• Four racecourses and one trainer lie within current Surveillance Zone
• Extra certification required for horses travelling to and from Britain and Ireland
Following the confirmation on Wednesday 12 September of Foot and Mouth Disease at a farm in Surrey, Defra has put in place a number of 3km Protection Zones and a 10km Surveillance Zone around the premises in question.
The British Horseracing Authority has established that four racecourses and one trainer lie within the Surveillance Zone. Contact has been made with the trainer in question, who can continue to have runners provided appropriate biosecurity measures are carried out before horses leave his premises.
The four racecourses – Ascot, Kempton Park, Sandown Park and Windsor – will all continue to race and carry out vehicular disinfection as per the British Horseracing Authority’s biosecurity requirements. Kempton Park staged its meeting on Wednesday evening, and Sandown Park has the necessary equipment in place for its meetings today and tomorrow.
In terms of the transportation of horses to and from overseas, the current situation as at midday on Thursday 13th September is that additional certification is required only for travel to and from the Republic of Ireland.
All horses travelling from Britain to Ireland will have to be accompanied by an Animal Health Certificate, which can be obtained from the local animal health divisional office of Defra. A full list of these offices can be accessed at http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalhealth/about-us/contact-us/animal-health-offices.htm
The certification will also apply to Irish horses travelling back to Ireland from Britain. In order to obtain an Animal Health Certificate it will be necessary for any Irish-based horses returning from Britain within 15 days of leaving Ireland to be accompanied, on their departure, by a Private Practitioners’ Certificate (PVP cert), which will provide sufficient information to GB certifying veterinarians to sign the Certificate. Full details of the information required on the PVP cert are available on the Foot and Mouth page of the Irish Department of Agriculture’s website at www.agriculture.gov.ie
These measures mirror those that were in place for travel to and from Ireland following the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease last month, but at the current time no additional restrictions have been brought in for horses travelling to and from Britain and other European countries.
Trainers are also asked to disregard the notice relating to Foot and Mouth Disease in today’s Racing Calendar, which had been correct at the time of going to print.
