Endurance GB will resume sport in the form of opening entries in England on June, 29 after suspension during the coronavirus pandemic. However, competition in Wales will remain unaffected until further notice from the Welsh Government.
To ease competitors and their horses back into action, a series of small-scale events have been scheduled, with capped entries and staggered start times. This period will allow organisers to put key social distancing measures in place to keep all involved shielded and well.
To ensure safe management of events, entries will be processed online through Endurance GB’s new website for all levels of event, and attendees will need to complete a health screening form.
A thorough risk assessment will be conducted before each event and additional cleaning and hygiene measures will be in place. Camping and corralling to be allowed in line with government guidelines, but no socialising will be possible in groups of more than six.
The move comes following the government’s guidelines on relaxing social distancing efforts, as the country prepares to enter stage three of the lockdown exit strategy.
The first ride in the calendar is at Park Farm, Stanford on Avon on 12 July with rides in Cheshire, Derbyshire, Cornwall and Hexham the following weekend. Endurance GB is confident that competitive rides will also be back on the calendar very shortly.
Esther Young, Operations Director, said: “We are entering uncharted water in resuming the sport and while everyone is excited at the prospect of being back out there, there will be new systems and measures in place to ensure everyone’s safety.”
Phil Nunnerley, Chair of Endurance GB said: “There is no doubt that this is the moment we have all been waiting for and there will be both cheers and sighs of relief when the first riders head off at the first pleasure ride. However, the health of members, officials and supports is our priority and a significant amount of work is going into making sure that none of our venues unwittingly becomes a vector for disease transmission. We are very hopeful that as the season progresses, we will see a resumption of bigger rides and longer distances with the caveat that we remain flexible and able to react quickly to any new Government advice.
Feature image: Emma Husband and LTF Kalisha at Barbrook, Derbyshire – which will be one of the first rides to resume this year. Photo credit: Kerry Dawson
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.