COVID-19 TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS FORCE DECISION TO CANCEL

A couple of days ago the BAPSH Directors, Mary McBryde and Peter Brooks, held  a meeting to discuss the viability of the central venue Grading Event booked with the Unicorn Trust EC and the ANCCE-LGPRE for the 15th to 18th August 2021. The sad conclusion was that this Grading Event is impossible to hold due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on International Travel. The August 2021 Grading Event is CANCELLED because it is impossible to bring the ANCCE Grading Delegate into England under the current COVID-19 travel restrictions for Spain and its Island Territories. The lack of the ANCCE Vet means No Grading for PREs because PREs can ONLY be assessed for reproduction approval  by one of these highly trained ANCCE Grading Vets.
The August PRE Grading was still going ahead right up until this Monday, 19th. The last straw for the August Grading was the change of status for the Balearic Islands on the UK Travel system from Green to Amber early on Monday 19th. Just the previous week we had arranged with the ANCCE-LGPRE Director to use the Grading Delegate stationed in Majorca (then in the Green category). We have also been expecting that the UK would reach agreement with the EU over an Electronic Vaccine Passport for all double vaccinated EU residents wishing to visit the UK which will permit entry into the UK from Amber Zone countries without the need for 10 days Quarantine. However the EU citizen’s Vaccine Passport has not been agreed upon  in time for our August Grading to proceed.
BUT over the past couple of days the BAPSH Directors have been working on some New and Innovative ways of GRADING  our Studbook Breeds in 2021, so don’t give up hope of getting essential Gradings done  this year – this is particularly important for un-graded PRE mares & stallions with foals born in 2020 & 2021..

NEW PLANS FOR 2021 GRADING
GRADING FOR PUREBRED SPANISH HORSES 2021  – BAPSH conclude it is impossible to give Fixed Dates for a PRE Grading Visit from Spain this year, the COVID-19 Travel restrictions are changing so fast that any Fixed Dates are likely to fail in 2021. The ONLY chance to Grade our PRE Horses is to be super-flexible on Dates and Venues and just wait for the Travel Restrictions from Spain to change so that a Delegate can get to England without Quarantine. Obviously this might never happen in 2021, but if it does change we all need to be ready to take advantage of the opportunity.
Therefore the 2021 Grading Dates may be ANY WEEKEND from late AUGUST to 1st DECEMBER 2021 – the VENUES will be restricted to 4 or 5 locations around England at various PRE owner’s Stud-farms or yards which are best positioned for good access for a geographical group of PRE Owners who want to get horse/s Graded in 2021.

The moment any area of Spain goes into the GREEN category OR the EU Vaccination Passports become a reality BAPSH will contact ANCCE  to arrange for a Grading Delegate to Travel to England ASAP to Grade our PREs.  There will probably be only a few days notice that we can give our Booked and Paid-up Owners that a Grading Event is happening before the Delegate arrives in the UK to start work . Thus it is ESSENTIAL that owners continue to train their horses to be calm whilst being measured all over as per the Grading Photo Series (download from  BAPSH website), and to move out nicely at in-hand walk,  and trot and canter on a large lunge circle. This type of training is a good education for the horses and won’t be a wasted effort even if we all have to wait to Grade until 2022. PRE horses never forget anything they learn.
2021 PRE Grading Booking Forms are now on the BAPSH website for New Horses to be Booked for Grading in 2021 as described above –  GRADING BOOKING FORM 2021 – DATES UNKNOWN

BAPSH will contact all 2020 ‘roll-over’ horse owners to ask whether they want to  be on the 2021 Grading List or if they prefer to ‘roll-over’ again to May 2022 National Grading Event at the Unicorn Trust EC.

The uncertainty of Dates & Venues, or the possibility of short notice before needing to travel horses to a Grading Event will make it impossible for some owners to take advantage of this one-off style of Grading for 2021. So BAPSH have already booked dates in May 2022 for a National Grading Event at the Unicorn Trust EC. Owners who cannot  attend a Grading without advance planning can continue to ‘roll-over’ horses originally booked for 2020. Owners planning to Grade new youngsters in 2021 can take the option to Book now to Grade in 2021 if flexibility is possible or they can book their horses for MAY 2022 BASIC GRADING EVENT on the New 2022 PRE Grading Form – GRADING BOOKING FORM – MAY 2022

GRADING 2021 FOR PRE FUSION HORSES, HISPANO-ARABS, SPANISH-NORMAN HORSES & SPANISH SPOTTED SADDLE HORSES
The National Grading Event for these Breeds is going VIRTUAL – just for this year, 2021.
Owners now have an amazing opportunity to present their broodmares, and youngsters aged 3yrs or over for Evaluation and Breeding Approval  (Grading) without the need to travel to a central venue.
BAPSH hope that all horse breeders/ owners who don’t want to travel their horses will take advantage of this unexpected opportunity brought about by the COVID travel restrictions.
Grading Stage 2 Entry Forms and Instructions on the Virtual Grading procedure will be available in the next couple of days.
All Stallions MUST still have completed the Stage 1 Reproductive Assessment by an Equine Vet – the Stage 1 form is available for download – PFH, SSSH, SNH, AAH STALLIONS Breeding Approval STAGE 1 Reproductive Exam by Vet 2021
Full details in the next day or so.