Veterinarians at the Olympics

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Olympic Fever

The Olympics kicked off this week with the first-ever Opening Ceremonies held outdoors, as boats of athletes floated down the Seine, tableaus adorned the bridges over the river, and the memes about disrupting the local wildlife were spot on:

We’ve been writing Weekend Rounds for just over two years which means this is our first Summer Olympics together. Which got us thinking about the intersection of animals and the Olympics. Here’s a bit of what we found:

The only current event that features animals is Equestrian, which includes both team and individual competitions in Eventing, Dressage, and Jumping. The specialized care that the horses receive mean that multiple veterinarians are in the Olympics! Local veterinarians assist in the preparations and on-site supervision of the event, plus each country brings vets as part of the delegation. As proud Canadians, we would remised to not give a big shoutout to two Team Canada veterinarians representing our profession and country in Paris: Dr. Emily Jantzi and Dr. Alan Manning! Good luck, docs.

This year, the venue is truly a sight to be seen. The grounds of the historic Château de Versailles will be outfitted with a temporary outdoor arena in the center of the Palace’s gardens:

However, the event is not without controversy as a video surfaced this week showing three-time gold medalist Charlotte Dujardin of Britain repeatedly whipping a horse multiple times during training. Dujardin has been provisionally suspended from all events until an independent investigation has concluded.

And changes are coming in response to recent animal welfare concerns:

• The Olympics will be the last time that equestrian will be included in modern pentathlon, as show jumping was dropped from the competition after a German coach punched a horse when it refused to jump during the 2020 games

• The FEI (International Federation for Equestrian Sports) has announced a series of reforms — such as more ethical training methods and clearer directives on how horses should be treated and ridden.

• And for the first time at the Olympics, there is an equine welfare coordinator on site

Other events used to include animals. In the Ancient Olympics, chariot races and horse racing were included, and an animal sacrifice was often part of the opening ceremonies. The modern Olympics are not immune to animal cruelty either. An event called ‘Live Pigeon Shooting’ was held for the first and only time in 1900.

The Olympics also have a long history of animal mascots. Sometimes they are imaginary animorphism, sometimes they are silly, sometimes they look like a child’s drawing, but sometimes they are just regular animals that represent their home country. Here are some of our favorites:

And as promised… we present to you our favorite moment of the 2020 Olympics… #RaveHorse:

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Updates to the canine travel rules

Remember those new border rules for dogs entering the U.S. that we told you about last week? Well, go ahead and forget about it.

Ok, don’t completely forget about it, but the CDC has updated the rules for dogs entering the U.S. from rabies-free or low-risk rabies countries. They will now be able to enter with only a CDC Import Form online submission which can be filled out the same day of travel, and no other additional documentation. This greatly simplifies the process for many Canadians who were upset by the initial decision from the CDC.

Keep in mind that all dogs must still have a microchip and be over six months of age. 

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Quick Hits

Here are some of the other stories that caught our eye and we're following this week from around the veterinary world and animal kingdom: