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BRISBANE - For the first time in its 126 year history there were no real horses at the famous Birdsville Races on Saturday.
Punters were instead able to bet on jockeys riding hobby horses flown in for this year's meeting, which has been disrupted by the outbreak of
equine influenza (EI)
Birdsville Hotel's Lisa Pearson estimated more than 3000 people were in town to attend the annual races, which normally attract a crowd of 6000.
"The show will go on and lots of people are having fun," Pearson said.
"We've got hobby horses for the jockeys to ride, a full bar, bands and corporate tents still line the track."
Meanwhile, Queensland Police have charged 24 people with moving horses since the ban on horse movement began last Saturday due to the EI outbreak.
Under the ban, no horses of any type, including pets, riding club horses, show animals, donkeys, zebras or mules, are allowed to be moved.
Stock and Rural Crime Investigation Squad Inspector Ian Robertson said there appeared to be confusion about what the standstill meant.
"The standstill refers to all horse movements including walking or riding them as well as transporting horses by vehicle," Robertson said.
Moving animals without the permission of a Department of Primary Industries (DPI) inspector is illegal, with a penalty of A$150,000 ($175,000) or two years imprisonment.
DPI officials are concerned horses may have entered the state from NSW and escaped their attention.
A DPI spokesman said it was particularly important the department was made aware of NSW horses that arrived between August 14 and 26.
Biosecurity Queensland and the DPI had already undertaken an extensive tracing programme, but were double-checking to see if any animals had been missed, the spokesman said.
"Horses with possible flu symptoms need to be seen by a veterinarian, which the department will organise," he said.
Two more horses on Saturday returned positive test results for the virus, at a property near Morgan Park and Minden, west of Brisbane.
Morgan Park equestrian centre, at Warwick, contains the most cases of EI, after 268 horses were locked in last Sunday, when the virus was first detected.
Vets say all horses there will contract the virus, but they are pleased that all cases in Queensland can be traced back to the same source.
Many families remain at the park with their sick animals and may have to do so for several weeks.
Racing is due to resume in Queensland under strict conditions this week.
- AAP
