British Equestrian Federation triumphs at Coaching Awards

The British Equestrian Federation (BEF) has won the Governing Body of the Year at the UK Coaching Awards 2009.

The glittering awards ceremony which is hosted by Sports Coach UK, was held in London on Tuesday 8 December and presented by John Inverdale. The awards honour the success of coaches and coaching organisations over the last 12 months. It was a highly competitive category which included the Rugby Football Union and British Swimming with the BEF coming out on top.

The accolade, supported by Sports Structures incorporating jobswithballs.com, is awarded to a governing body that has made a significant contribution and impact on the development of a coaching system and individual coaches across the UK.

Andrew Finding, the BEF’s Chief Executive, says: ‘We are delighted to have won this award - it’s fantastic to be recognised as a leading sport in this area. The lottery funding we receive has been instrumental in allowing the Federation as a whole to professionalise the sport. Last night the judges also recognised our collaborative work. The great thrill has been to see our broad community working together, be they from Vaulting, Driving, Show Jumping, the British Horse Society, the RDA or the Pony Club, from England, Scotland or Wales. It is the effectiveness of this collaboration of equals that has made the difference.

‘It’s a tribute to the hard work and dedication of everyone, but particularly Colin Wilson, who started the work in a consultancy role for us, and then Head of Sports Development, Suzanne Genery who has provided the leadership in coaching within our Federation. I want also to pay tribute to the leaders of our 16 member body organisations that make up our Federation – these are the people who have made it happen on the ground – thank you all.’

Joanna Jones, Equestrian Coaching Systems Manager at Sports Coach UK, said: ‘The BEF truly deserve to be recognised for this award. They have placed coaching at the heart of their delivery and significant work has taken place through the BEF Coaching Development Action Team to create a clear vision for coaching for the forthcoming years.’

The BEF is the recognised governing body of horse sports in the UK. It exists to provide leadership, vision and purpose in steering the direction of equestrianism.

Equestrian is one of the priority sports working with Sports Coach UK to develop the UK Coaching Framework. The framework highlights how Sports Coach UK plans to work in close partnership with governing bodies of sport to enhance the quality and quantity of coaches at all levels, leading to increased and sustained participation and improved performance.

Important Human Anti-Doping Information

There have been recent developments within the area of human anti-doping that you should be aware of, and that you should make your members aware of immediately please. There is quite a lot of information here so I have tried to keep it as brief as possible while still giving sufficient information. If you would like further detail, please let me know.

Global Drug Reference Online (Global DRO)
Many of you will remember the old Drugs Information Database (DID) – an online tool used for checking the status of medications. The DID was taken out of service early this year and we were promised that there would be an even better replacement. That time has now come and I am pleased to announce that, in conjunction with the Anti-Doping Agencies of the USA and Canada, UK Sport have launched the Global Drug Reference Online or Global DRO as it will be colloquially known.

The Global DRO can be found at www.globaldro.com and can be used by athletes or athlete support personnel. I would encourage athletes to familiarise themselves with the Global DRO and to make it their first port of call in the event of a query over the status of a substance. The data is reliable and athletes can print a record of their search, which I would always advise them to do.

UK Anti Doping (UKAD)
On 14 December 2009, the Drug Free Sport function of UK Sport will cease to exist and a new body, UK Anti Doping (UKAD) will exist in its place, carrying out all of the functions that UK Sport Drug Free Sport carried out previously as a completely separate body. I know that Janice has been in touch with you under separate cover about what this means for your organisation with regard to anti-doping rules.

The 2010 Prohibited List
WADA has now published the 2010 List of Prohibited Substances, which will come into effect on 01 January 2010. In the meantime, athletes should continue to refer to the 2009 Prohibited List.
Documents:
2010 Prohibited List
2010 Prohibited List Changes (Final 22/10/09)
FEI declaration of use form 2009

The most important things for athletes to be aware of are:

· Pseudoephedrine will be prohibited from 01 January 2010.
Pseudoephedrine is readily available in many over the counter cold and flu remedies and athletes should take particular care when using such products. As with all medications, athletes should check the status of any cold and flu type remedies on www.globaldro.com before using the product.

· The Process has changed for Asthma Inhalers
Two Beta-2 Agonists taken via inhalation, Salbutamol and Salmeterol, will not require a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) as of 01 January 2010. Instead, athletes will be required to complete a Declaration of Use (DoU) as per the current system for glucocorticosteroids.

International competitors will need to declare their use of Salbutamol or Salmeterol to the FEI – we are awaiting a copy of the form.
National competitors will need to declare their use of Salbutamol or Salmeterol to UKAD using the online declaration form on the 100% ME website (www.100percentme.co.uk).

