RIO: Would you....

[keysfins]

Hypothetical scenario: you own a horse that might qualify, or has qualified, to compete at the Olympics in Rio. Would you let the horse compete, or decline and keep horse home? What factors influence your decision. Please discuss.

I’ll go first. The general public is hearing a lot about the Zika virus threat, water quality and personal safety. My trainer reminded me that there are worse things for horses, such as risk of contracting/carrying Piroplasmosis, and other nasty diseases that we (in North America, anyway) don’t necessarily have on our radar. Is the risk of bringing Piroplasmosis, etc., back home worth the prestige of the Olympic competition?

That’s just one factor that I would consider if I had a horse to send. I don’t know the details of how the horses will be managed to prevent any illness or transmission of other novel bugs back to their home countries. How has this been handled in other countries?

ETA: NOT focusing entirely on illness/disease. What other factors would you consider in making your decision?

If you decided NOT to send your Olympic level horse, would you say why? Or would horse have a minor injury/not quite peaking in its training/other reason for not traveling to Rio?

[The_Zeus]

I do not know what measures are going to be in place, but I would trust that whatever precautions are taken would be well researched by people who are much more knowledgeable on the subject than I am.

That said, I also believe that more often than not, the media overplays the dramatics on the “killer viruses” and makes them seem more contagious than they actually are. I was in western Africa during the Ebola outbreak, I spent a lot of time interacting with the locals, and I was never afraid of contracting the virus. That is my personal experience, YMMV.

[mayhew]

Diseases would actually not top my list of things that could go wrong in Rio.

[keysfins]

[QUOTE=mayhew;8734672]
Diseases would actually not top my list of things that could go wrong in Rio.[/QUOTE]

And I don’t mean to imply that could be the only risk. OP has been edited to clarify that.

Mayhew, What WOULD top your list?

[mayhew]

And I didn’t mean to imply that diseases wouldn’t be ON the list or that there was anything wrong with your OP. Security would be my greatest fear, just from watching the news stories about the labor troubles that already exist and which are being exacerbated by the Olympics. Labor strife combined with inadequate infrastructure could make for a scary situation.

[Halt_Near_X]

My enthusiasm for the Olympics in general, and equestrian sports in the Olympics in particular, is nose diving.

Couple that with the security, infrastructure and disease issues in Rio… no, I would not send my horse Rio.

I wouldn’t even target the horse for the Olympics, so most likely the horse wouldn’t even be in contention for selection. And so the question would never arise.

[ladyj79]

As someone who works with Brazilians and knows the Brazilian Olympians and that doda hosts a show in Brazil annually featuring many of the same riders who will be competing there this summer and being familiar with the quarantine measures already in place I would have no problem sending my horse. Id be more concerned? With my own safety and stay close to those familiar with Rio.

[FitToBeTied]

RIO is essentially a third world country and I wouldn’t trust anyone in an official capacity related to the Olympics. Me and my horse would stay home.

[stb]

I wouldn’t want anything or anybody that I love anywhere near these Olympics. even disregarding the whole disease and sanitation angle, I think the risk of terrorism is extremely high due to inadequate planning and capabilities of the host country. What a fiasco.

[soloudinhere]

I would not personally feel safe spending a significant amount of time in Rio during a large international public event as it is not a safe place to be a young, American, woman who is presumed to be wealthy.

[Guilherme]

[QUOTE=ladyj79;8734718]
As someone who works with Brazilians and knows the Brazilian Olympians and that doda hosts a show in Brazil annually featuring many of the same riders who will be competing there this summer and being familiar with the quarantine measures already in place I would have no problem sending my horse. Id be more concerned? With my own safety and stay close to those familiar with Rio.[/QUOTE]

This.

I have many Brazilian friends, know many who have imported Brazilian horses, and have visitied Brazil (Belo Horizonte, in Minas Gerais). It’s not as is painted in the breathless media. It’s also not Iowa.

Would I send a horse to the Olympics were I in a position to do so? Yes. I would take precautions but in many ways it’s no different than sending one to Atlanta. It’s winter in Brazil and the climate is quite moderate. It’s summer in Atlanta and “moderate” is not a word I’d use to describe Atlanta’s climate!!!

G.

