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BOYD EXELL CONTINUES SUCCESS STORY IN AACHEN by Cindy Timmer
Aachen (GER), 17 July 2011

Photo caption: Four times Aachen winner Boyd Exell continued his success story at Aachen © FEI/Rinaldo de Craen.

Top driver Boyd Exell (AUS) has continued his amazing success story in Aachen. Crowned World Champion at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Kentucky last year, and winner of the FEI World Cup™ Driving Final for the third consecutive time in Leipzig in April this year, the Australian has won this year’s prestigious CAIO Aachen for the fourth time in his career. Boyd first won Aachen in 2003 and was unbeatable in 2009, 2010 and now in 2011.
Five competitions
The CAIO in Aachen consisted of five competitions for all drivers this year; the first dressage test (FEI Test 8a) counted for the individual classification, the second dressage test (FEI test 6a) counted for the team classification and was also compulsory for individual drivers like Boyd Exell and Chester Weber (USA). The first cones competition counted for the individual classification, the marathon counted for both the individual and the teams and today’s final cones competition counted for the teams and was again compulsory for the individuals.
First dressage
Boyd Exell had a head start in the first dressage test, which was driven in the pouring rain in the Aachen driving stadium on Wednesday. Boyd drove his team of black geldings owned by Támas Vincze from Hungary to a winning score of 35.97 penalty points. After a great start, Exell’s left wheeler horse became very excited during the latter part of the test, but this did not prevent Exell from getting the best score of the day.
Second dressage
Despite a few minor errors, Boyd Exell left the arena with a score of 37.12 for second place. Thanks to the strong performances of Chardon and Timmerman, the Dutch team took the lead in the nations competition, ahead of Germany and Switzerland.
Individual cones
Exell and Weber both drove double clear rounds to hold onto the top two slots.  
New marathon
Germany’s Dr Wolfgang Asendorf was responsible for the marathon course in Aachen for the 11th time. The O-course designer had created a completely new challenge for the 25 drivers, altering the route in the E-section, making changes to the existing obstacles and building some new ones. All obstacles were mobile and the order of the marathon obstacles was also changed, allowing the spectators to see the competitors through several obstacles from one point.
Second marathon win
The marathon was the last competition for the individual standings and the drivers started in reverse order of the standings after dressage and cones, so the top drivers started last to keep the excitement simmering.
Germany’s 21-year-old Michael Brauchle, who won the marathon on the Soers showground in 2008, once again claimed victory in the marathon. Brauchle was the eighth to go and flew through the obstacles, setting very fast times which his fellow competitors, including reigning World Champion Boyd Exell, were unable to beat. Exell finished seond in the marathon and that was enough to secure his fourth individual title in Aachen. Quotes
Boyd Exell (AUS):
“My dressage was good, but could have been better. Just one day of preparation was not enough for me. I was happy that I was able to increase the gap after dressage and cones and that I have been able to equal the performance of IJsbrand Chardon, who also won Aachen three times consecutively.”
Individual results CAIO Aachen (GER):
1. Boyd Exell (AUS) 126.73
2. IJsbrand Chardon (NED) 133.73
3. Chester Weber (USA) 137.76
4. Georg von Stein (GER) 150.31
5. Zoltan Lázár (HUN) 150.76
 
Standings FEI World Cup qualification after 9 of 14 competitions:
1       Boyd Exell                        AUS    60
1       Chester Weber                 USA    60
3       IJsbrand Chardon             NED    51
3       Koos de Ronde                 NED    51

Hendra virus causes fourth horse death on NSW north coast -17/7/11
The NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has confirmed Hendra virus as the cause of a fourth horse death on the NSW North Coast, this time at a property near Lismore.
“One property has been placed in quarantine and the dead horse has been buried,” NSW Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Ian Roth said.
“There is one other horse on the quarantined property which is currently showing no signs of illness.”
Dr Roth said the horse was reported as dying suddenly in the paddock on Thursday and a local Livestock Health and Pest Authority (LHPA) veterinarian took a blood sample from the horse on Thursday evening.
“The sample was sent to DPI’s Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute for laboratory analysis and results confirmed the Hendra virus last night,” Dr Roth said. “Horse movements on and off the property are being checked by veterinary staff.”
The Lismore area property was the third in NSW affected by Hendra virus after properties at Wollongbar and Macksville were quarantined earlier in the month. In NSW there are now four horse deaths to Hendra virus – two on one property near Wollongbar and single horse deaths on properties near Macksville and Lismore.
Dr Roth said there were no links to the Wollongbar or Macksville properties or the recent Hendra outbreaks in Queensland.
“Once again the horse had been in a paddock containing a fig tree, so it is likely that flying foxes were the source of infection,” he said. “Hendra virus can spread from flying foxes to horses and, rarely, from horses to people.”
Mr Roth said Hendra virus can cause a range of clinical signs in horses. “Hendra should be considered in horses where there is acute onset of fever and rapid progression to death associated with either respiratory or nervous signs. “If you suspect your horse has Hendra virus keep away from the horse and call your private veterinarian immediately. The vet will notify the local Livestock Health and Pest Authority or an inspector with DPI if they consider the case highly suspect for Hendra. If they are unavailable, and the illness is progressing rapidly, call the Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888.

