2008 Olympics: Hong Kong Riding High with Equine Special Effects

This is just for fun: Hong Kong television is promoting the tiny island province as the ultimate horsey tourist destination for the equestrian sports sector of the 2008 Olympics Games this summer. Watch this little :30 commercial for some creative special effects! See anyone you know? You might want to watch this twice, some of the effects are pretty subtle...and very well done!

2008 Olympics Politics: Anky Speaks Out

Olympics Gold Medalist and World Champion dressage rider Anky Van Grunsven of The Netherlands has posted a statement on her web site regarding her view of the political impact of Chinese human rights violations in Tibet and how riders should respond at this time:

"Of course I follow the situation in Tibet. Sporters (riders) should know what is going on there. But I think the human rights aspect gets more attention because of the Olympic Games. Hopefully it will work out in a good way and it would be nice if we, sporters, could help a little bit to make the situation better."

I know it is hard for Americans to imagine this, but Anky is a "brand" of her own in her home country, with her own line of clothing, interviews with the prime minister, and guest appearances on every imaginable television program. The logo above emblazons her web site and says it all.

She doesn't need a last name.

2008 Olympics Protest: German Equestrians, Mindful of History, Will Gallop On

Argentinian show jumping rider Gregorio Werthein carried the Olympic torch through Buenos Aires yesterday. (Reuters.com photo)

Germany has decided that it will continue with plans to compete in a multitude of sports at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, in spite of pressure to withdraw in protest against Chinese oppression of Tibetan human rights.

But German athletes are among the most outspoken on their distaste for Chinese politics. The German water polo team has announced plans to wear bright orange terry-cloth robes poolside, evoking the orange prayer robes of Buddhist monks protesting in Tibet. German pole vaulter Anna Battke is planning a protest during the opening ceremony, according to the Germany newsmagazine Der Spiegel. She is urging athletes to participate in the ceremony dressed either as monks or Chinese government officials. At some point in the ceremony, athletes representing the two groups would simultaneously bow and shake hands, symbolizing peace between them.

The cover of this week's Der Spiegel (similar to our Time magazine), shows the Olympic rings but, if you look closely, the rings are actually handcuffs.

As always, it pays to take a spin around the web to some of the foreign-based news web sites that have English versions. You will certainly see a different spin on the news from what you will hear and see on the US television news. On the AsiaOne website you will read: "I have considered whether I can compete in China under these conditions," attributed to German show jumper Ludger Beerbaum.

Germany is perhaps the birthplace of the political Olympics, going back to Adolph Hitler's controversial hosting of the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. US participation in those games were hotly protested by Jewish Americans who were outraged by the persecution of Jews under the Nazis. Germany did not allow Jewish athletes to represent their country and Hitler did not recognize African-American Jesse Owens' remarkable feat of winning four gold medals.

In the equestrian events in 1936, Germany won team and individual gold medals in all the sports; the Spanish Riding School's Alois Podhajsky won the bronze medal in dressage for Austria. Horses with the Trakehner brand won six gold medals.

It's sad to look at the medal standings from 1936: once-great horse nations Poland, Hungary and Romania were up there in the medals. Poland won the silver in eventing ahead of Great Britain!

At the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany, politics and sport made deadly contact when Palestinian terrorists murdered 11 Israeli athletes and coaches.

On the bright side, it was the sport of table tennis and its international competition scene that initially brought China out of its withdrawal from the world stage back in the 1970s. One thing led to another, and now China is the most dominant force in international commerce.

So, it looks like the show will go on for the Germans in Hong Kong. German riders are among the favorites in all three Olympic equestrian disciplines. And most of the rest of the world will be riding German-bred horses. They have nothing to protest there. But watch for a strong German will to win in the eventing, as the Germans were disqualified and stripped of their gold medals at the 2004 Olympics in Athens when Bettina Hoy crossed the start line twice in the show jumping phase. An insightful article about Bettina's ongoing resentment can be read on the Reuters Olympics web site.

