The Club de Campo Villa de Madrid becomes the epicenter of world equestrianism from this Friday with the Longines Global Champions Tour. After an outbreak of equine rhinopneumonitis that threatened its celebration, the capital hosts the first European stop of the circuit, which has already competed in Miami, Mexico, and Shanghai. The best riders in the world take to the arena.
How biosecurity redefines protocols in equestrian jumping 🐎
The management of the outbreak has forced the implementation of stricter control measures. Participating horses must present negative tests and updated vaccination certificates. Isolation and disinfection zones have been established in the temporary stables. Additionally, the timing system and fence sensors are monitored in real-time to ensure precision in each jump, minimizing human contact with the animals.
The horse that arrived with a fever and almost ruined the jumping plan 😅
Fortunately, the rhinopneumonitis outbreak turned out to be nothing more than a major scare. Some riders arrived with more fear than their mounts upon seeing the thermometers at the entrance. Now, the main concern is not the virus, but that some horse decides to go on strike and not jump the first obstacle. That would be the last straw: coming from Shanghai only for the animal to prefer grazing on the Castellana.