British Eventing has put in place self-certification for horses as eventing competitions and training events are set to resume in England following the most recent Covid-19 lockdown
Riders will be required to complete online forms in accordance with BEF Guidelines to certify the health status of their horse/s 24 hours prior to attending any BE training or competition from 29th March. Non-completion of the electronic form may result in riders not being permitted to enter the event site; the self-certification process will be in place until 12th April currently, but may be extended if the BEF veterinary team determine that a risk remains.
British Eventing are also ensuring that any horses that have returned or will soon return from Europe are all undergoing stringent testing.
“The horses must record two clear sets of tests, taken 10 days apart, with no horses showing any clinical signs before they can return to affiliated competition or training. Horses returning back into the United Kingdom will need to quarantine for 28 days unless two clear tests can be evidenced. The results of these tests are submitted and checked by British Eventing”
On 24th March the FEI hosted a stakeholder consultation session to review comprehensive draft Return To Competition protocols aimed at minimising the risks associated with the restart of FEI competitions in mainland Europe on 12 April 2021
The proposed Return To Competition protocols, a number of which are already covered in the FEI Veterinary Regulations or FEI General Regulations, were presented by FEI Veterinary Director Göran Åkerström and generated valuable input from stakeholders. FEI Legal Director Mikael Rentsch discussed the legal provisions for enhanced FEI jurisdiction in the event of a disease outbreak at an FEI Event.
At the conclusion of the meeting, FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez outlined next steps, advising the group that feedback from the stakeholder consultation session will now be incorporated into the draft proposals. The proposed measures, which were discussed by the FEI Veterinary Committee, will be further reviewed at the FEI Veterinary Epidemiology Working Group meeting before being finalised and presented to the FEI Board for approval. Bylaws for some of the temporary measures will need to be put in place, and rules for the long-term requirements.
The community will be advised of the new FEI requirements before the end of March in order to allow sufficient time for implementation.
