Richland Park is located just outside of Battle Creek michigan, and the local Channel 3 News is reporting that the area has 20 confirmed cases in horses, 50 suspected equine cases that are awaiting test results, and 3 confirmed human cases. The good news is that the number of West Michigan EEE cases have declined since their peak in July.
The organizers of Richland seem to be doing a great job taking all possible measures to keep horses and people safe. One vet that I spoke with who is sending horses to Richland said that there will be a vet at Richland specifically tasked with ensuring that all incoming horses have received the proper vaccinations and that organizers have sprayed the facility for mosquitoes. The Channel 3 report says that there will also be precautionary signs posted around the event.
Someone close to the team stressed to me that the EEE vaccine is a “very good vaccine,” and obviously everyone is paying close attention to the situation. Having talked to several vets, I would be more than comfortable taking an EEE vaccinated horse to Richland this weekend, and I am leaving tomorrow to cover Richland for Eventing Nation so I’m obviously not worried about the disease in humans. That, or I’m a crazy eventer with a death wish, but that’s clearly unlikely. Moral of the story: there’s a problem in Western Michigan right now that we should keep an eye on, but assuming nothing crazy happens it shouldn’t affect the eventers at Richland beyond taking a few precautions.
The CIC3* and Advanced dressage starts at 8am Thursday.
Links: Richland Ride Times, Schedule
Go eventing in Michigan.