Please note that all other Beta-2 Agonists will still require lung function tests and a TUE.

· Platelet Derived Preparations
Platelet derived preparations are sometimes used by doctors in the treatment of injuries – they can also be referred to as Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) or “spun blood”. These treatments can be given in a number of ways, and athletes should be clear about which route of administration is going to be used before receiving the treatment to ensure that the relevant notification has taken place:

Intramuscular injection of PRP is prohibited and athletes should apply for a TUE before having this treatment.

Receipt of PRP preparations via any other route will require a Declaration of Use to the FEI (international competitors) or UKAD (national competitors).

Sophie Thomas
World Class Performance Assistant and Anti Doping Liaison Officer

British Equestrian Federation
T: +44 (0) 2476 698874
W: www.bef.co.uk

WEG Selection Policy

The WEG Selection Policy has now been signed off by BEF an British Reining Council and is now available for download from the Team GBR page of the website along with relevant forms.

If you don't fancy putting your name forward for the team, perhaps you would like to contribute to the enormous cost involved in delivering a team to such events.

Any items suitable for auction/raffle prizes to aid with fund raising would also be very much appreciated.

Greenwich Park has been selected to host the Olympic Equestrian and Modern Pentathlon events and the Paralympic Dressage competition

In the summer of 2012 the UK will come alive with the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Greenwich Park has been selected to host the Olympic Equestrian and Modern Pentathlon events and the Paralympic Dressage competition. It’s an amazing opportunity for local people to get involved, with many benefits for the community.

Whats happening in Greenwich Park?

Equestrian
Equestrian consists of Dressage, Eventing, Jumping and Paralympic Dressage.

Dressage takes place over four days in a temporary Arena and involves 50 competitors in team and individual events.

Eventing takes place over four days and consists of Dressage, Jumping and Cross Country. Eventing includes team and individual events for 75 competitors. The Cross Country section lasts for a single day. This is the only element of Equestrian competition held outside the Arena.

Jumping takes place in the Arena over four days. The jumps are designed to showcase the culture and history of the host country. There are team and individual events for 75 competitors.

Paralympic Dressage takes place over five days in the Arena. There are team and individual events involving 75 riders.

Modern Pentathlon
In Modern Pentathlon athletes compete in five disciplines – Fencing, Swimming, Riding and a combined Run/Shoot event – in a single day. Men compete on one day, women on a second. The Riding section involves completing a Jumping course in the temporary Arena. The Run/Shoot event also takes place in the Arena with the running course extending a short way into the Park near the Arena.

Why Greenwich Park?
The Park was chosen for a number of key reasons:

The Park’s closeness to the Olympic Village ensures the Equestrian events are placed at the heart of the Games. Travel time for athletes will be kept to a minimum, enabling them to feel part of the action.
It’s cost effective. Modern Pentathlon takes place over one day in which the athletes need to access the fencing and swimming facilities in the Olympic Park and riding, shooting and running facilities close by. Holding Equestrian and Modern Pentathlon events in the same location in Greenwich Park removes the need to build duplicate facilities. This reduces costs and makes it easier for the athletes competing.
Using a popular London location allows spectators to travel to the venue by public transport and ensures they enjoy the buzz of the city during the Games.
New urban audiences have a chance to see elite-level Equestrian events at first hand.
This iconic location showcases Greenwich and London to audiences worldwide.

Greenwich Park at Games time

Spectators
Access to Greenwich Park for spectators at Games time will be via the National Maritime Museum side of Romney Road and Blackheath Gates.

We are planning a managed crossing of Romney Road and, for one day only (Cross Country day, provisionally 31 July 2012), a managed crossing of the A2 Shooters Hill Road.

Transport
Our transport plans will maximise the use of rail, bus and river links and walking and cycling routes. As part of our venue ticketing strategy, spectators will be encouraged to travel via public transport. Travel tickets will be included with event tickets.

Coaches delivering competitors and officials will drop off in designated areas within the venue. Our revised transport plans, based on residents' comments, remove Games traffic from Greenwich town centre.

The Olympic Route Network in Greenwich
The Olympic Route Network will be used to ensure the people who play a part in making the Games happen, such as athletes and officials, get to their events quickly, safely and reliably. It only operates during the Games. Furthermore, being a ‘designated’ road does not mean that the road would automatically be restricted.

Local access
Local residents and businesses near Greenwich Park will have priority parking provision and access to their homes and properties throughout the Games period.

See Detailed venue proposals for more information about Park closures.

Our vision is that London 2012 should be ‘everyone’s Games’. This is why your views are important to us and we welcome your thoughts.

During October, we will be consulting widely with the communities around Greenwich Park. Before we finalise our plans, we would like your feedback, so please complete our online form.

