Kentucky Equine Research invites you to mark your calendar now for the 2008 KER Team Member Day and Nutrition Conference. The meeting will be held at the Embassy Suites in Lexington, Kentucky from April 14 to 16.

The KER Team Member Day will feature workshops and lectures as part of an interactive program to enhance sales and marketing techniques and customer service. Team Member Day is scheduled for April 14. Attendance is limited to KER Team Members and their guests.

The nutrition conference on April 15 and 16 is open to all students, veterinarians, manufacturers, and other equine industry professionals. The program will feature presentations by leading experts in the field of nutrition-related equine illness. Causes, treatment, and prevention of metabolic and nutrition-related problems will be presented by internationally acclaimed researchers including Dr. Chris Pollitt, founder of the Australian Equine Laminitis Research Unit, and Dr. Nathaniel White, director of the Marion DuPont Scott Equine Medical Center at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. In addition, Dr. Joe Pagan will update delegates on the latest studies and findings from Kentucky Equine Research.

Conference attendees may also choose from a variety of optional activities. Visits to regional Thoroughbred farms, local attractions, and the Keeneland spring race meet await those who have time for some extra sightseeing.

This conference will be the only KER conference in 2008. It will be a combination of our Team Member Conference and the Nutrition Conference that has been traditionally held in the fall. We are looking forward to seeing everyone in April 2008 at this interesting and informative meeting! For more information, contact Eileen Phethean at ephethean@ker.com, or call 859-873-1988.

In an article in the July 30, 2007 Feedstuffs, Dr. Joe Pagan explains that modern horse management is often a contributing factor to hindgut acidosis. When horses are fed large grain meals, undigested starch can flow into the hindgut, where it is rapidly fermented. Production of volatile fatty acids and lactic acid increases, pushing pH out of line and causing a shift in microbial populations. These changes may lead to irritation that damages the lining of the intestine. Horses with hindgut acidosis sometimes show signs of colic, refuse to eat, or may begin to exhibit behaviors such as wood chewing or stall weaving. Acidosis in cattle is sometimes treated with sodium bicarbonate, but because the horse's gastrointestinal anatomy is different from a ruminant's, this simple solution is not effective. Encapsulated sodium bicarbonate (EquiShure™, KERx Special Needs Nutrition), an oral hindgut buffer, is designed to reach the horse's hindgut and attenuate problems associated with hindgut acidosis.

Victory medals abounded for U.S. riders at the recent Pan-American Games in Rio de Janeiro. In the eventing arena, the U.S. team consisting of Stephen Bradley, Karen O'Connor, Phillip Dutton and Gina Miles won the gold medal. The Canadian team finished second, and Brazil fielded the third-place team. O'Connor picked up the individual gold medal on Theodore O'Connor, the pony-sized equine with the big heart, while Dutton finished in second place on Truluck to claim the individual silver. Riding McKinlaigh, Miles took home the individual bronze medal. Kentucky Equine Research and its Team Member Pennfield Feeds are proud sponsors for O'Connor and Dutton.

Drought conditions in many states have created an early demand for hay. In some states, the Department of Agriculture has set up "hay hot-lines" to put buyers in touch with producers who have hay for sale. In Kentucky, this service can be reached by calling 888-567-9589. In other areas, buyers are advised to check with county or state agricultural extension agents.

Theodore O'Connor, the pint-sized equine ridden by Karen O'Connor to a third-place finish at this spring's Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, has topped the USEA Horse of the Year leaderboard, based on competition points. "Teddy" leads the list with 134 points, while Phillip Dutton's mounts Truluck and Connaught are tied in second place with 117 points each. O'Connor and Dutton are sponsored by Kentucky Equine Research and Pennfield Feeds, a KER Team Member.

The International Grains council has predicted world industrial use of grains will increase by 23 percent to 229 million tons in 2007/2008. About 107 million tons will be used for ethanol production, a figure that is 50 percent above last year's volume.

Dr. Peter Huntington with - Anamato

David Hayes has secured his place in the record books by training his 100th winner in Melbourne for this season alone. Following from a string of successes throughout the season, David has also gone on to set a new record by surpassing the $18.2million benchmark, previously set by John Hawkes, and raising the bar to above $18.5million, the highest ever racetrack earnings by a trainer in one season. This sensational achievement by David was achieved after the 3yo Redoute's Choice x Voltage filly, Anamato, won the G1 Australasian Oaks (2000m).