Tense Weekend in New Zealand as US Horse Imports (Falsely) Test Positive for Disease in Quarantine

Ever wonder what it would be like to see the international horse world instantly freeze in its own hoofprints? Is there anything that is more of a threat to the upcoming equestrian sports of the Beijing Olympics than the worldwide protests against human rights violations in China and the political situation in Tibet?

The answer is "yes" and it almost happened last weekend.

I held my breath before reporting on this story because it was THAT big news and I didn't want to start any panic or rumors.

Here's what happened: A group of horses traveling to New Zealand from the USA underwent routine disease testing on their arrival in Auckland last week. So far, this is normal.

If you have ever been to that wonderful tiny island nation as a human traveler, you know that they don't exactly welcome you with open arms. No, inspectors come on board your plane as soon as it lands and spray the whole thing down. Including you. Including the overhead bins. Including the plane itself. An island nation that depends on agriculture for its place on the world map can't afford to let a potentially dangerous virus, a fly, a caterpillar or anything else into their country. And you'd better not have any food in your luggage when you go through customs.

Somehow, New Zealand managed to dodge the Equine Influenza (EI) outbreak in eastern Australia last fall--an outbreak that shut down showing, rodeos, breeding and racing and cost the nation an estimated AUS$1 billion. The Kiwis protected themselves by slamming shut their doors and re-dedicating themselves to strict quarantine protocols. Lax quarantine procedures are being blamed for the leak of EI into the general horse population in Australia.

The American horses that landed last week must have sent the ag inspectors into orbit when their tests came back positive for EI. Of course, the horses had tested negative before leaving the USA. Give credit to the Kiwis' Biosecurity New Zealand agency, though, for deciding that a re-test was needed to confirm the results.

And the re-test showed that an error had occured and the samples had been contaminated by human error. The horses were not infected with EI, and their quarantine proceeded as usual.

Under import health standards, horses are required to undergo 21 days of quarantine before departure for New Zealand, including testing and vaccination, and a further 14 days in post-arrival quarantine in New Zealand, where they undergo further testing. Such stringent requirements are in place to ensure that horses entering New Zealand do not carry diseases like equine influenza.

But what if they had tested positive? An outbreak of disease in horses in Europe, the USA, or Australia/New Zealand could have a disastrous domino effect on international horse transport for racing, breeding and showing, and especially for the prospects of the Olympics coming up August.

Consider this: New Zealand is the only racing nation in the world that is free of EI.

Spin the globe and get another viewpoint: African Horse Sickness (AHS) killed more than 130 horses in South Africa this winter and is having a disastrous effect on horse exports there, as it has been for the past few years. Horses from South Africa ran away with two of the big races at the Dubai World Cup a few weeks ago, but breeders and trainers there would have a tough time selling horses anywhere right now.

Keep an eye on this blog. From now until the Olympics I will keep you posted on the world map of contagious horse diseases. It's a map that many health officials in Hong Kong are watching carefully.

Luckily, I live near Harvard University, where the International Society for Infectious Diseases runs its worldwide health monitoring system. I will be using their data reports, sifting through reports on diseases affecting monkeys and water buffalo and swans (not to mention humans) for news on horse disease outbreaks and other health issues that might threaten the Olympics. They provide a terrific service and I will pass on any news "as it happens".

At this point, I think that world politics are a much bigger threat to the Olympics than horse diseases. Please read the papers, listen to NPR, and scour good international news sources on the web (I recommend Reuters' News Agency excellent Olympics-specialty news channel) to take the pulse of world politics and sports politics. Tibet may not have an equestrian team but the plight of that beleagured nation can and will affect the horses that are out there schooling for selection trials to go to Hong Kong.

I am old enough to remember the ill-fated 1980 Olympics. At that time, the old US Equestrian Team's eventing training center was located down the road here on Boston's North Shore. How well I remember the heartbreak when the US team and coach Jack LeGoff were told that they would not be allowed to follow up their success at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, because the USA cancelled plans to participate in the Moscow Olympics for political reasons.

