An outbreak of a highly contagious virus in horses, known as the equine or EHV-1 virus, prompted the cancellation of the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo qualifier event scheduled to take place in Uvalde, Texas.
Over 800 contestants were set to compete in the Uvalde Qualifier from Wednesday, November 19, to Saturday, November 22. Participants compete for a coveted chance to advance to the San Antonio rodeo in February. However, the Animal Health Commission recommended that the qualifier be canceled, according to a Facebook post from the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo on Tuesday, November 18.
“The safety and well-being of our animal athletes is our top priority, and the recent EHV-1 announcement from other events has led us to cancel the Rodeo Qualifier,” San Antonio rodeo organizers wrote in their post. “We appreciate everyone’s understanding during this time.”
Rodeo officials added they will provide more details once finalized regarding how the cancellation will affect the contestant field for the San Antonio rodeo in February.
What is EHV-1?
EHV-1, also known as Equine herpesvirus, is a family of highly contagious viruses found in horses worldwide, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Of the nine known herpesviruses, EHV-1, EHV-3, and EHV-4 pose the highest disease risk to U.S. horses. They do not pose a risk to people, the USDA says.
EHV-1 primarily causes upper respiratory disease and abortions/stillbirths in horses. In some cases, it could lead to a neurological disease called equine herpes myeloencephalopathy (EHM) that can be fatal. Symptoms of EHV may include fever, depression, nasal discharge and cough, head tilt, difficulty urinating, and stumbling or weakness in the hind limbs.
EHV outbreak 2025
Texas horsemen were alerted to an outbreak of EHV-1 on Wednesday, November 19, according to a news release from the Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller. The alert comes after horses began exhibiting symptoms of EHV-1 after the World Championship Barrel Racing (WPRA) Finals in the Waco area on November 5-9.
Before the start of the event, no livestock, including equine, had been on the event property since October 12, 2025, WPRA stressed in its statement on Tuesday, November 18. WPRA stated, “We take this notification extremely seriously and are committed to providing full transparency while upholding the highest standards of safety for our contestants, their animals, and the public.”
Commissioner Miller is urging all horse owners, trainers and venue operators who attended or were in proximity to the event, or who have recently returned from any large equine gathering in the Waco region in the last 14 days, to act swiftly, monitor their animals carefully, and implement heightened biosecurity measures.
“This virus can spread fast, it can be deadly, and the earliest signs are often so subtle they’re easy to miss,” Miller said. “That’s why monitoring your horses right now is critical. The quicker we identify a potential case, the better chance we have to protect not only our animals, but the entire Texas equine community.”
This article originally published at San Antonio rodeo officials cancel qualifier amid deadly EHV-1 outbreak.