Endurance GB issues roadmap to resume sport within COVID 19 guidelines
Endurance GB has announced plans to move towards the resumption of sport in England and Wales following the issuing of revised COVID 19 restrictions by the Government and British Equestrian Federation.
The roadmap towards competitive activity agreed by Endurance GB prioritises the safety, health and well-being of the participants, ride officials and the local communities as being at the forefront of any decisions on resumption.
The phased resumption of activity begins from the 1/06/2020 with the announcement by British Equestrian that coaching of riders in groups of up to six (including the coach) may resume in England. Endurance GB Groups and Coaches will now be able to run small outdoor coaching and training events involving no more than six people in England where it is safe to do so.
As restrictions ease further over the coming weeks to allow events involving more than six people to take place, Endurance GB will look to resume small non-competitive rides of between 5km and 34km. Events will be fully risk assessed and will only take place if it is safe to do so and if all of the respective landowners are content with the event taking place. Competitive events will only be organised once it is clear that the processes in place for non-competitive events are working satisfactorily and that safe systems of work are in place for the additional officials that competitive events require.
Entries will only be accepted in advance of the events and attendees will need to complete a health screening form before arriving at the event.
Strict social distancing and additional hygiene measures will be in place at all venues with plans including;
- Staggered arrival and start times
- Two metre floor markings where queues may form
- One way systems at venues to eliminate bottlenecks
- Restrictions on the number of people who can ride together on the route
- Extra space for horsebox parking
- The provision of additional hand washing/sanitising facilities
- Reducing handling of equipment and paperwork
- Additional cleaning and hygiene measures in place in respect of toilets
- First aid provision to follow the NHS hygiene guidance in place at the time.
Endurance GB will be issuing clear guidance to its local Groups and event organisers and will help them put in place the additional measures that they will need to apply.
The last phase of the roadmap to resuming the sport will see longer distance competitive rides reintroduced with ride organisers including at Kings Forest and the British Horse Feeds Red Dragon currently working on plans to hold events later this summer and in the autumn.
Unfortunately, Dialstone, Birling Gap, Aram Grange, the War of the Roses ride and the Cirencester Inter-Regional Championships will not now take place. The organisers of Finchingfield, Wentwood and the Pegasus ride are all tentatively hopeful that they will be able to run pleasure rides in July, although Wentwood will not be an FEI ride this year. Endurance GB’s Leicestershire & Rutland, Northumberland & Tyneside and Derbyshire Groups are also cautiously optimistic that their planned pleasure rides for July may go ahead.
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Endurance GB Tom McGuinness on course.
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.