The Olympics are not just about sports. Please read the news with that in mind, and keep healthy horses on your wish list.

2008 Olympics: The Comeback Games

As the Olympics approach, the fairy-tale stories are emerging, and--thanks to them--the public will have underdog favorites to cheer and journalists will have plenty of stories to write. It happens every time.

This year, we have the Russian circus horse in dressage, and the comeback of gold medal old-timer Mark Todd in eventing. Some of the people competing against Todd weren't even born when he started winning medals.

But there's an even more colorful comeback story than Todd's. Look to Japan, not usually known as a dressage powerhouse nation, and meet Hiroshi Hoketsu. The last time you saw him was in the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, if you were alive then.

Fifty-four years later, Hoketsu name shows up in the world standings for dressage, and he's out to set a new world record. No, he probably won't outscore Anky and Isabel, but if his horse stays sound/healthy and he makes it to Hong Kong, he will likely be the oldest Olympic competitor.

Hiroshi Hoketsu is profiled today in an unlikely place: the Wall Street Journal! The venerable financial daily also sent a video crew out to meet him.

According to the WSJ, Hoketsu was disqualified from the 1988 Olympics in Seoul when his horse became ill in quarantine.

Read the article; watch the video (below). It's time to start choosing your favorites for the Olympics...not just the ones who will medal, but the ones who will make it there, after a lot of hard work.

They're the ones who will be riding out the dreams of people like you and me.

The Organic Games: Hong Kong Olympic Equestrian Events Will Require Largest International Movement of Earthworms in History

Hong Kong is a tiny island. So the pile up of manure and stable waste from the upcoming 2008 Olympic Equestrian Games could pose both an environmental problem and a health risk to the people and animals living there.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club's solution is an innovative manure treatment program. Each day, stable waste will be collected from the stables and “processed”, then “aged” for a week or so, at which time the organic matter will be turned over (literally) to some 80 million earthworms which Hong Kong is importing from Australia.

(No word yet why local Chinese earthworms can’t fill the job. Perhaps Australia has a thriving earthworm breeding industry?)

The numbers are staggering. According to Liu Daping, a spokeswoman for the Chinese affairs division of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), the worms’ castings (excrement) will be harvested and shipped to farms as fertilizer. Each day, 40 tons of fertilizer can be produced from 80 tons of stable waste and that is enough to fertilize a 20-hectare farm for a year.

During the 2007 Test Event in Hong Kong, the system processed 10 tons of stable waste per day. Presumably a new wave of immigrant earthworms will be headed to Hong Kong this summer. Currently 30 tons of stable waste from racehorses in Hong Kong is being recycled each day.

British Team Trains Grooms for Hong Kong Olympic Events

In January nearly 50 grooms of potential Olympic and Paralympic horses for the 2008 Beijing Games received training and advice from Great Britain's World Class Programme. It was also an opportunity for the grooms to give their opinions on a number of challenges that will be faced in Hong Kong.

Two separate conferences were held in order to share information and give guidance on preparing horses for the coming Games. The grooms of the horses in contention for selection to the Olympic and Paralympic Games will play a vital role in both preparing that horse in the run up to the Games and also during the competition, if selected. They were given an insight into the test event to which Britain took three horses to last August, including the lessons that were learned from that experience. They were also given advice on specific preparation steps planned for the potential horses, including monitoring, travel plans and climate issues.

There were presentations from experienced grooms, Jenny Ellis and Jackie Potts, who shared their views and experiences gained first hand from grooming at past Olympic events. Team Vets John McEwen and Jenny Hall spoke about veterinary information that grooms need to be aware of. The day also included presentations from Performance Director, Will Connell and Eventing Performance Manager Yogi Briesner.

The events were a great opportunity to share useful information with the grooms and also a chance for them to meet each other and share ideas and experiences. This is the first time World Class has organized an event such as this one; the positive feedback received indicates that they will definitely consider this approach in the future.

