaugural team challenge event. Complete Team results may be found at:

www.endurance.net

Starters and Teams for Nordic/Baltic Endurance Championship

Teams from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark compete for the Nordic Endurance Championship at the Vrensted og Omegns Rideklub in Løkken Denmark. The 124km CEI/YR *** event hosts riders from 5 countries.

Official Event Site
Endurance Europe.Net Coverage

USA: Zones Team Endurance Challenge Starters Ready

EnduranceNet
Ashland Montana
15 Teams of 4 riders are prepared for the 6Am start of the 2007 Zone Team Endurance Challenge in Ashton Montana! Team Rosters and the Start List now available.

Endurance.Net will be providing full coverage of the event with primary postings at 10am, 2pm, and 7pm on Saturday. Images of the preparations are available at Endurance.Net

Each team of 4 will compete for the overall team title of the event. There are also two entrants riding as individuals.

Equine Influenza Outbreak in Australia: an Update

21/09/2007 - FEI Press News

VICTORIAN BORDER RESTRICTIONS TO REMAIN
Border crossing restrictions prohibiting horses from New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland (QLD) entering Victoria and other Equine Influenza (EI) free states will continue, despite NSW announcing reduced horse movement restrictions for some parts of NSW and a controlled vaccination program.

Victoria’s Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Hugh Millar said the priority in Victoria was to remain horse flu free. “Border crossings will continue to be monitored 24/7 in a bid to detect any illegal activity. Serious penalties apply to those who breach border restrictions, including imprisonment and heavy fines,” he said.

In addition, Dr Millar said any horses detected entering Victoria illegally could be detained, seized and destroyed.


BUFFER ZONES AND RING VACCINATION TO BE USED TO CONTROL EQUINE INFLUENZA

Buffer zones and ring vaccination will be used to contain areas of high concentrations of equine influenza in NSW, as well as in Queensland, if required.

This move was endorsed on Monday by the National Management Group (NMG) overseeing the response to the animal disease. NMG agreed that despite more cases being discovered its view remains that with community support for the control measures the equine influenza outbreak can be contained and eradicated.

NMG was advised that a rapid increase of infected premises was explained by the fact that the disease had previously entered areas where there are a high number of horses together with a large concentration of properties such as the greater Sydney area and the Hunter Valley.

The NMG-endorsed strategy includes the establishment of buffer zones around areas of high disease prevalence and the use of ‘ring vaccination’ in conjunction with the buffer zones.

Horses vaccinated in these buffers will assist disease containment which, if effective, will establish a circle of immunity around infection areas. NMG has also agreed to the procurement of sufficient vaccine stocks for emergency purposes.

Natural geographical features such as escarpments, mountain ranges, and national parks will be used to help define buffer zones and some horses within the buffer zone will be moved out. Strict movement controls will remain in place around infected areas to ensure horses do not leave these areas.

NMG stressed that, consistent with AUSVETPLAN, vaccination was endorsed for this purpose as an animal disease control tool. It is not a quick fix for eradication and has not been endorsed for any other purpose at this time.

Compliance with standstill provisions or other state-based movement restrictions, the maintenance of good biosecurity practices, and early reporting of suspected disease remain critical elements key to current efforts to contain the disease outbreak.
In recognising effects on industry of current and proposed containment measures, NMG agreed the use of ring vaccination must be undertaken as part of a broader strategy aimed at minimizing the disease’s impact on all sectors.

Having regard to this need, NMG agreed that a framework must be urgently established that could enable further vaccinations or other interventions if required and that industry will be invited to contribute to identify priority areas.

Consistent with an earlier NMG decision, it reinforced the view that better forecasting tools be developed to track progress of the disease outbreak and that these needed to include time-lines predicting the successful conclusion of the response to the disease.

To assist planning and possible future decision making, NMG also agreed to prepare information on a scenario of equine influenza becoming established in Australia, including the implications associated with broader vaccination of the general horse population.

NMG emphasised that movement of horses from NSW, ACT and Queensland to other states and territories remains prohibited.

NMG is comprised of the Chief Executive Officers of the Commonwealth and State/Territory departments of agriculture/primary industries across Australia and also the heads of the peak bodies representing the horse industry. It is chaired by the Secretary of the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Dr Conall O’Connell.

Media contacts: Acting Australian Chief Veterinary Officer, Bob Biddle + 61 (0)419 014 817
Chief Executive Australian Racing Board, Andrew Harding + 61 (0) 417 043 233

NZL: NZ endurance rider Howard Harris dies

Australian-based New Zealand endurance rider Howard Harris died on Tuesday after a two-year battle with mesothelioma cancer. He was aged 62.

Harris was a very experienced international endurance competitor, having ridden in four World and seven Continental Championships between 1988 and 1996. With his homebred chestnut Arabian gelding Harmere Turfan, he finished second in the coveted Tom Quilty Gold Cup in Australia. He rode for New Zealand at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen in 2006.

In announcing Harris's death, Kerry Ridgeway said that "Howard went through life like a comet, always blazing and always casting a bright light and a big presence. He was one of the people instrumental in developing endurance at the FEI level in the Southern hemisphere.

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