Equine Virus Outbreak Leads to Texas Rodeo Cancellations and Format Changes

Equine Herpesvirus Type 1 Outbreak

• 🦠 An equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV1) outbreak has led to the cancellation of a Texas rodeo and format changes for another.
• ⚠️ The Texas Department of Agriculture announced the outbreak earlier this week, following the world championship barrel racing finals in Waco.

Rodeo Event Impacts

• 🚫 The Uvaldi rodeo qualifier has been canceled by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.
• 🐂 The Stockyards Championship Rodeo is shifting to a bull riding-only format for its upcoming shows.

Understanding EHV1 Symptoms and Spread

• 🩺 A veterinarian described key symptoms to watch for, beyond an elevated body temperature, including ataxia (drunken walking) and extreme lethargy.
• 💧 The virus spreads through direct nose-to-nose contact between horses and indirectly via shared grooming tools, water, and feed buckets.