(news provided by British Equestrian Federation)

Note: The 2008 Olympic Games are especially important to Great Britain, since London will be hosting the next Olympics, in 2012.

On to Hong Kong: Detailed Report Download for TJR Readers

The FEI has kindly supplied a detailed synopsis of today's "On to Hong Kong" Pre-Olympic Workshop on Heat and Humidity. Included in the report are details about the predicted conditions in Hong Kong for August 2008, when the Olympic equestrian events will be held there. Transport, physiology, and stress are discussed in the report.

The synopsis is an 18-page PDF (Adobe Acrobat) file which can be downloaded by clicking here: FEIOntoHongKong.pdf.

Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat will be required to open and read the document.

Zara Phillips Comments on Olympics Health Risks for Her Horse After Swiss Team Quits

Reading the horse press from Europe this weekend makes it sound like someone finally got out a world map and saw where Hong Kong is. The equestrian part of the Olympics was moved from Beijing to Hong Kong out of concern for horse diseases and quarantine problems for foreign horses on the mainland.

Last week the Swiss announced that their dressage riders would not risk their horses’ health by making the long trip, which would be stressful, to the extreme heat and humidity of Hong Kong.

How hot is it in Hong Kong in August and September? So hot that they shut down racing for the health of the horses. And that's in a country where racing is a national sport obsession.

One person who is thinking a lot about the possibility of going to Hong Kong is former European champion eventer Zara Phillips of England. Phillips missed the Athens Olympics four years ago when her Toytown was sidelined by a tendon injury.

The Times (of London) caught up with Zara at Switzerland’s St. Moritz ski resort this week, where a winter festival of horse sports—including polo and show jumping, are played in the snow.

Here’s a clip from the article where Zara was asked if she shared the concerns of the Swiss riders:

“Yes, I do have concerns,” says Phillips. “But Toytown is my top horse and he is not going to get to another Olympics, and I might not myself. So what do you do? It’s difficult. I’ve racked my brains about it, but I know if Toytown was a person, he’d say, ‘Don’t be silly, let’s go’.

“We just need to get as much information as we can so that we can make the horses as comfortable as possible. You want them cool but not too cool, you’ve got to be careful about dehydration, but you don’t want to be pestering them all the time. It sounds a nightmare.”

2008 Olympics: Quarantine and Importation Updates

The rigors of travel and the exposure of hundreds of horses to each other and a new environment have been of great concern to the organizers of the equestrian events at the 2008 Olympics. The FEI announced today some updates on disease prevention and quarantine in Hong Kong, site of the equestrian events.

A 7-day pre-export quarantine (PEQ) at approved centers around the world and a 10-day post-arrival isolation (PAI) have been regulated. During the PAI, training can continue at specified times and the competition can commence.

At this time, it seems that the venue stables will be opened two weeks prior to the competition.

For an optimal flight recovery and acclimatization of the horses, it is strongly recommended that horses arrive as early as possible. This has the additional advantage that any horses suffering from travel sickness or respiratory problems after the flight can receive treatment and fully recover before the competition.

When horses arrive late, there is little time for treatment. Also, administration of certain medications can cause problems when the FEI Veterinary Regulations commence (normally three days before the first horse inspection for each discipline).

It is strongly recommended that all horses be given a booster vaccination against equine influenza between one and two months before entering the PEQ facilities, to ensure an optimal immune level and minimise the risk of influenza issues causing an importation problem. Horses suffering from influenza in the PEQ period will compromise not only their own travel to Hong Kong, but possibly also for all horses which are in that PEQ-facility at the same time.

Another disease for which vaccination should be made is Japanese encephalitis. The vaccine against this disease is being manufactured in Tokyo.

In previous FEI events, the percentage of horses suffering from travel sickness was rather low. Some figures: 2000 Sydney Olympics: no clinical travel sickness, 4 horses with fever, all recovered within 48 hrs post arrival. FEI World Cup Jumping Final in Kuala Lumpur: no cases of travel sickness.

To learn more about the equestrian events, visit a new web site developed specifically for those events, and published in English.