Green light for BD regional camps to resume

British Dressage can announce that bookings are now open for our ever popular regional training camps in England. The six Regional Development Officers (RDOs) have been working with venues around the country to put the necessary measures in place to create COVID secure conditions in line with the revised government restrictions, to enable these camps to run from August onwards and into the autumn months.

The camps, for senior, Para and BD Youth riders, are full day or weekend residential opportunities for focused dressage training and education – and plenty of fun – with some of the sport’s leading names. They are a firm favourite with our members in the regions and several camps unfortunately had to be cancelled while the sport was suspended in April and May. All activity will be run with social distancing, public health and hygiene protocols, in line with the high standards required for BD competitions, while there will be specific procedures put in place to manage stabling, catering and on-site camping arrangements.

BD Chief Executive Jason Brautigam commented; “This is another positive step towards normal levels of activity as we continue to ease our way out of lockdown. While it is only in England for now, we’re expecting imminent announcements in Scotland and Wales, which should pave the way for organised training and competition activity to restart towards the end of July. The RDOs and venues have done a great job to put a calendar of events together, as a number of camps had to be cancelled in the spring. These have all now been rescheduled, alongside new opportunities too, which will hopefully give members something to look forward to later this summer and beyond.”

The confirmed camps across the six England regions are as follows:

Northern
21 - 23 August: Camp and Compete Senior and Youth at Epworth Equestrian, South Yorkshire
30 October - 2 November: Youth Camp at Bishop Burton College, East Yorkshire

North West
2 – 4 October: Youth Camp at Somerford Park, Cheshire

Central
4 August: Youth Day Camp at Swallowfield Equestrian, West Midlands
22 – 23 August: Senior Camp at Bury Farm, Buckinghamshire
27 August: Senior Day Camp at Swallowfield Equestrian, West Midlands

Eastern
15 August: Youth Camp at Keysoe, Bedfordshire
24-25 October: Senior Camp at Keysoe, Bedfordshire
28-29 October: Youth Camp at Keysoe, Bedfordshire

South West:
25 – 26 September: Dressage to Music Camp at Half Moon Stud, Dorset
26 – 27 October: Senior Camp at The Unicorn Trust, Gloucestershire
26 – 27 October: Youth Camp at The Unicorn Trust, Gloucestershire
28 – 29 November: Senior & Para Camp at the Unicorn Trust, Gloucestershire

Southern
29 – 30 August: Seniors Camp at Parwood EC, Surrey
17 - 18 October: Youth Camp at Parwood EC, Surrey

Please visit the regional section of the BD website for booking details. Provisional arrangements are currently being made for future camps in Scotland and Wales, so that bookings can open as soon as government restrictions allow.