Bathurst horse show cancelled amid AHS concerns
Huge loss for town and riders
“Absolutely gutted” is how the Bathurst Riding Club (BRC) members feel about calling off the Bathurst Horse Show. The major annual event, scheduled this year for March 21-24 has been cancelled because of concerns about African Horse Sickness.
Staged at the Bathurst showgrounds’ main arena, the Bathurst Horse Show is traditionally a centrepiece of the Bathurst Agricultural Show, whose organisers are busy finalising plans to fill that gap in their programme.
But the biggest loss, says BRC chairperson Anne White, is to the village.
“Every year, about 60 horses come to Bathurst – each of them with at least three people who are riders or support,” White told Talk of the Town.
“For four days, those three people spend their money at the showgrounds and in the town.
“Many riders will now be cancelling their accommodation. It is devastating for the local economy.”
The move follows the issuing of an advisory notice from the state veterinarian for the area, Dr Gabriel Mutero.
In a letter to the equine community of the area, Mutero said an African Horse Sickness (AHS)
outbreak had so far seen cases confirmed on seven properties. One horse had died and several were in a serious condition.
“After discussions with our neighbouring state veterinarians, we are in agreement that it would be highly irresponsible for anyone to be moving any equid [horses/donkeys] within or out of the Kleinemonde, Port Alfred, Bathurst, Alexandria, Seven Fountains, Grahamstown and surrounding areas at this stage.”
Mutero said while some horses were vaccinated, vaccination did not confer 100% immunity.
“Stress from transportation, a new environment and mixing with unfamiliar horses may reduce the immune system’s ability to mount an effective defence.”
AHS is a notifiable disease and Mutero said some horse owners were not informing
government authorities about AHS cases. He said this had forced their hand in putting a “strong advisory” to stop movement of horses, and shows.
“We care for your horses and are wanting to limit the spread to more victims,” Mutero said.
“…I strongly recommend not moving any horses until this storm has passed.”
Mutero had earlier referred TOTT to the national department of agriculture, land reform & rural development. The department confirmed that in February 2024, cases of AHS occurred in the Makhanda (Grahamstown) state veterinary area.
“Owners, managers and transporters of horses are advised to contact the state veterinarian: Boland at move@myhorse.org.za for further guidance on movement from the affected district to the AHS controlled area.
“Movement of equids within the affected Grahamstown state veterinary area and to areas within the AHS infected zone of SA are not officially restricted, however, such movements are not recommended, the department said.
The department”recommended equine owners consult the pamphlet Protecting Equines in the African Horse Sickness Infected Zone on its website, at https://bit.ly/AHSProtect
Asked when the travel advisory would be lifted, the department told TOTT: “It is not possible to predict when the official movement restrictions will be lifted from the affected Grahamstown state veterinary area as this depends on many factors including the number of AHS cases that may occur in the upcoming weeks.”
However, some members of the equestrian community are skeptical about the effectiveness of a travel ban.
“We’re not convinced that a travel ban makes any difference to the spread of AHS,” White said.
African horse sickness is carried and spread by midges. It is not spread directly between horses.
“We are all committed equestrians. Our horses’ welfare is fundamental to everything we do. But we’re between a rock and a hard place.
“If a horse came to the show, and subsequently got sick, as organisers we would definitely be in the firing line.
“We’ve tried our absolute darndest to keep this show going because it’s very important to a huge number of people in Bathurst.
“It’s a huge loss for everyone, including the riders who were looking forward to competing.
“But it’s been a tightrope and we felt we did not have an option.”
President of the Bathurst Agricultural Society and head of the agricultural show’s organising committee, Neil Scott, said negotiations for an activity to fill the gap left by the horse show would be finalised tomorrow.
“It does impact the show, but this happened in 2008, also because of AHS and the show went on.
“It’s very unfortunate that this happened but it wasn’t just a case of ‘do we or don’t we’. It was a moral decision that had to be made.”
Scott said details of the activities to replace the horse show would likely be announced tomorrow.
“We are busy finalising negotiations and will have something firm in place by the end of this week.”
According to the national department of agriculture, AHS is endemic to most of SA, except in a part of the Western Cape.
Outbreaks usually occur in the AHS infected zone from November to May, often with a peak from February to April, depending on climatic factors such as rainfall and temperature.
Certain parts of the Western Cape have been legislated as AHS controlled areas in terms of the Animal Diseases Act 1984 (Act no 35 of 84) and are generally free from AHS.
Recommendations to prevent midges infecting horses in this article: https://bit.ly/3wA3QsA
We’ve tried our absolute darndest to keep this show going because it’s very important to a huge number of people in Bathurst. It’s a huge loss for everyone, including the riders who were looking forward to competing