News
Posted on September 24th, 2020
Celebrate World Animal Day at Essex Horse Charity
Remus Horse Sanctuary will be opening its gates for only the second time this year on Sunday 4th October to celebrate World Animal Day, coordinated by the Naturewatch Foundation. Visitors, members and supporters are invited to come and meet the 200+ animals and learn about the Sanctuary’s horse welfare programme and the issues that the charity has faced over the past 7 months.
Remus Hors Sanctuary is proud to support this global movement to raise the status of animals by using this special day to raise awareness for horse welfare in this country.
The Sanctuary will be open from 1pm to 5pm and pre-booking is essential as Remus will only be selling a limited number of tickets for this event to ensure visitors’ safety and maintain social distancing.
Parking is available on-site, with disabled access, and dogs are welcome on a lead. Refreshments will be available, including afternoon tea by advance booking.
Admission will be charged at £5 per adult and £2 for children and tickets can be purchased online at: https://www.remussanctuary.org/events/open-day-sanctuary-october/ or via telephone on 01277 356191.
Sue Burton, founder of the Sanctuary said, “We have undertaken numerous risk assessments and are confident that we can open safely in October, as we did in September.
“We want both our visitors and team to feel safe, and be safe, and will be operating a one way system on site with plenty of hand sanitizing stations. The event will be a totally outdoor environment with all buildings closed off and out of use.”
World Animal Day has become a global celebration for all animals and the people who love and respect them. It’s known on every continent and celebrated in different ways in many countries, with no regard to nationality, religion or political ideology.
The Sanctuary provides rehabilitation and care for around 200 animals, including horses, ponies, donkeys, goats, sheep and cats, and has been doing so since it was founded in 1983.
This Open Day will be a vital source of fundraising for the charity which, like many, had all of its physical fundraising curtailed on 23rd March at the start of lockdown.
Ms Burton says, “We are asking people to purchase a ticket online wherever possible to avoid unnecessary administration in our office – which is already under strain. And we are all looking forward to welcoming visitors to this really special place on a day of international celebration.”
Posted on September 21st, 2020
Liverpool International Horse Show Cancellation Statement
It is with great sadness and regret that Bolesworth Events have taken the difficult decision to cancel Liverpool International Horse Show 2020.
Over the past six months, the team have worked with the M&S Bank Arena to model a series of scenarios that would allow us to deliver a viable model for the indoor show in the current challenging circumstances.
With the health and safety, as well as the welfare of the equestrian community at the heart of our decision making, we must act responsibly. As a result, given the commercial implications and current government guidance regarding social distancing and mass gatherings, it is clear an event of this scale poses far too great a risk to host in what has already been a challenging year.
We appreciate that many riders and supporters will be disappointed by this news and would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone directly involved with the event; our sponsors, visitors, competitors, exhibitors, officials and contractors for their continued support.
Managing Director, Nina Barbour said:
“Since the start of the pandemic, we have been working tirelessly to develop a model for an indoor event.
Having successfully hosted a series of outdoor competitions at Bolesworth over the summer, including the NAF Five Star British Showjumping National Championships, the Al Shira’aa Bolesworth Young Horse Championships and the Al Shira’aa Training Show Summer Series, we know it is possible to host competition safely behind closed doors when using an outdoor venue. The key challenge has been to transfer this model into an indoor environment with the public in attendance; it simply hasn’t been feasible from a health and safety or commercial point of view.
Earlier this year, we hosted ‘Equestrian Relief’; bringing together the equestrian community to raise money in support of our NHS heroes. Having raised over £300,000, we very much hoped that Liverpool would be a celebration of this campaign and herald the end of what has been a challenging year for so many, and we are currently scoping alternative ways of achieving this.
In order to support our riders and partners, we are exploring the feasibility to develop a 2* International Show, which will strictly be behind closed doors in line with current Government guidelines, for competitors only, on the same dates as originally planned for the Liverpool Show (31st December 2020 – 3rd January 2021).
As with all our events this year; we are keen to support the UK equestrian industry back into competition at the top level and it feels only right we continue this work and support our elite riders as they prepare for Tokyo 2021. We aim to better understand the viability of running this event by the start of October, with further information released as soon as possible.
We wish everyone well in these uncertain times and look forward to welcoming you all to a truly incredible show in 2021.”
Liverpool International Horse Show will return in 2021, taking place Friday 31st December – Monday 3rd January.
Posted on September 14th, 2020
CANCELLATION ANNOUNCEMENT: OLYMPIA, THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL HORSE SHOW 2020
The Organising Committee of Olympia, The London International Horse Show announced today that with great regret it has taken the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Show.
Over the last few months, the Olympia organising team has been looking at multiple scenarios to try to stage the indoor Show with the health and welfare of everyone involved at the heart of that decision-making process. Reluctantly, it has been concluded that it is not possible to run the event in December 2020 given the commercial implications of the government’s social distancing guidelines and the numerous additional Covid-19 safety requirements.
