Upcoming Utah high school rodeos have been called off over concerns of an ongoing horse virus outbreak found in the southwest U.S. The Wasatch County Events Complex also announced it would be temporarily closed to sanitize the facility due to the outbreak.
The Utah High School Rodeo Association announced Thursday that it has postponed the Dixie 5 & 6 Rodeos scheduled for Friday and Saturday in Hurricane due to the Equine Herpesvirus-1.
EVH-1 is a fast-moving virus that can be deadly for horses, with the most recent outbreak believed to have started at a rodeo event in Waco, Texas, that attracted a large number of participants.
"The decision to postpone was made out of an abundance of caution to ensure the safety and optimal well-being of our incredible animal athletes," the association said in a statement.
UHSRA officials said they will announce rescheduled rodeo dates in the future, adding that "additional details about cowboy prom will be forthcoming."
The Wasatch County Parks and Recreation Department said its decision to close the events complex came after discussions with the State Veterinarian's Office, as well as local vets. All scheduled equine events have been postponed.
"While these decisions are never easy, the health and safety of our equine partners must remain our highest priority," the department said. "The temporary closure and related recommendations are part of broader efforts to reduce potential exposure risks and limit the movement of horses during this period of concern."
Mountain Point Equine Hospital's Equine Veterinarian Lyle Barbour said they had taken calls all day from people worried about the outbreak.
“So typically, the studies are showing that 60 to 70% of the horses will survive so it’s not a guarantee that it is going to cause fatality a lot of horses do recover from it. So if you notice any clinical signs of anything abnormal it’s very important to get your veterinarian on board and start treatment extremely early,” he said.
“If you see an elevation or anything strange, the temperature shouldn’t be higher than 101.5 so if you have concerns with lethargy that your horse is just not quite right get a hold of your veterinarian immediately.”
