Administrative and cost barriers linked to overburdensome regulations, as well as a financial settlement in bad need of reform, threaten British horseracing.
This was the clear message from representatives of the sport’s breeding and transportation sectors when they recently sat down in Newmarket to chat with Dr Neil Hudson, the Shadow Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and West Suffolk MP Nick Timothy.
Dr Hudson is a veterinary surgeon by background, with specialised training and experience in Equine Medicine.
He and Mr Timothy were later given a tour of Newmarket Equine Hospital by its managing director David Dugdale, viewing the clinic and its facilities.
Industry representatives are pushing for important concessions that will streamline the movement of thoroughbreds.
Following the event: Dr Hudson said: “I want to thank the sector representatives for meeting with us and raising their thoughts and concerns. We have got to make sure British horse racing and breeding is supported moving forwards. It is a fantastic sector and vital to the local and wider economy. To keep it resilient we must protect biosecurity whilst also ensuring smooth and safe movement of high health status approved horses.”
And Mr Timothy said: “This was a hugely useful meeting, and we were pleased to be joined by those from some of the leading stud farms in the UK. It is very clear that high health horses should not be subject to routine checks at the border, as I have said to ministers in Parliament.
“At the same time, we need robust biosecurity safeguards and the health certification system needs to be evenly and effectively enforced. The Government needs to deliver an international agreement on thoroughbred movement that is fit for purpose and protects Britain’s second favourite sport.”
Mr Timothy added: “It is also deeply concerning that development of a digital equine identification and traceability scheme has been put on hold by the Government, with financial constraints given as the excuse. The Government needs to pull its finger out on the introduction of this ID system, which would help facilitate the movement of racehorses across borders.”
Note to Editors:
The thoroughbred breeding and horse transport representatives said their sector depends upon the movement of horses across international borders. Before the UK left the European Union, most cross-border shipping of horses between France, Ireland and the UK took place under a system known as the Tripartite Agreement (TPA).
However, British participation in the TPA ended after Brexit. And under the Northern Ireland protocol the movement of horses between Great Britain and Northern Ireland is now regulated by the EU’s Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls.
