Joe Hernon

Ireland's Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has obtained permission to import the Arvac vaccine ahead of the 2025 breeding season, the European Federation of Thoroughbred Breeders' Associations (EFTBA) announced on Monday. The manufacturing failure of the Artervac vaccine in 2023 had left Europe's elite stallions vulnerable to an outbreak of EVA, a notifiable disease which can cause infertility, as well as pregnancy loss in mares. The EFTBA and its members, including Ireland, France and Germany, had lobbied the EU for permission to import the alternative vaccine, Arvac,...

The European Federation of Thoroughbred Breeders' Associations (EFTBA) held its 2024 AGM in Chantilly, France over the weekend of the G1 Prix de Diane Longines, which celebrated the 175th running of the prestigious race and was hosted by the Fédération des Eleveurs du Galop (French TBA). Over the weekend of the AGM, the French TBA, together with France Galop, hosted a series of visits for delegates which included the training gallops and the training yards of Gavin Hernon and Henri-François Devin, as well as Château de Chantilly and the Musée...

As part of its newly enacted Animal Health Law, the EU Commission will not apply restrictions on traveling foals under 30 days old through the UK and continental Europe. The European Federation of Thoroughbred Breeders' Associations worked with the likes of Louis Romanet, Dr. Paul Gadot and Brian Kavanagh to form a task force to lobby for the removal of the restrictions, in which Dr. Des Leadon was also instrumental. EFTBA chairman Joe Hernon paid tribute to the work of the task force led by Goran Akerstrom, FEI Veterinary Director,...