Stallion ban lifted

Press, 26 July 1984, Page 30

Stallion ban lifted

NZPA staff correspondent ; London I British authorities have : lifted a ban which had I barred imports of stallions : from the United States to : New Zealand. i The United States Gov- « j ernment had agreed to meet » | British veterinary require- : I ments aimed at preventing < ■ the spread of a Kentucky , » disease outbreak, a spokes- j ' man for the United King- - . dom Ministry of Agriculture i said. ■’ ; Stallions due in New Zea- , j land for the breeding season i ; had been prevented from j spending the required two • [ months in British quaran- i tine because of the ban on i entry to the United King- | dom. But the restrictions were j being lifted immediately, I provided conditions were ; met, the spokesman said. ■ A veterinary certificate , declaring that blood and t other tests have been t carried out will be required j for non-Olympic horses , ■ entering Britain. ", > Olympic horses will have f to go immediately into • ; quarantine on arrival at the ,: Los Angeles Games, and >• then directly to the Olympic \ i stables with “other clean f { horses,” the British say. »; The authorities require ,' that British horses returning * ■ from the Olympics have not •> been out of the country for more than 30 days, and not *. to have been at Kentucky 1 since May 1. ; British officials moved I quickly to lift the ban so ’ that their equestrian team members could go to the ' Games. I The Kentucky disease is equine infectious arteritis, ’ more commonly known as . shipping disease or stable ' pneumonia. It has a low ' mortality rate but is suspected of causing pregnant mares to abort. The disease broke out in Kentucky last month and affected the breeding season for the first time. Several stallions had their * trips to New Zealand delayed, including Soky’s Atom, scheduled to stand at Hunua, Auckand; Niatrix, bound for North Canterbury, and Fan Letter, which will stand at South Canterbury.