The Sunshine Tour informs everyone that the 27th edition of the Tour will end this Sunday, March 7. This decision has been made because neurological symptoms similar to EHV-1 have been observed in one horse, despite the fact that the horse has tested negative for the virus. This horse has been in isolation since February 26, more than 2 km away from the main grounds of the race.
The horse arrived at Dehesa Montenmedio directly from his home stables in Belgium and was fit and healthy with no symptoms. The horse competed normally for the first two weeks and on the first day of competition in the third week, Monday, February 22. On Friday, February 26, the personal veterinarian at the stables of this horse informed the organizing committee that one of their horses had a fever. The horse was immediately isolated by the Sunshine Tour organizing committee, in stables more than 2 km from the actual competition site. In accordance with the regulations, the FEI (Federación Ecuestre Internacional) was informed of this case.
Initially, the symptoms displayed by the horse seemed to indicate piroplasmosis and the horse underwent a blood test for piroplasmosis and a PCR for rhinoneumonitis, both results were negative. During the following days, both competition veterinarians and FEI veterinarians checked the horse's fever and condition twice a day. After a few days, the fever had disappeared.
Today, March 4 in the morning, the horse showed neurological symptoms for the first time.At 4:30 p.m. on March 4, the Sunshine Tour organizing committee met with the FEI, the RFHE and the Ministry of Agriculture, where the decision was made to close the show at the end of competition on Sunday, March 7.
The above organizations conducted a full risk analysis and mutually agreed that, in order to ensure an orderly departure of the horses, the event would continue until March 7.