Reopening And Restarting As Lockdown Starts To Lift

Riders and coaches have been told they may resume training while adhering to the new rules

- Eleanor Jones

English show centres have been reopening, lessons resuming and racing is due to start within a fortnight, as the industry moves back towards where it wants to be.

Since prime minster Boris Johnson’s easing of lockdown measures in England on 10 May, riding schools, livery yards and competition centres have been advised that they may reopen, with mitigating measures in place. Coaches have been advised they may teach, and riders that they may travel their horses for lessons or facility hire, although guidance for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is unchanged.

A huge amount of work is also ongoing towards a return to competition.

A British Equestrian spokesman told H&H British Dressage (BD) and British Showjumping (BS) are looking at resuming formal training in early June, in line with government forecasts, with the hope of some competition in early July.

“But there’s still a lot of water to go under the bridge before we get to that point,” she said.

“We are trying to put dates on things because people need to get horses fit who have been let down, understandably, but it has to be appreciated that everything is quite tentative at this point.”

The spokesman pointed out that 4 July is some six weeks away, adding that as can be seen from the past six weeks, a huge amount can change in this time.