On 13 March 2020 British Dressage announced that all sporting activity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will continue to operate as normal at the present time, based on the fact that the U.K. government has moved the status of the corona pandemic from the ‘containment’ to the ‘delay’ phase.
British Dressage posted on 13 March 2020 that they want to reassure members that they are in close contact with our colleagues at UK Sport, Sport England, the Sport and Recreation Alliance and Sports Ground Safety Authority with regards to the ongoing risks and threats posed by the coronavirus outbreak.
"We are currently in the process of preparing contingency plans, based on the latest available information and government advice," said British Dressage.
The CDI Keysoe took place as normal with spectators from Friday 13 till Sunday 15 March 2020.
No Restrictions on Public Gatherings in England
Yesterday the government announced that the status of the pandemic had moved from the ‘containment’ to the ‘delay’ phase. However, no restrictions have been imposed on public gatherings or sporting events at this stage and in his statement the Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated: “It is very important that we are guided by the science. There is very little epidemiological or medical reason at the moment to ban events.”
All sporting activity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland can therefore continue to operate as normal at the present time, although please note that Scotland have placed restrictions on public gatherings of more than 500 people with effect from Monday 16 March. Small scale equestrian activity can still continue as planned – and the vast majority of British Dressage shows, competitions and training events would fall into this category.
FEI Recommends Cancellation
"We are aware that some major sporting organisations, including the FEI, have announced temporary suspensions of their events until 3 April," said British Dressage. "However, these are either due to specific concerns about individual players or participants that have already come into direct contact with the virus, or international competition that requires travel to and from affected countries."
"It is vitally important that we continue to follow government advice and at present there are no plans to cancel or postpone BD events, although this position may change as the situation evolves in the days and weeks ahead."
Still taking place are: BD Young Horse Forum at Myerscough on 28 March, the Winter Championships at Hartpury from 8-12 April and the Judges Convention at Addington on 14 April.
"We are monitoring the situation closely – and should the government advice or guidance change we will take action accordingly," BD added.
Related Links
Cancelled CDI's due to Corona Virus Clampdown
FEI Recommends Cancellation of FEI Events due to Coronavirus