Anamato has been crowned the most successful Australian trained racehorse to race in the United States since the great Phar Lap almost seven decades ago. The sensational 3yo Redoute's Choice x Voltage filly set out for Hollywood to take on the world in the Group 1 Invitational Hollywood Oaks. Against runners invited from Japan, Ireland, France and the United States, Anamato ran a gallant race to finish a very credible 3rd place a length and a half behind the winner Panty Raid and Valbenny on Saturday the 7th of July.

Ridden by jockey Michael Rodd, Anamato ran brilliantly, and according to trainer, David Hayes "she was traveling like the winner at the home turn before laying out and taking the first third of the straight to find her stride".

Anamato' connections were ecstatic with the run, and even more impressed with how the filly handled the international flight, quarantine and acclimatization ensuring that she will certainly continue to be a force to be reckoned with.

The Castlebar team, headed by Meg Wade, are continuing to show their dominance within the Australian endurance world. After returning from Europe following her brilliant ride in the 29th World Equestrian Games, and their 5th place in the 160km FEI ride in Monpazier (France), Meg went on to again become the Australian Endurance Riders Association leading rider for 2006, winning by an incredible 40 points.

The Castlebar team recently achieved some great results at the 160km*** Nanango FEI Endurance Ride where Kristy McGaffin and her horse, Magic Glenn Romy, completed the ride in great style and were further rewarded by winning the prestigious Best Conditioned Horse narrowly beating her menotor, Meg Wade and Balik, awarded second. Meg Wade had a sensational ride until part way round the course when disaster struck, Balik threw a shoe. The pair had to stop mid way and wait to be re-shod before continuing. Although having lost precious time, they were not deterred by the set-back and still managed to finish a credible 5th along with achieving an FEI qualifying time.

At the record breaking South African National sales in early May, John Freeman Bloodstock paid the 3rd top price of R2.2million (A$360,000) for a superb chestnut Western Winter - Nacarat colt (named Target Acquired) consigned from Lammerskraal Stud as agent for his owner, stud manager Sally Jordan. The colt was 510kg 15.2 hand yearling reared on the great pastures of Lammerskraal Stud with the only supplementation being 1kg of the Capstone Life Time Balancer Pellet.

Capstone Feed are a KER Team Member and combined with Lammerskall Stud using KER's growth tracking software, Gro-Trac, the growth and development of the colt was carefully monitored from birth.

Half of the top 12 yearlings were reared on Capstone feeds with the top stallion by aggregrate was the Lammerskraal legend - Western Winter, whose 23 lots were knocked down for an aggregrate of R17.7 million (A$2.95m) at a record average of R771,087 (A$128,000).

Megan Jones has had a sensational Eventing season to date with a collection of wins and placings from Preliminary through to CIC*** level with her very talented string of horses.

Megan and her team made the 11 hour journey from South Australia to Tonimbuk to compete in the annual CIC competition. This was to be Kirby Park Allofasudden' first CIC*** competition at the tender age of just 6 years old. After placing 2nd following the dressage, Megan had to make the difficult decision of taking it easy on cross-country to ensure that 'Floyds' first *** experience was a positive one. Megan's decision proved to be very successfull with Floyd going clear but with 20 time penalties leaving them in 6th place going into the Showjumping phase. With only one fence down in the Showjumping saw Floyd and Megan attain a sensational 4th place against a very strong field. Tonimbuk also saw Megan compete her two young horses, Hatty and Cream, to finish 4th and 7th respectively.

Following on from their Tonimbuk success, Megan and the team headed back to South Australia for the Kilcaldy Horse Trials in Echunga. Kirby Park Joy was Megans star for the weekend after leading the dressage by 50 odd points they went on to win the CNC**.
From there it was off too Albury for the NSW State Eventing Championships with Kirby Park Joy alias Rolly in the CIC**, and Kirby Park Allofasudden, Floyd, in the CIC***. Rolly produced a sensational dressage test to take the lead prior to going clear cross-country. The challenging cross-country course proved to be no match for Joy finishing clear and with only one rail down in the Showjumping ensured them the title of NSW State CIC** Champion. Rolly also had a great event with him tackling his most challenging cross-country course yet proving that Megan and Rolly will certainly be a very strong force on the international eventing scene.

Caroline Wagner is continuing to build on her recent successes by bursting into the FEI ranks with her chestnut gelding, WS Nevada. Caroline and Nevada have had a brilliant year to date with their most recent successes being achieved at the Brisbane CDI-W in the Small Tour classes where they were placed reserve champions, only just behind seasoned campaigners Rozzie Ryan and her imported stallion Jive Magic.

