The Virginia Horse Center (VHC) canceled its Lexington Spring Premier Horse Show after a confirmed case of equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM) was reported at a nearby Virginia hunter/jumper event. Initially, VHC sought to ban horses that had been at the infected Commonwealth National Horse Show or shared barns with those horses, but the U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF) prohibited selective bans to ensure fair competition access. USEF allowed only the quarantined horses to be excluded, permitting others deemed unexposed to compete under enhanced biosecurity protocols. Despite this, VHC prioritized horse safety and chose to cancel the event, citing limitations on their ability to impose stricter entry restrictions.

This incident highlights tensions between competition organizers and governing bodies regarding disease outbreak management. VHC’s CEO Steve Shank emphasized the need for more flexible, venue-level precautionary measures while maintaining fairness across the sport. USEF maintains that their biosecurity protocols effectively prevent disease spread without restricting unexposed horses. VHC plans to proceed with its next show, Lexington Spring Encore, implementing additional preventive steps in collaboration with Merck Animal Health. No further EHM cases have been reported since the initial diagnosis.