The equestrian gold medallist turned breeder and trainer joins a class action against the Commonwealth early next year that could include more than 500 claimants. 

“I don’t know how much I can hope to get back but it cost me $1 million or more,” Mr Ryan said.

UK-based Argentum Litigation Services is funding the class action organised by law firms Maurice Blackburn and Attwood Marshall free of charge to claimants.

To halt EI’s spread and eradicate the virus horse movements were restricted, affecting not just the thoroughbred industry but the so-called leisure horse industry and its untold fortunes tied up in horse floats, stock feed, saddles, training and tow vehicles. 

Ryan’s Lochinvar facility was a short distance from the Anambah outbreak.

His horses contracted EI putting business on hold for a year. Ryan cancelled four auctions at which he expected to sell 100 horses in total averaging $15,000 a horse – a total of $1.5 million.

“It was a year before the Beijing Olympics which should have been a big year for us but we didn’t sell any horses,” he said. “On top of that we couldn’t conduct any classes and when times are slow we would sell horses but we couldn’t.”

The Callinan Report put the blame squarely on the Commonwealth’s quarantine services and the Eastern Creek facility.

“All our tax money was paying for this facility to operate and if they ran it properly there wouldn’t have been EI in Australia,” Ryan said. “I don’t think people in Maitland and the Hunter Valley realise they can get involved in this class action.”

Maurice Blackburn principal Damian Scattini said while people did receive some compensation under the Commercial Horse Assistance Payment Scheme it was not enough.  Applications to the class action close December 21.