Thursday, October 4, 2007

Equine Influenza

I'm in two minds about the EI outbreak. On the one hand, the list of people who stand to lose the most from it reads like a who's who of people whose troubles leave me cold: uber-rich racing horse owners, equestrian types, betting agencies, purveyors of high fashion, and people who look good in fascinators. I have a fair amount of sympathy for, in order, the horses themselves and the casual workers who rely on the Spring Carnival to make some extra cash. But then I read stories like this one, about the intrepid Sydney fashionistas who are making the trek all the way to Melbourne to show off their spray tans and one-occasion-only frocks. The spirit of Burke and Wills lives on, folks.

On the other hand, associated nonsense aside, going to the races is a lot of fun, and October just ain't the same without it. I'm not saying I'm about to accompany the brave B-listers south of the border, and I reserve the right to laugh at the ABC for devoting the first half of its news coverage to The Epidemic that Stopped the Nation. (Really.) But I do join all the above-listed groups in hoping for a full and speedy recovery for the horses of NSW. Get well soon, hossies.

1 comment:

Diego Luego said...

Thinking about EI at 2:54am?

I though t only Gai Waterhouse would be doing that. Actually, I agree with your sentiments. I have mixed feelings about it myself. Let's hope that there are lessons from this quarantine breakdown that will be applied to human disease.