BD update: Scotland and Wales

Following the latest announcements from the devolved governments, there are only limited changes for British Dressage members in Scotland and Wales, but indications are that competition activity will hopefully start just a matter of weeks behind their English counterparts.

From today in Scotland, members from one household can with meet with two other households, up to a maximum of eight people, allowing additional training opportunities for coaches.  Activity should be restricted to within five miles, as much as possible, and individuals should not travel further for leisure or recreation.  Outdoor facilities for non-contact sports will be allowed to open from 29 June onwards.  The government’s published Route Map for Scotland indicates that a further update will be provided on 2 July, with the next full review due on 9 July.

In Wales, following today’s announcement non-contact outdoor sport activity can also resume from Monday 22 June, within a five mile distance of home, but only with members of your own household or one other household.  Outdoor sport facilities can also re-open for all, including equestrian venues and riding centres, providing social distancing is maintained, avoiding physical contact and touching shared surfaces.  A further update to ease travel restrictions is planned for 6 July, which will facilitate much wider travel in Wales for any purpose, including sport and recreation.

In line with the current restrictions in England, the use of indoor sports facilities is still not permitted in either Scotland or Wales at present.

An updated question and answer document will be published on the BD website early next week, to incorporate the latest advice from horsescotland and Sport Wales, as well as provide further information to help members prepare for the return of competition in England from next month.  With entries now open for July shows, BD will also be releasing a guide to help members prepare for their first competitions, highlighting what changes to expect and what additional measures will be in place to keep all participants safe.

BD Chief Executive Jason Brautigam commented; “While the changes for Scotland and Wales are only limited at this stage, they provide a welcome step in the right direction.  Indications from both governments are that the next phase will allow organised BD training and competition activity to resume again next month.”

“Around 50% of the fixtures originally scheduled in England for July will go ahead as planned, albeit with restrictions in place to manage numbers, in line with social distancing, public health and hygiene protocols.  I’d like to thank the venues and organisers for their help and support, working with the BD team to bring the calendar as up to date as possible in a relatively short space of time.

"We are still hoping that indoor facilities will be permitted to open from 4 July, which will allow several other BD venues to also restart competitions.  We are continuing to work with UK Sport, Sport England and the Sport and Recreation Alliance to ensure that all activity is in line with government restrictions and as safe as it can be, to minimise any risk of spreading the virus.”