You can also print out and post the form to a Freepost address. The deadline for your feedback is 31 October 2009.

We will use your views as part of the formal consultation process and to give feedback to the team of project designers.

The formal town planning consultation process ends on 31 October. In November we will submit our town planning application.

We have set up a consultation hotline that you can call if you have any questions or would like further information on matters relating to the plans. The number is 0800 198 2012.

Horse Riders Take Action Online as New Cost Sharing Campaign Website and e-Petition to the Prime Minister Go Live

Horse riders across the UK are joining together to urge the Government to think again about imposing an unfair “tax in all but name” on every horse owner in the UK.

The “Rethink the Horse Tax” campaign, launched today by a coalition of organisations representing a broad cross section of the UK horse industry, is calling on riders, breeders and veterinarians to make their voices heard by visiting a new campaign website – www.RethinktheHorseTax.org – and take action by writing to their constituency MPs and by signing an online petition to the Prime Minister.

Campaigners are further concerned that plans to create a new agency will place mounting costs on horse owners at a time when Government support is needed to help boost rural economies and encourage wider participation in outdoor sport.

Under the plans, horse owners would be charged on the same basis as keepers of livestock farm animals such as sheep and pigs – despite the fact that a significant proportion of horses are kept for leisure and sporting, rather than commercial activities, paid for from of income that is already taxed.

Veterinary surgeons have also made it clear that plans to create a new agency responsible for animal health could needlessly complicate the process of managing outbreaks of animal disease animal health, putting at risk the clear single line of command essential in the event of a major disease outbreak. A lack of clarity over the roles of the four Chief Veterinary Officers in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland in the proposals has also been highlighted as a major concern by the campaign.

And campaigners have further highlighted the fact that the new body would spend much of its time collecting charges from people who own just one horse (65% of horse owners), meaning that the cost of physically collecting the charge will almost outweigh the charge itself – an estimated £2.3m would be needed to collect just £4.5m from horse owners under the plans.

With costs of £14.3m to set up and millions more to maintain the new body in the coming years, campaigners have made it clear that the proposals do not represent value for money for either the equine community or the taxpayer.

Andrew Finding, Chief Executive of the British Equestrian Federation said:
“Through this campaign the horse community has an opportunity to make its voice heard and send a strong message to the Government on cost sharing. The proposals just don’t make a convincing case on how hitting horse owners with new costs and extra bureaucracy will benefit either the equine community or taxpayers in general.”

Mark Weston, Director of Access Safety and Welfare at the British Horse Society, said:
“We need to make sure that politicians in Westminster are made fully aware of the potential damage that these proposals could do to the horse sector, and the lack of any perceived benefit that they would bring to the millions of Britons who enjoy horse riding each year.’

Notes to Editors
About the Rethink the Horse Tax Campaign:
Rethink the Horse Tax is a not-for-profit campaign led by a coalition of organisations representing all parts of the UK horse industry, encompassing horseracing, leisure riding, competitive sport, professional breeding and veterinarians. Organisations behind the campaign include:
· The British Horseracing Authority (BHA)
· The British Equestrian Federation (BEF)
· The Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA)
· The British Horse Society (BHS)
· The British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA)
· The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA)
· The National Trainers Federation (NTF)
· The Racecourse Owners Association (ROA)
For further information on the campaign please see: www.RethinktheHorseTax.org
Petition to the Prime Minister: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Horse-Rethink/

Further information on the Governments proposals:
· Defra’s proposals are available to view here: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/new-independent-body-ah/index.htm
· Under the proposals, horse owners would be charged an annual fee of £10.50 per animal (as set out in Defra’s Impact Assessment).
· Legislation which will bring the creation of the new quango into law was announced in the Government’s legislative agenda in July 2009. The new Bill has yet to be debated in the Houses of Parliament.
Some facts about the UK Horse Industry:
· 4.3 million people went horse riding last year. Riding is one of the most popular means by which more and more people are enjoying the British countryside.
· Burdening horse owners with new costs without justification will have a negative impact on an industry which makes a significant contribution to the UK economy in terms of tax revenue and the 270,000 people whose livelihoods depend on the horse sector.
· Horseracing attracts 6 million spectators each year, making it the UK’s second most watched sport.
· The horse racing industry alone contributes around £750,000 per year to central funding aimed at preventing and controlling infectious diseases.
For further information please contact:
Jan Rogers, British Equestrian Federation, 07725 332595

The British Reining team receive the “Bronze” at the 2009 F.E.I European Reining Championships at Kreuth, Germany

The first ever F.E.I. Team Medal for Reining that Great Britain has won.

Championship Show - Horse Creek Farm