Unfortunately, this means that the Olympia feature events, including the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup, the Olympia Grand Prix, the Puissance, the FEI Dressage World Cup and the FEI Driving World Cup qualifiers will not be held in 2020, along with the international displays and all of the traditional Olympia festive entertainment.
Simon Brooks-Ward, Show Director, said: “My father, together with Clarion Events, started the Olympia Horse Show in 1972 and it has run every year since, meaning that this year would have been our 49th show. My brothers and I have attended every Show and therefore I completely empathise with the sadness felt by our visitors, who will not be cheering, laughing, and clapping in the Grand Hall this year. I also understand the disappointment felt by our competitors, officials, sponsors and particularly our trade stand exhibitors, who would have been particularly looking forward to the Christmas boost that Olympia gives them.
“Olympia holds a special place in the equestrian world’s hearts. Generations of families have held their Christmas parties at the Show and many will not be able to imagine a Christmas without a visit to Olympia. However, we are looking forward to being back in 2021, with a bumper Show to celebrate our 50th anniversary.
“I am extremely grateful for the supportive messages we have received from the equestrian community over the summer and am only sorry that we are unable to be with them at Olympia this Christmas.”
Posted on September 11th, 2020
Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials moves to Burnham Market – for one year
Following the Covid-19 related cancellation of this autumn’s Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials, Musketeer Event Management is delighted to have been able to step in to run both the CCI4* short format 8/9-year-old-championship, a stand alone CCI4*Short and the CCI4* long format normally hosted by Blenheim.
The Barefoot Retreats Burnham Market International will run from 17th – 20th September, a welcome replacement for Norfolk’s covid-cancelled spring International fixture. It will be the first time that the venue has hosted a four-star long format event – which means competitors will be greeted by a number of changes.
Most notably, due to the need for an extended cross country track – a requirement for a long format four star – the cross country start has moved to the normal dressage field. The track runs down through the normal stables field (the stables have been moved), through the main arena and over the drive to join the regular course. Long format riders will also perform their dressage tests in the main arena.
The calibre of entries at the spring Barefoot Retreats Burnham Market International is always top class, and this ‘stand in’ fixture is no different. Entries include the current World number one Oliver Townend, who has an astonishly successful record at Burnham Market; reigning World Champion Ros Canter; Ros’ gold medal winning team mates Tom McEwen, Gemma Tattersall and Piggy March – who of course was also the 2019 Badminton winner; 2019 Burghley winner Pippa Funnell, past World and European Champion Zara Tindall and eventing icon William Fox-Pitt.
Riders from 18 nations will be in action, including Kiwi double act Tim and Jonelle Price, Australia’s Sam Griffiths, Japan’s Toshiyuki Tanaka and Ryuzo Kitajima, China’s Alex Hua Tian and Sweden’s Ludwig Svennerstal.
Musketeer Event Management is also hosting its usual lower level national event, Barefoot Retreats Burnham Market (2), the weekend before the star studded international.
In accordance with current government regulations both events will be run ‘behind closed doors’ and are NOT open to spectators. However Horse & Country TV will be live streaming the International classes on both Saturday and Sunday, 19th – 20th.
Posted on September 10th, 2020
British Equestrian Update: new legal restrictions for England
The government has recently announced new restrictions in England which limit gatherings to a maximum of six people, enforceable by law, which come into effect on Monday 14th September. While this has implications for day-to-day life, British Equestrian has had confirmation via Sport England that equestrian sport and activity taking place in organised conditions under each governing body’s published ‘return to play’ protocols and related guidance, can continue without observing the new restricted numbers.
Riders, drivers and vaulters meeting for informal equestrian activities such as hacking must legally abide by the restriction of six people or fewer as of Monday 14th September in England.
Also coming into law is the requirement for businesses to record customer, staff and visitor contact details to support the NHS Test and Trace programme. Most equestrian centres, venues and operatives should have instigated this within their ‘return to play’ plans, but those who haven’t been must now put a recording program in place in order to comply with the law. Data should be held for 21 days, then safely destroyed, and should be handled in accordance with GDPR.
Currently, there are no changes to numbers who can gather in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales from those previously published.
British Equestrian’s Head of Participation David Butler commented; “We’ve worked closely with our member bodies to get them prepared for returning to action safely, and most are back up and running under COVID protocols. Having stringent plans in place was vital, but even more so with these new restrictions being made law because our plans mean that activity can safely continue. I’d urge all equestrian businesses, particularly in England at present, to be extra vigilant and rigorously ensure the guidance is strictly adhered to, as well as health and hygiene measures. It’s easy to become complacent, but this change reminds us that coronavirus is still very much with us and we must all play our part in complying with the guidance to minimise the COVID risk when taking part in equestrian activity.”
Helpful links
https://www.sportengland.org/