“We encourage all horse owners to be vigilant and monitor the health of the horse – and only take a healthy horse off their property.
“The best solution at the moment is to try to keep horses protected from flying foxes.”
Dr Roth said there has been no evidence of human-to-human or flying fox-to-human spread of Hendra virus.
NSW DPI advises horse owners to take precautions in areas with flying foxes - to reduce the risk of their horses becoming infected:
•Place feed and water containers under cover.
•Do not place feed and water under trees, especially trees with fruit.
•Do not use feed that could attract flying foxes, such as apples, carrots, or molasses.
•If possible, remove horses from paddocks where flowering trees have temporarily attracted flying foxes.
•If removing horses is not possible, take horses out during times of peak flying fox activity, usually at dusk and during the night.
More information on Hendra virus is available on website www.agriculture.nsw.gov.au/info/hendra
NSW Health advises people to always take the following steps to reduce the risk of becoming infected with Hendra virus:
•Cover any cuts or abrasions on exposed skin before handling horses and wash your hands well with soap and water, especially after handling your horse's mouth or nose (eg fitting or removing a bridle) and before eating, smoking or touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
•Don't kiss horses on the muzzle (especially not if the horse is sick).
•Use personal protective equipment to protect yourself from the body fluids of horses.
NSW Health Hendra virus Factsheet can be on the NSW Health website: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/factsheets/infectious/hendra.html

NEW CASE HENDRA VIRUS IN Mt ALFORD, SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND - July 3rd 2011
Biosecurity Queensland is today managing a second confirmed case of Hendra virus at Mt Alford in the Boonah area. A horse became sick on 1 July 2011 and samples from this horse were sent to Biosecurity Queensland for testing. The horse was later euthanased by a private veterinarian. Test results overnight have confirmed the horse had Hendra virus infection. Previously a horse on the property was sick on 20 June 2011 and was later euthanased by a private veterinarian. Samples collected at the time will be tested for Hendra virus. There are eight horses currently on the property that are being monitored closely and will be tested.
The property has been quarantined to restrict the movement of horses on and off.
There are no links between the horses or the property in this incident and the current incidents at Beaudesert and in New South Wales.

Hendra virus in Beaudesert
A third property has been quarantined as part of the Beaudesert incident. This is a precautionary measure after tracing of horses on the original infected property at Kerry, showed possible contact with a horse at the third
property. The first rounds of test results on the 20 horses at the second Beaudesert property at Biddaddaba have come back negative. This is the first of three rounds of testing required to clear the property.Information about Hendra virus
Biosecurity Queensland assesses each emergency disease incident independently. The Equine Influenza incident in 2007/08, required a lockdown of affected areas in Queensland due to its highly infectious nature. As Hendra virus is not a highly infectious virus, there are no lockdown restrictions for the Queensland horse industry. The horse industry is not subject to movement restrictions for Hendra virus, except for the four properties under quarantine - three in the Beaudesert area and one in the Boonah area.

Community Engagement
Community engagement officers will be in Beaudesert and Boonah over the weekend providing information and answering any questions residents may have on their situation. To find where the mobile office will be located, visit the Biosecurity Queensland website

More information
Notify suspected Hendra virus cases by contacting Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23 (during business hours) or the Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888 (24-hour hotline).
For general information on Hendra virus, visit the Biosecurity Queensland website at www.biosecurity.qld.gov.au

For human related enquiries, contact the Queensland Health Hotline on 13HEALTH (13 43 25 84). Dr. Rick Symons Chief Veterinary Officer Biosecurity Queensland.

