Those against the Inglis yearling sales in Victoria

Please sign this petition if you agree that this sale should NOT go ahead in Victoria an EI FREE state, with interstate horses attending. NSW horses are not permitted to cross the border and this should remain until EI has been eradicated.



Taken from Turf Monthly 19/11/2007



MELBOURNE - Thoroughbred Breeders' Australia chairman John Messara has

labeled Thoroughbred Breeders' Victoria president Mike Becker's campaign to

keep NSW yearlings out of Victoria as "parochial" as sale company William

Inglis scrambles to find a solution ahead of its Premier Sale on March 2,3

and 4.



Over the weekend, Becker created a furore saying that yearlings from NSW

should not be allowed to enter Victoria, which has remained free of Equine

Influenza since the outbreak began on August 17.



TBV president Mike Becker has written to Racing Minister Rob Hulls, the

Minister for Health and RVL to urge them to retain the current protocols on

horse movement restrictions to ensure interstate yearlings did not put

Victoria at risk by crossing the border.



"William Inglis planned to have 600 yearlings at the sale, but 40 per cent

of them are currently from NSW and, of those, 80 per cent are in the purple

zone and should not be allowed here," Becker told Melbourne's Herald-Sun

newspaper.



"We are concerned about pressure being applied by prominent NSW commercial

breeders, and William Inglis, to force change to the existing protocols

regarding EI restrictions.



"People in NSW are doing a great job to revive the industry there and are

working on a slogan of Road to Recovery. We just want their road to be

confined to NSW.



"We don't have a problem with EI in Victoria, and we want to keep it that

way. Why risk everything simply because people across the border want to

sell their second and third-string horses at our sale?



"This is a wonderful opportunity for Victoria to showcase our yearlings. We

have EI-free yearlings from EI-free stallions and EI-free mares."



Becker disputed reports that Inglis had consulted the industry about selling

interstate yearlings in Victoria, saying he did not know of a single breeder

who had been consulted.



"NSW can put on as many sales in NSW as it likes - just stay out of

Victoria," he said.



But Messara told Sydney's Daily Telegraph today that he was disappointed

with Becker's comments.



"It's a very parochial approach and if there is support for such a move I'd

be disappointed,'' Messara said.



Messara said only vaccinated horses would be allowed to travel interstate.

He added a decision needed to be made quickly given the time required to

print catalogues and properly inform buyers.



Inglis' Melbourne director Peter Heagney has said the Victorian Department

of Primary Industries would ultimately decide the issue.



"If the DPI tell us we can have NSW horses, we'll take in NSW horses,''

Heagney said.



Heagney said the DPI had met on the issue last week, but added: "We have a

catalogue to put together and we will need a decision this week. If approval

is not given then, it will be too late for interstate yearlings to come".



Inglis managing director Mark Webster, currently on the marketing trail in

Japan, said discussions had been held to find a solution "within the bounds

of reasonable risk".



Horses can already obtain a permit to come into Victoria, provided they are

quarantined in NSW for two weeks and spend another two weeks in quarantine

in Victoria.