[ladyj79]

[QUOTE=Guilherme;8734781]
This.

I have many Brazilian friends, know many who have imported Brazilian horses, and have visitied Brazil (Belo Horizonte, in Minas Gerais). It’s not as is painted in the breathless media. It’s also not Iowa.

Would I send a horse to the Olympics were I in a position to do so? Yes. I would take precautions but in many ways it’s no different than sending one to Atlanta. It’s winter in Brazil and the climate is quite moderate. It’s summer in Atlanta and “moderate” is not a word I’d use to describe Atlanta’s climate!!!

G.[/QUOTE]

Remember when people wanted to cancel horse events in

Barcelona: too hot
Seoul: too hot and muggy
Atlanta: too hot and muggy
Sidney: much much much too hot and stressful
Athens: too hot and too poor
Beijing: terrifyingly bad air quality and quarantine issues. And communism.
London: too wet. And terrorists.

Do people just have really short memories???

Fyi 2011 pan ams in Guadalajara were also considered quite dangerous from a security standpoint. among other issues, some grooms were not alllowed by their federations to stay in the groom’s housing which was a 20min or so walk through a dodgy neighborhood. Those who did were advised to travel in large groups to and from the stabling.

[Texarkana]

It’s the Olympics. Of course I’d send my horse.

You can’t live your life fearing the “what ifs.”

[Where_sMyWhite]

I would not send my horse and I would not go.

Diseases are a small reason… personal safety is a big reason why I’d be watching from the couch. Not only “local” crime but my lack of confidence that Rio security could effectively reduce/eliminate terrorist crime.

[Foxtrot_s]

If anybody has a spare ticket I’d take it in a heartbeat.

If I had the horse to sponsor for the Games I would have checked the situation out before I put his name up for it and gone through the selection process.

I also remember all the naysayers from previous Games - time will tell who is right. Athletes are not built of the ‘what if’ mentality, or they would never have got to the level of being selected. They are in it heart, body and soul.

[Happyhooves]

I’d go and take precautions as warranted. But I do a couple of eye-rollys when people try to diminish the some legitimate concerns by saying things like, “Well, I wouldn’t go walking down dark alleys alone.” “Don’t go on the beach at midnight flashing expensive jewelry.” Why try to make people feel stupid while they’re evaluating risks? And I’ve never liked the phrases “I’ve always felt safe when I, say, walk alone at night through a sketchy part of town.” People have different levels of comfort and are differently vulnerable. Another one that makes me @@ : “I once strolled through a sketchy part of town at 2 a.m. past a group of menacing thugs and no one bothered me.”

[Guilherme]

[QUOTE=ladyj79;8734866]
Remember when people wanted to cancel horse events in

Barcelona: too hot
Seoul: too hot and muggy
Atlanta: too hot and muggy
Sidney: much much much too hot and stressful
Athens: too hot and too poor
Beijing: terrifyingly bad air quality and quarantine issues. And communism.
London: too wet. And terrorists.

Do people just have really short memories???

Yes!!!

Fyi 2011 pan ams in Guadalajara were also considered quite dangerous from a security standpoint. among other issues, some grooms were not alllowed by their federations to stay in the groom’s housing which was a 20min or so walk through a dodgy neighborhood. Those who did were advised to travel in large groups to and from the stabling.[/QUOTE]

Anyplace can be dangerous, including Chicago and LA. Or even Orlando.

G.

[stanza]

I would ask, if they knew theoretically, there was a virus that was known to be dangerous to horses in Brazil and there was no vaccine for horses, and the disease could cause birth defects and other neurological conditions and spread to all parts of the globe, would the still choose to go?

[heelsdowneyesupkeepb]

I am going to the show jumping competitions as a spectator. I have traveled to the country multiple times and hold dual citizenship. Yes there are diseases including Zika among many others so I would ensure that my vaccinations are all up to date and I would ensure that I am with friends/family at all times because my accent Portuguese can raise eyebrows but Brazil, overall, is a very friendly country and they have some very nice horses and facilities in the region. Be safe, it’s definitely not Canada but it’s also not a war zone. Take precautions for both physical safety and ensure that your vaccinations are up to date.

[stanza]

But heelsdowneyesupkeepbreathing, there is no vaccine for the Zika virus.