BURBANK, Calif. – Out of an abundance of caution, West Palms Events will not be holding LAXtra (Feb. 24-27) at Los Angeles Equestrian Center.
Given the EHV-1 situation at Desert Horse Park and our commitment to equine health, we have decided to conclude the LA February show and not add an extra show to the calendar at this point. We appreciate the eagerness of many exhibitors wanting to show.
We also want to inform you that three horses attended this show that had been at DIHP, returned to their home barn, and then came to our show after five days of isolation instead of seven days. As soon as we became aware, we notified the trainers, and those horses left the property that same day. Furthermore, both trainers assured us that they were monitoring temperatures and all horses in their care had normal temperatures. We contacted Dr. Katie Hatch, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) veterinarian. Dr. Hatch agreed the risk was extremely low, however out of respect to the home boarders at LAEC and out of an abundance of caution we will not offer another show in the coming week.
We believe that by rigorously following the CDFA recommendations we can help eliminate the spread of EHV-1 and the risks to horses. We have a long and robust competition season ahead of us.
Please keep monitoring temperatures. Thank you for your support of LA February, and we look forward to seeing you at our upcoming West Palms shows!