BD update: activity post-lockdown in England

Following the Prime Minister’s update to parliament yesterday and the release of the government’s COVID-19 Winter Plan, we’re delighted to confirm that British Dressage activity can resume again in England when the lockdown restrictions are lifted at 00:01 on Wednesday 2 December.

While England will revert to a three tier system of restrictions, organised sport and associated activity will be permitted in all areas, subject to adhering to COVID secure measures. The government announcement confirming which areas will fall into each tier is expected on Thursday 26 November. The ‘rule of six’ will continue to apply and the level of restrictions, including where and when people can mix, will be determined by which tier you’re in. People are advised to avoid travelling to and from the highest risk areas in tier three, although BD competitions and training can still continue in all tiers under our COVID protocols.

Our organisers are busily preparing their venues for the return of competition and the regions have a full calendar of training and activity already in place, so dressage will be ready to recommence from Wednesday 2 December onwards. The previous guidelines for competitors around permitted numbers, social distancing and hygiene measures will remain in place. Members are advised to familiarise themselves with the requirements before attending their first event or show.

Jason Brautigam, BD CEO, commented; “It’s great news that England can once again join Scotland and Wales from next week, with a full programme of shows and training to look forward to. December promises to be a busy month for BD, with many horse and rider combinations looking to complete their Regional and Area Festival qualifications. We have been working closely with our organisers to reschedule any lost November shows into December where we can, to provide as many competition opportunities as possible around the country. Thank you once again to all members for your patience, understanding and support over the last month, I’m sure everyone will be excited to get back going again now that we have the green light.”

With a week of lockdown remaining in England, don’t let that time go to waste – there’s some great content for everyone on our ‘BD at Home’ member hub, which we hope you’ve been enjoying over the past three weeks. Coffee catch ups, top training tips, behind the scenes views, Pilates sessions… there’s plenty to watch online on the BD website. Best of all, it’s completely free, but if you enjoy what you’ve seen and heard, we’re trying to raise some money for three amazing charities who’ve lost out during COVID, so if you can please make a small donation to The Brooke, World Horse Welfare and the Emile Faurie Foundation.

Headlining the ‘BD at Home’ hub currently are highlight montages from last weekend’s BD National Convention, in association with Harrison Clark Rickerbys. The two inspirational days kept everyone hooked, with excellent insight and expert advice from four of the sport’s leading names, Stephen Clarke, Ferdi Eilberg, Peter Storr and Clive Halsall. You can still buy a pass to view the 14 sessions on demand, at just £25 for BD members or £35 for non-members, which remains valid until February. Buying a pass to access the content online is simple and once your transaction is complete, you can click to view straight away – or watch again and again at your leisure.

We’ll be monitoring any further government announcements over the coming days and will communicate any changes or updates on our website and social channels.