Due to the equine herpesvirus outbreak at Fair Grounds, officials with the Ocala Breeders’ Sale Company will not allow any horse that has been in Louisiana since Dec. 10 onto its grounds for the upcoming winter mixed sale scheduled for Jan. 25-26.
The BloodHorse reports that OBS becomes the second sale company to place restrictions on Louisiana horses, following the earlier decision by Keeneland officials for the current January sale.
OBS indicated that entry fees would be refunded for horses forced to withdraw from the sale due to the restrictions.
“OBS appreciates the burden this restriction places on some of our consignors and their owners for this sale, but we feel it is important to take these measures in order to provide as safe a sales environment as possible for both buyers and sellers for the January sale as well as our upcoming sales in March, April, and June,” OBS officials said in a statement published by the BloodHorse.
“Additionally, by joining facilities both in Florida and other states, we hope to assist in preventing the spread of this disease, thereby ending this current outbreak quickly. We apologize for any inconvenience.”
