Equestrian Quarantine Steps Outlined For The 16th Asian Games
The 16th Asian Games (www.gz2010.cn/en), part of the worldwide Olympic movement and governed by the Olympic Council of Asia is pleased to announce that a two-day seminar has concluded here have outlined specific steps regarding the forthcoming horse quarantine for The 16th Asian Games.
The seminar included the participation of an Asian Games Horse Quarantine Expert Panel and Preparation Team.
Equestrian competition during the Games of the XXIX Olympiad was held in Hong Kong. No major international Equestrian competition has been held in Southern China in at least several decades which precipitated these actions and the following items were reviewed:
A horse quarantine proposal entitled “3+N+1” has been agreed to, will be initiated and considered a priority for these Asian Games.
Three isolation equestrian courts will be set up in Frankfurt, Germany; Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to oversee the transportation of the animals into China.
Participating teams from countries such as Japan and Korea in the Equestrian competition of The 16th Asian Games will have horses from that originating country quarantined in that country and only after quarantine will the horses then be transported by air to the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and then moved directly to the newly renovated Asian Games Equestrian facility in Conghua, a rural farming community located two hours east of downtown Guangzhou.
There would be one equestrian court in China established in Huadu district of Guangzhou, located near the airport. This facility will provide quarantine services for horses transported to Guangzhou by ground transportation before the equestrian competition of 16th Asian Games.
The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China is planning to send a delegation overseas to negotiate quarantine agreements with related countries by the end of October 2009.
Based on statistics from a questionnaire survey circulated throughout Asian countries and regions, the protocol of quarantine and sanitation standards of post-entry horses would be modified and an appropriate “threshold” for would be established.
Seminar attendees recommended that a budget to cover the costs of the horse quarantine should be drafted and rules and regulations for horse quarantine team would be specifically laid-out.
Also agreed was that the Guangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee will make recommendations to meet the needs of an international shipping agency for all horses.
