British Dressage Competition Returns from 1 July 2020

British Dressage (BD) has this week announced the resumption of affiliated competition from the 1st July in England, in line with the winter qualification period. However, competition numbers will understandably be restricted whilst the UK continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Further news on sporting resumption is expected later this week for Scotland and Wales.

The official British Dressage statement reads:

We [BD] are anticipating that there will be a further relaxation of restrictions with effect from 4 July onwards, which we hope will include the use of indoor facilities for sports and recreation purposes.

BD competitions, including standard and Quest shows, will recommence as per the calendar listed on our dedicated BD online fixtures portal, which is in the process of being updated over the next 48 hours, based on the latest information and feedback we have received from our venues.

We have been consulting with our organisers over the past few weeks to inform this process and have received a very positive response, with a good proportion ready to resume competitions at the earliest opportunity.  However, it is important to stress that venues will only return to competitive action when they are confident that they can fully comply with the social distancing, public health and hygiene measures required to safely operate within government restrictions.

Competition entries, which will need to be made online, will open from 17 June onwards to provide at least two weeks’ lead time for venues to make the necessary adjustments and implement any changes required in order to meet the procedures and protocols we have put in place in our guidance to organisers.

We have also been in consultation with our judges, who will play a crucial part in the return to competition – and over three quarters have indicated that they are happy to make an immediate return to judging.  Taking their feedback and expressed preferences on board, judges will initially either officiate with a writer from their own household or support bubble, or score for themselves with comments and summary provided at the end of the test.  Three minutes have been added to each test time to allow effective social distancing for competitors and to provide additional time for judges to complete test sheets.

As a condition of entry, competitors are required to adhere to government restrictions and follow all guidance outlined in our COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures.  These will be updated before competitions recommence, based on the updated government advice issued over the course of the next two weeks.

As part of our resumption plans, we have taken the decision to allow a three month amnesty on the requirement for horses to have an equine influenza booster within six months of competing. We appreciate that a number of veterinary surgeons were only able to carry out emergency work during lock down, so this will allow a transitionary period from 1 July through to 30 September for members to get their horse vaccinations up to date.  However, the 12 month requirement still applies and any horse who missed their annual booster will need to restart the vaccination process, in accordance with BD rules. Further details can be found in our Sport resumption member Q&A.

BD Chief Executive Jason Brautigam commented;

After 15 weeks of lockdown, we’re truly delighted that competitions can make a return from 1 July.  It has been a difficult period for all of those involved in dressage, so I’m sure this news will be welcomed by everyone.  While members have been able to train again during June, competing is ultimately what sport is all about, so it will be good to finally get shows back up and running.”

Competitions will have a different look and feel as we all adapt to the restrictions we need to put in place, but our priority remains the safety and wellbeing of all participants.  It may take a while for the fixture calendar to build back up to full strength, as circumstances will differ at each venue, but our IT systems will provide the latest live information so members should check on the status of shows regularly over coming weeks.”

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has worked tirelessly to get us to this stage, as well as the members who have continued supporting us during the suspension period.  The coming weeks will require some flexibility and understanding, and there will no doubt be further changes as the situation continues to evolve, especially in Scotland and Wales, but we’re confident that our plans are robust, achievable and will keep members as safe as possible. We look forward to the first horses going down the centreline on 1 July.”

Further information and updates will be published when relative information has been announced by the sport’s governing bodies and the UK government.

Helpful guidance can be found on the coronavirus pandemic, impact and recommendations via the links below:

• Public Health England
• UK
• BD COVID-19 Toolkits

Please note: Feature image for illustration only. Information: The fabulous black stallion, Glamourdale, nd British rider Charlotte Fry won the Seven-Year-Old Final for Great Britain’s Charlotte Fry at the Longines FEI/WBFSH World Breeding Dressage Championships 2018 in Ermelo (NED). (FEI/Dirk Caremans)

Suzanne Ashton

Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.