Hendra virus horse tests – first round results negative - July 2nd 2011
Test results from samples taken from five horses on a property at Kerry near Beaudesert have come back negative for Hendra virus.
Biosecurity Queensland Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Rick Symons said while the results were promising, these were just the first of three rounds of testing. “These results were for the five horses on the property where a horse became infected with Hendra virus,” Dr Symons said. “Yesterday samples were taken from all twenty horses on the second property at Biddaddaba where the infected horse was transported and later died and the results are expected back in the next couple of days. All of the horses on both properties are under observation by Biosecurity Queensland staff in conjunction with the horse owners. However, we need to complete three negative rounds of testing on a property before the quarantine can be lifted. Typically this takes around 32 days. All neighbours of the infected properties have been visited by Biosecurity Queensland and Queensland Health who provided information about the incident and discussed Hendra virus.”

Dr Symons said people in the Beaudesert area could obtain information about Hendra virus from the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation’s mobile office. “The office is at 29-31 William Street and will be open from 9am until 4pm. There are a number of horse owners in the area and more than 50 people visited the mobile office yesterday. The main queries were around the transport of horses and specifics about the virus itself. In relation to transport, apart from animals on the two affected properties, horses can be freely moved within and outside of the Beaudesert area. As for Hendra virus, it is present in flying fox populations which can be transferred to horses, between horses, and from horses to humans. However the risk of horses being infected, and in turn humans, is very low. The few cases of Hendra virus infection in humans have been the result of very close contact with an infected horse’s body fluids such as blood, nasal discharge, saliva, or urine. There is no evidence of human-to-human or flying fox-to-human spread of Hendra virus.”

Dr Symons said there were precautions horse owners could take to help prevent Hendra virus infection. “Owners can help protect their horses by taking measures to keep them away from trees where there are flying foxes, keeping water containers under cover and feeding horses under cover.”

For more information about Hendra virus visit www.biosecurity.qld.gov.au or call 13 25 23.

NEW HENDRA CASE - 29/6/11
The Australian Horse Industry Council has issued notification of a positive case of Hendra virus that has been confirmed at Kerry, near Beaudesert. Biosecurity Queensland is managing the case after test results on a deceased horse came back positive for the virus. On Saturday a private vet attended a sick horse on a property which was moved to a nearby second property where it died on Sunday. Biosecurity Queensland began implementing control procedures after blood samples taken from the horse came back positive last night. Other horses on the properties are currently being quarantined and Biosecurity Queensland staff are on site today to provide residents in the area with the latest information about Hendra virus. At this stage it is not clear whether any human is at risk. Doctors from Queensland Health's Gold Coast Public Health Unit will offer any testing or treatment to people as required. This is the 15th known incident of Hendra virus since it was first detected in 1994.
The Qld Horse Council stresses the need to be aware that Hendra virus can occur wherever there are flying foxes and horses, and because of the large area that flying foxes travel over, can occur across a large proportion of the state. For information about how you can reduce the risks to yourself and your horse please read their fact sheets:-
Bats & Trees http://www.horsecouncil.org.au/_Upload/Files/Bats%20and%20Trees.pdf
Hendra ˆ Property Design http://www.horsecouncil.org.au/_Upload/Files/Hendra%20Property%20Design.pdf
Hendra Virus ˆ Reducing the Risk http://www.horsecouncil.org.au/_Upload/Files/Hendra%20Reducing%20the%20Risk.pdf

Equestrian Australia Education Conference. 6-7th August 22/6/11
For those with an interest in expanding their equine knowledge base, a must attend is the Equestrian Australia Education Conference. 6-7th August at Sydney Olympic Park Showgrounds.  There will be a range of presenters speaking on topics about leadership, equine nutrition, volunteering, animal behaviour & welfare, social media and understanding the generations. Secure your tickets today by going to www.equestrian.org.au <http://www.equestrian.org.au/>  and filling out the registration form! Tickets on Sale now!”

