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After the Annual AGM, it was highlighted that we need to assist in giving you more insight into Owners attending horse trials. As a number of you may be uncertain about how many people may attend an event to support ‘their’ horse. By way of background, the Government’s approach is to limit the number of people who may attend sporting events. In deciding that it is now permissible for an organiser to run an event, the first issue is the ‘size’ of the event, since that determines how many people can be there at the same time. The Government is treating Eventing, as a sport, similar to racing where the size of the venue is the size of the stadia and supporting buildings, but not the racetrack itself. This is why for Eventing, the size does not include the area of the cross-country, though, unlike Racing, many will be on the course as spectators. This measuring exercise is pretty strict. That measurement determines how many classes may be run, and the number of horses which may compete. Each horse then has its ‘team’ of rider, groom and owner. BE has succeeded in extending the definition of owner to include one other person from their ‘bubble’. But that person must be from the same household. Thus only two can attend. Please note, that there is no dispensation for ‘dependent ‘children, whatever age. The need to limit numbers who at any time are attending the event explains why, when a horse has finish competing, the team should then leave the event. All this sounds very bureaucratic, and it is. But an event is likely to be visited by an inspector from Health & Safety who will need to be satisfied that the event is ‘compliant’. There has already be threats to disapprove an event and bring the Sport to a standstill. Hopefully, these rules will, over time, be relaxed. But until they are, it is important that owners ‘play by the rules’. The minutes of the recent AGM have been emailed to all Members.
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