Vet Janine Dwyer Treating a horse at Morgan Park, Warwick, during the EI emergency Photograph:Julian Willmore

The event organisers, competitors and their support teams and EFA officials have all worked together to ensure the horses' safety and the most comfortable outcome possible in the circumstances.

Last weekend, EFA President Geoff Sinclair and CEO Franz Venhaus happened to be at the venue for the event. Geoff and Franz assisted event organisers and Qld. DPI officials to manage the crisis. FEI Vet Julian Willmore did an outstanding job in very difficult circumstances.

"As of the end of Wednesday here at Morgan Park, Warwick, over 90 percent of the 250 plus horses are showing the typical dry cough and the elevated temperature which is so characteristic of this disease.. Overall the horses are all doing quite well, no horses have died, none have collapsed, none are in intensive care. All horses are all eating and in fact have never stopped eating throughout this past week. Most horses have the opportunity to spend time out of their stables for several hours daily grazing and walking on the lead with their grooms.

"The vets on site have been monitoring the horses’ temperatures twice daily, providing any medication where necessary. The working hours have been long for the vets, the horse owners are obviously quite distressed about their confinement and the likelihood of missing upcoming competitions, hoping that their horses will all make an uneventful recovery."

In the meantime, the Qld. Government has pulled out all stops to assist with the situation and under State emergency legislation and has turned the site into a self-contained mini-city with portable classrooms for the school children there, paying for all feed,veterinary and other horse care, employing the vets on site, providing three meals a day and couselling services to those in need, and setting up an emergency fund of $20,000, which is managed by the local council. The town itself has rallied to provide additional food and other items and is raising more money to assist.

The EFA and its Branches are aware of the fact that a number of EFA members and other equestrians are affected by the "standstill" orders applying in most States. We are trying very hard to get a complete picture of the situation and are working to find ways in which they can be assisted. We are in contact with the various State and Federal authorities to ensure that our case is heard.