The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) today (Feb. 18) opened a three-day workshop for government veterinary and animal health experts from 20 nations across Asia and Oceania at the Happy Valley Racecourse, in Hong Kong, focusing on the international movement of sport horses.

The workshop, which is the first of its kind to be held in Asia, is co-organized by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI); the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA); the Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department of the Hong Kong government; and the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC).

Sessions at the workshop will focus on the extensive global growth of the sport horse industry over the last decade, which has resulted in far-reaching socioeconomic benefits for national economies and the horse sport industry, and has significantly strengthened the progression of equestrian athletes competing on the world stage. The sport still faces serious challenges due to inconsistent approaches to the application of health regulations and quarantine on competition horses, leading to excessive and irregular health requirements for temporary importation.

The OIE, FEI, and IFHA have been collaborating to develop the high-health, high-performance horse (HHP) concept, based on existing OIE standards. The advantages of this solution to meeting global requirements for horse importation will be presented to government experts from Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Korea, and Vietnam