IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM GCAHA

Dear GCAHA Family,

It's with heavy hearts that we're writing to let you know we've made the difficult decision to cancel our October schooling show AGAIN, due to the recent Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) outbreak in San Benito County on 9/11/26. We hoped CA was past this disease, but apparently it is now in the county where we were holding the show.

Why We're Cancelling

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has confirmed a positive case of Equine Infectious Anemia in San Benito County — a 7-year-old Quarter Horse gelding, with one potentially exposed horse currently under quarantine pending a 60-day retest. This case is directly linked to other recent EIA positives in California, which makes this outbreak a broader concern.

EIA is a serious, contagious viral disease with no vaccine and no cure. It spreads through blood contact, most often via biting flies and/or unsafe practices.  An infected horse can carry the disease for life. Because horses from many home premises gather at shows, a single undetected case can put every horse in attendance at risk. That's a chance we simply are not willing to take with your horses.

You can read the full alert and follow updates directly from the Equine Disease Communication Center below.

Putting Our Horses First

Our club has always been about community ,and being part of a community means looking out for one another, especially when it's hard.  Your horses' health and safety will always come first for us, no exceptions.

What Happens Next

• Entry fees: If you've already submitted entries for the October show, you will receive a full refund. Please reach out to us at  darlene.gcaha@gmail.com  and we'll make sure you're taken care of promptly.

• Future shows: We'll keep a close eye on the CDFA and EDCC updates and will let you know as soon as it's safe to get back in the ring. 

We'll Ride Again Soon

This is a bump in the road, not the end of it. GCAHA has been bringing horse folks together on the Central Coast for over 55 years, and we'll weather this the same way we've weathered everything else — together, as a community.

In the meantime, we still want to hear from you. Share your riding photos, tell us how your horses are doing, and keep that community spirit alive. We have something for everyone, and we'll have something for everyone again soon. shows, trail rides, clinics, and all the things that make this club feel like home.

Thank you for your understanding, your patience, and most of all for the care you take with your horses and each other. We can't wait to see you all back in the saddle.