|
|
|
Show's over for exhibit cheats
15 Sep 2003
A team of seven veterinarians is ready to weed out cheats at this year's Royal Melbourne Show. The vets will be on the look-out for performance-enhancing drugs in horses and dairy cattle, as well as practices such as dyeing fur and gluing cows' udders.
Exhibitors caught cheating will be stripped of prizes, fined and banned from exhibiting at shows around Australia.
Dr Hugh Wirth, chairman of the Royal Agricultural Society's veterinary panel, said some practices are minor, such as colouring a few white hairs, but others such as drug offences are serious. Some raise animal welfare issues, for example the practice of pumping up cows' udders and not milking them to change their shapes.
There was a big controversy at Brisbane's show, the Ekka, in August when exhibitors were prevented from gluing teats to prevent leakage when udders were engorged for maximum visual effect.
Dr Wirth said he believed Melbourne's was the "cleanest" of all Australia's shows.
Herald Sun, 15/9/03, page 5.
|
|
