Table of Contents
• EHV Relief Fund
• Return to Competition Factsheet for Athletes & Grooms
• Return to Competition – New FEI HorseApp Modules & Guidelines for Stakeholders
• Return to Competition Stakeholder Consultation
• Return to Competition By-Laws
EHV RELIEF FUND
The EHV Relief Fund, created by Jumping athletes Emile Hendrix, Peter Charles and Frederick Goltz to provide financial support to Athletes and Owners facing financial hardship due to the costs of emergency veterinary treatment for their horses as a result of the EHV-1 outbreak in Europe, has already received support from the FEI, European Equestrian Federation, International Jumping Riders Club, Jumping Owners Club and Equestrian Organisers. In addition, Riders Help Riders, the fundraising campaign set up by German event organiser and sports marketer Axel Milkau, has joined forces with the Fund.
Guidelines outlining eligibility criteria for reimbursement from the EHV Relief Fund are now available here, together with the application form. Details of how to donate to the Fund are also available on the EHV Relief Fund page.
RETURN TO COMPETITION FACTSHEET FOR ATHLETES & GROOMS
The FEI has created a Return to Competition Factsheet for Athletes and Grooms outlining all the key requirements that need to be met for Horses entered in competitions in mainland Europe from 12 April to 30 May 2021. This Factsheet is available in seven languages (see below) and can be found in the Return to Competition section of the EHV-1 hub.
English
Dutch
French
German
Italian
Portuguese
Spanish
RETURN TO COMPETITION – NEW FEI HORSEAPP MODULES & GUIDLINES FOR STAKEHOLDERS
The FEI has added four new modules to the FEI HorseApp to monitor and facilitate key mandatory requirements in the Return to Competition Measures.
There are detailed guidelines and video tutorials for all the different stakeholder groups (Athletes, Organising Committees, Officials, Grooms, Owners, National Federations and Trainers) providing step-by-step instructions to use the new modules on the FEI HorseApp available here.
Note: For Grooms to use the FEI HorseApp, they must have an active FEI ID account. Grooms can register with the FEI here and guidelines are available here.
PCR Tests
As stipulated in the Return To Competition Measures, for any Event/Show with more than 400 Horses of any category, it is mandatory to provide proof of a negative PCR test for EHV-1 taken no earlier than 120 hours prior to arrival at the event. Click hereto see the list of Events.
A specific module has been added to the FEI HorseApp to allow an FEI registered user to upload a copy of the relevant negative PCR test to a Horse’s profile. Athletes, Grooms, Owners, National Federations and Trainers can connect to the FEI HorseApp using their FEI ID number and provide the relevant document by taking a photo with their smartphone or tablet and uploading it directly to the Horse’s FEI profile in a few simple clicks.
Click here for the full details and guidelines.
Examination on Arrival (for FEI Veterinarians)
The FEI Veterinarian conducting the Examination on Arrival will need to scan the Horse’s microchip with a reader connected via Bluetooth to the FEI HorseApp, and also manually record the Horse’s temperature in the FEI HorseApp.
FEI Veterinarians assigned to upcoming FEI Events have been contacted and invited to follow online training sessions.
Click here for the full details and guidelines.
Check-In
In accordance with Art. 3.3.1 of the EHV-1 By-Laws and in line with traceability objectives, the FEI may request a Horse(s) to be “checked-in” to inform the FEI of its whereabouts.
Athletes, Grooms, Owners and Trainers can connect to the FEI HorseApp using their FEI ID number and check-in their Horse.
Click here for the full details and guidelines.
Check Out
Under the new Return To Competition measures, it is compulsory for the Organising Committee to formally ‘check out’ a horse by scanning the horse’s microchip or passport using the FEI HorseApp prior to leaving the Event. This ensures traceability should a disease outbreak occur.
Click here for the full details and guidelines.
The FEI HorseApp, including the Return To Competition modules, is available for download on the Apple App Store for iOS devices and Google Play Store for Android devices.
RETURN TO COMPETITION STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION
Stakeholder consultation was instrumental in the creation of the Return to Competition Measures, and the FEI has continued to consult with key stakeholders on implementation of the measures.
On Friday 9 April, the FEI hosted an Athlete Information Seminar for Athletes entered in FEI Events during the first two weeks following the Return To Competition on 12 April, and the 66 National Federations that those Athletes represent. Athletes were asked to invite their grooms to attend. The FEI Athlete Representatives, plus the International Jumping Riders Club (IJRC) and the International Dressage Riders Club (IDRC) were also invited.
You can watch the Athlete Seminar on replay here and download the presentation made by FEI Veterinary Director Göran Åkerström on Biosecurity Measures Applicable to Athletes and Grooms and FEI Director Information and Sports Technology Gaspard Dufour on the new FEI HorseApp Return To Competition Modules here.
Today, Monday 12 April, the FEI hosted training sessions for Veterinarians attending FEI Events from 12 April to 30 May, with a focus on the Examination on Arrival module on the FEI HorseApp. Veterinarians will also find a handy checklist in the Forms & Downloads section of the Return To Competition page on the EHV-1 hub.
The FEI has also initiated a series of meetings with Organisers to guide them through their obligations under the Return To Competition measures.
RETURN TO COMPETITION BY-LAWS
On Friday 9 April, the FEI published the legally binding By-Laws for the Return To Competition measures (published on 30 March 2021) which come into force today and will remain in effect until 30 May 2021, except where indicated otherwise. The By-Laws formalise the temporary provisions in the measures that are not covered by either the FEI Veterinary Regulations or the FEI General Regulations.
Please note that where there is a mandatory requirement for a negative PCR test for EHV-1 – that is events with more than 400 horses and overnight stabling, and for all horses prior to being transported by plane to an FEI event – there is a change to the timeline, as agreed by the FEI Veterinary Epidemiology Working Group. The original text, as published on 30 March, required that the sample must be taken no earlier than 96 hours before arrival at the event, but this has now been amended to 120 hours due to concerns about the turnaround time for getting test results back from laboratories.
The By-Laws and the list of countries concerned can be found in the Return To Competition section of the EHV-1 hub.
