Spatiotemporal patterns in British racing and equestrian sports: Implications for pathogen transmission.
Authors: McGilvray Tegan A, Stevens Kim B, Spence Kelsey L, Rosanowski Sarah M, Slater Josh, Cardwell Jacqueline M
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary Conventional wisdom suggests minimal disease transmission risk between British racehorse and sport horse populations, yet this assumption has lacked rigorous empirical support until now. McGilvray and colleagues conducted a spatiotemporal analysis of 2018 event data from five major equestrian governing bodies, examining 49,012 horses attending 8,314 events across 598 venues to identify potential pathogen transmission pathways through venue proximity and temporal overlap. Whilst 97.2% of horses competed exclusively within a single discipline—indicating substantial population separation—the researchers identified five significant space-time clusters where racing and sport venues operated within 5 km and 24 hours of each other, with the highest-risk cluster in southeast England (January–July) demonstrating a relative risk of 62.54 times baseline. These findings reveal that whilst large-scale mixing between racehorse and sport horse populations remains limited, concentrated seasonal activity in high-density venue areas creates genuine transmission opportunities through shared facilities, staff, equipment, and indirect contact. For practitioners managing disease biosecurity protocols, this evidence suggests targeted risk mitigation during peak summer months in southeastern regions warrants particular attention, especially where racing and sport venues operate in close geographical proximity.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •While British racing and sport horse populations are largely separate, veterinarians and event managers should be aware of potential pathogen transmission risks during peak summer season in high-density venue areas of southeast England
- •Biosecurity protocols should be particularly stringent for facilities within 5 km of racecourses where events occur within 24 hours of racing activity
- •Event planners and equine health professionals should consider temporal and spatial clustering of competitions when assessing disease outbreak risks and implementing prevention strategies
Key Findings
- •97.2% of horses (47,635/49,012) competed in only a single discipline, indicating largely separate racehorse and sport horse populations
- •Over 400,000 horse-venue attendances were recorded across 598 venues in 8,314 events during 2018
- •Five significant space-time clusters of venue-events were identified within 5 km and 24 hours of racecourses, with the most likely cluster in southeast England (January-July) showing a relative risk of 62.54
- •Venue attendance peaked in summer months and was geographically concentrated in southeast England, creating conditions for potential local or indirect pathogen spread