Olympic legend Bill Roycroft passes away aged 96 29/5/11
Australian Olympic legend Bill Roycroft passed away early yesterday morning at age 96 at Camperdown in Victoria.
A legend of Equestrian sport in Australia, James William George Roycroft OBE, known as “Bill”, was one of Australia’s greatest Olympians and one of only five Australians to have competed in five consecutive Olympic Games. He represented Australia in Rome 1960, Tokyo 1964, Mexico City 1968, Munich 1972 and Montreal 1976 and became Australia’s oldest medallist and oldest competitor at 61 years and 31 days.  He was Australia’s oldest living Olympian.
It was at the 1960 Olympic Games that Roycroft together with his team mates won Australia’s first-ever Equestrian medal, a gold medal in Eventing.
Equestrian Australia’s Chairman, Paul Cargill, said Roycroft was a pioneer in the sport and paved the way for Australia’s Equestrian athletes.
“The Equestrian community is deeply saddened by the loss of Bill, a true legend of our sport.
“Our thoughts at this time are with Bill’s family and friends, especially Wayne, Barry and Clarke,” said Mr Cargill.
“Not only have we lost one of our most celebrated Olympians, but we’ve lost a man who was truly passionate about Equestrian and together with his family has given so much to our sport.
“His performance as part of the 1960 Rome team is legendary and inspired the next generation of Equestrian athletes.
“Their performance catapulted Australia’s reputation as one of the best Eventing teams in the world and his legacy will continue to be felt right throughout our sport for many years,” he said.
The story of 1960 Rome Team was one the captured the hearts of a nation. A team of outback horseman won two gold and one silver medal. Roycroft secured the team gold by defying doctor’s orders and leaving his hospital bed to ride in the show jumping phase. With the use of just with one arm he rode a perfect round to claim gold for Australia.
Lifetime friend and 1960 Olympic team mate Neale Lavis said, “Bill was just a great mate, he always stood beside you no matter what was happening.
“As a horseman he was second to none.  Bill was a character and life was never dull where he was.
“As a competitor he always kept you on your toes, and let you know it too,” added Neale.
Memorial details will be made available by the family in the coming days.
Courtesy Nicky Turner Equestrian Australia
 

Strangles Outbreaks
Recently there have been reported outbreaks of Strangles, a highly infectious disease of the equine upper respiratory tract, throughout the country. Horses with the infection typically have a high temperature, cough, poor appetite, thick creamy nasal discharge and swollen or abscessed lymph nodes under the throat.

The disease is rarely fatal and can be transmitted easily between horses or by the hands, clothing or equipment of handlers in direct contact with infected animals. Strangles is a notifiable disease in NSW, VIC and SA, meaning all cases must be reported to relevant authorities, however this is not the case in other states. All states recommend implementing strict bio-security measures to help prevent the spread of the disease.

There have been confirmed cases of Strangles in Port Lincoln, SA; Illawarra, NSW and an unconfirmed outbreak (as at the 14th August) in Wanneroo, WA.

Australian Horse Owners have Ten Days to Decide their Future
Horse SA has called on all horse owners, state and national, to respond to the Animal Health Australia paper on preferred levy options.

Executive Officer for Horse SA, Julie Fiedler, has spoken to the President of Pony Club Australia, Mr Greg Bailey, on the issue.

“The Emergency Animal Disease Response Agreement (EADRA) sets out the working arrangements and cost sharing details in the event of an exotic disease outbreak," said Mr Bailey. "The EADRA guarantees that the Australian Government will underwrite the costs of an emergency response, enabling decisive action to be taken immediately. Such rapid action is critical in the effective control and eradication of an exotic disease – as we saw with equine influenza in 2007.

“It should be noted that more than a third of the 65 diseases presently listed in the EADRA, could affect horses. When an outbreak occurs, a management group consisting of representatives of al l parties to the agreement will decide whether to respond or not, based on which option will be the least cost to the horse community. It is estimated that the cost to the horse community if EI became endemic would ten to twenty times more than the cost of its eradication.”

After an emergency response that is managed under the EADRA, the Australian Government allows up to 10 years to repay an industry’s share of costs. The money would be collected through a levy.

Animal Health Australia acts as the caretaker of the Agreement, for all major domestic animal species.

“There is considerable flexibility as to the method of collecting a levy, and various mechanisms have been suggested," said Dr Mike Bond, Chief Executive of Animal Health Australia. "The Australian Government has some guidelines that must be followed, including a requirement for simplicity and ease of collection. While such collection mechanisms should be as fair and equitable as possible, it is generally accepted that whatever the methods used, it will never be possible to ‘capture’ 100% of horse owners.”

The Federal Government has given the horse community until 1st December to reach agreement on an EADRA, and requires convincing evidence that such agreement exists.

Horse SA has promoted this consultation period to all South Australian horse organisations, but as many are affiliated to national groups, the message to act quickly to provide a submission needs to reach all national bodies.

“Our enemy is indifference,” said Julie Fiedler, Executive Officer for Horse SA. “Why would you leave the future of our industry to one Ministerial meeting? Have your say now so that a measured and considered approach can be taken for our future.”