Caroline and Nevada will now be having a short break from competition whilst they prepare for the big step to Grand Prix which they intend to take in the new season.

KER Ambassador Marie Kukawski and her Andalusian stallion, Pagan M.F, have had a great start to the year taking out the Supreme Andalusian Exhibit at the 2007 Royal Melbourne Horse Show.

Following on from their success in Melbourne saw Marie and Pagan travel to Sydney to take part in the Australian National Andalusian Championships. The Championships attracted several hundred competitors from across Australia in a variety of led and ridden classes. Although expectations were not particularly high of the young stallion, being only his second time out under saddle, Pagan M.F. proved himself by taking the title of National Champion Ridden Pure Spanish. Continuing on over the weekend saw them also gain two more titles of National Champion Ridden Entire and National Champion Spanish Movement. From his success at the National Championships, Pagan M.F. has now qualified to compete in the SICAB International Horse Show in Spain.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club said today (7 July) that it had now completed all key venues for the 2008 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic equestrian events for testing as scheduled and that the facilities would set new world standards in terms of quality, environmental consideration, cost effectiveness and legacy value. Moreover, the project had been achieved from initial planning to completion within the remarkably short time of less than two years.

The Club will hand over the competition and training venues next week to the organiser of the Good Luck Beijing-HKSAR 10th Anniversary Cup scheduled for mid-August.

In a media briefing today, Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said the Club's world-class international racing centre at Sha Tin had been used as the foundation for the Olympic and Paralympic venues, with additional competition and training venues being incorporated into existing sports facilities at the Hong Kong Sports Institute, the Jockey Club Beas River Country Club and the adjacent golf course.

"Our innovative plan of combining racing and dedicated facilities was met with the approval of the international equestrian sports community. We believe this will serve as a cost-effective and time-efficient model for advancing the equestrian sports and future Olympic equestrian events," said Engelbrecht-Bresges.

The decision to stage equestrian competitions in Hong Kong was made in July 2005. The time available for Hong Kong to design and build the equestrian venues is therefore four years shorter than for other Olympic events.

In keeping with the goal of a 'Green Olympics', the Club has used environmentally-friendly materials where feasible. For instance, rubber 'crumbs' were recycled from old tyres for the internal equine walkways, and some jumps were made from recycled telegraph poles. In the stabling complex, the lighting and air-conditioning systems offer energy savings of up to 30% on conventional installations.

"The aim of the Club is to set new, best-ever standards for the competition venues using Club expertise as well as experts approved by the FEI," said Engelbrecht-Bresges.

"Another aim is to provide sports facilities that will leave a lasting legacy for Hong Kong people to enjoy long after the Olympics are over," he noted. "Penfold Park will be retained for community use after the two Games. It will be turned into an interactive equine park open to the public and as a tourist attraction. The upgraded facilities at Beas River, on the other hand, will provide a much better training environment for our local equestrian athletes."

Apart from contributing its facilities and more than HK$800 million to provide world-class venues and facilities for the Olympics and Paralympics, the Club will provide professional services support to the organisers in a number of other areas. These include making available the services of its fleet of horse transportation floats, its Equine Hospital and its Racing Laboratory, one of FEI's four recognised reference laboratories worldwide. During the Games period, the Laboratory will test both the 'A' and 'B' urine and blood samples of competing horses. More horses will be tested and a wider range of banned substances will be covered.

Engelbrecht-Bresges described the work achieved in the past two years as "proof of the can-do spirit of Hong Kong". The Hong Kong Jockey Club, he emphasised, was proud and happy to support the nation, the Olympic movement and the people of Hong Kong.


For further information, please contact:

Mr Li Tak Nang
Media Communications Manager
Tel: 2966 8711
Pager: 7112 8198 (a/c 8711)
Email: tn.li@hkjc.org.hk

Sweating is a natural mechanism that horses and other animals use to keep body temperature from rising in hot, humid weather. However, up to 25% of horses may have some reduction in the ability to produce sweat, and in extreme cases this function seems to shut down completely. The cause of this problem, known as anhidrosis, has not been discovered, and no certain treatment is available. The performance ability of non-sweating horses may be severely limited because their body temperature, heart rate, and respiration rise quickly with exercise. Management tips that can help these horses perform more comfortably include moving the horse to a cooler climate, hosing with cold water as needed, limiting training and exercise to early morning, installing fans or misting machines in the stable, and providing shade in pastures.

For more information on anhidrosis, see the Equine Review article Horses with Anhidrosis Require Careful Management.