26 May 2026
Dressage, eventing and showjumping participants have been warned they won’t be able to compete if their horses are not properly vaccinated against the virus.
Allister Webb
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Image: matilda553 / Adobe Stock
Three more sporting bodies have announced tighter restrictions on participation in their events due to the ongoing outbreak of equine influenza (EI).
Last week, the British Horseracing Authority restricted raceday course admission solely to horses from licensed training yards.
Now, British Dressage (BD), British Eventing (BE) and British Showjumping (BS) have all warned horses will not be allowed to compete in their competitions if they are not properly vaccinated.
The organisations have recommended owners and competitors to either provide an additional booster vaccination or move their annual booster forward if their horses were last treated more than six months ago.
Tighter passport checks will also be undertaken at venues, while BE have also urged owners to give “serious consideration” to staying at home if there are cases within a mile of home or the location of the event they plan to travel to.
A statement on the BD website said a regional championship that was scheduled to take place in Hampshire had already been postponed due to the outbreak and it was in “all our interests” to avoid further similar measures.
It added: “These measures are intended to support organisers and competitors, by strengthening biosecurity at venues and reducing the risk of transmission when horses are travelling and mixing.
“We must act now to protect our horses against an increase in EI prevalence over the summer period and prevent a second spike in reported cases.”
A total of 70 EI outbreaks had been confirmed across Great Britain in the latest Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance (EIDS) update, issued on Friday (22 May), with a further 19 incidents suspected.