State Fair horses quarantined after horse found sick Saturday

WEST ALLIS -- Wisconsin State Fair's horse barn is closed indefinitely, due to concerns over a potential horse virus. State Fair officials say one horse was discovered to be sick on Saturday, August 4th, and horses have been quarantined.

Officials were preparing for "the changeover" Saturday. 1,700 horses that have been in the horse barn since the fair's opening will be replaced with new animals.

Before "the changeover" occurs, the horse barn stalls and floor will be cleaned out.

"We will bring in fresh bodies. It's a long process. It takes 12 hours to clean and get ready for new horses," Agriculture Director Brian Bolan said.

State Fair spokeswoman Kristi Chuckel said so far, officials don't know how serious the potential virus is.

Some horses that were scheduled to leave Saturday night were forced to stay overnight. How that will affect the changeover process into Sunday is unknown.

Monitor FOX6News and FOX6Now.com for updates on this developing story.

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