Competing in the EU Post Brexit - is it worth it?
Back in February 2021 I wrote the blog below, trying to work out what the extra costs in money and time Brexit would add to competing in Europe. Having recently returned from Lier in Belgium, it seems that I actually underestimated the costs, but perhaps over estimated the time! I didn’t underestimate how much I would miss the access to these shows and the huge value of them.
I thought the extra cost would be approximately £500 per horse, but in fact it’s nearer to £900 per horse, which makes it very expensive. Prior to Brexit the costs were the ferry fee, shippers fees and health papers, unless you were travelling to France, who had a tripartate agreement with Ireland and the UK where you just signed a declaration of health and submitted it to your shippers. The costs at the end of July 2023 were:
Shippers fee £130 per horse - up from £95 for three horses in August 2020.
Customs charges £120 per horse - previously £0
SIVEP - vet check - £140 per truck and £120 per horse - previously £0
Ferry £200 + fuel surcharge - £195 + VAT in August 2020
IPAFFS £55 per truck - previously £0
GMR £15 each way - previously £0
Carnet - approx £500 per horse per annum depending on the value of the horse (Actually £800 for 3 horses in February 2021) - previously £0
Health papers - from £120 - £240 per horse depending on veterinary practice - previously £60/70 per horse. If you go to a two week show the show has to apply for health papers for the return journey - about €70 per horse.
Charges for the train are more, apart from the vet check which is £111 per horse, but this is easily offset by the train cost of £500 per truck and £325 per horse.
Timewise the extras are a stop for UK customs before you arrive at Dover or Folkestone. Either Stop 24 on the M20 or Moto as you enter the port at Dover. This takes about 25 minutes. It’s a similar wait on the way home at Calais and then you have to stop again at Dover or Folkestone for UK customs. We sailed with Irish Ferries, and I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly we were through border security and in the queue for the boat. On arrival at Calais you need to do French customs and the vet check SIVEP.
The vet check is cursory at best, we waited 45 minutes then moved the lorry into the inspection shed, put the ramp down, and then just put it straight up - the number of horses wasn’t even counted, let alone checking their chips or health, we then waited about 20 minutes for customs clearance. I think we were lucky as others had waited longer, and at times when huge numbers of lorries are leaving for tours in Southern Europe the wait can be far longer. It is of course very easy to try and blame the French for all of this, but they never asked for Brexit, and undoubtedly some shows in Northern France have suffered from lack of British competitors. France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands all regard equestrianism as a very valuable part of the economy - although equestrianism: competition horses, race horses and breeding provide a significant contribution to the UK economy and to employment in UK, it’s hard to feel that it’s taken very seriously here, we were seriously under represented going into Brexit, and those of us who tried to lobby were just passed from department to department, each one saying it wasn’t their responsibility. Both the BEF and BS seemed under prepared for the implications of a hard Brexit, and I think any concerns were largely ignored, and there was a lot of hoping for the best and the application of common sense, which definitely did not prevail.
From October 2024 the UK will have its own version of SIVEP with similar charges coming home. So depending on the number of horses on each truck approximately £200 per horse. Hopefully every member of British Showjumping who wishes to compete in Europe filled out the survey form and the comments sections as this should be as strongly resisted as possible. All horses competing in FEI competitions are checked by a vet in the 24 hours before they leave home, and they have their temperatures taken twice a day for the three days before they leave and have had a blood test for Equine Infections Anemia, they have their temperatures taken twice a day at the show, and are (in theory) checked by a vet before they leave the show. They are very unlikely to develop observable symptoms between leaving their yards and arriving in Calais on the outward trip, and between leaving a European show and arriving in the UK on the return trip.
The British Horse Council is the body who represents the interests of the Equestrian Industry to the Government. Perhaps I am the only person who didn’t know this until today - but I think we should all contact them with our thoughts on this. We should also lobby British Showjumping and the British Equestrian Federation (who are the governing body for all equestrian sport in the UK) - the finer details of this are not set in stone yet, let’s lobby before it happens rather than after. We will have a general election before October 2024 and hopefully whichever party wins they will have to resolve to have a better trade relationship with Europe. Many people were blindsided by the effects of a hard Brexit in 2021, our voices need to be heard before a UK vet check makes things even more difficult.
Is it worth it? It’s always been expensive to compete internationally and Brexit has made it the cost eye watering, but the value of going to these shows cannot be overstated. I had a pretty rotten show in Lier this time, horrible weather, no prize money and a painful fall, but I still felt it was entirely worthwhile, and will definitely aim to go back. Trade was very strong at the show, especially in the young horse classes, with agents, buyers and big operations like Ashford Farms there every day looking for horses. I had good and genuine interest in the horses every day. It was great to re-establish old contacts and make some new friends, and the horses felt as though they were really improving. We have some lovely shows in the UK, but in order to raise your game you have to get out of your comfort zone. A huge effort has been made to provide more international shows in the UK, and ranking points are available, but at a normal CSI2* in Belgium there are always more of the best riders in the world, it’s an education just to watch them, but to get in the ring and be competitive with these riders is a real privilege, and is inspiring. It’s no coincidence that the only ranking points I ever won were won in the UK, the standard is so much higher in the EU with up to 200 in a class and courses to match. Watching recent 2* classes in the UK, those who travel to Europe stand out and achieve consistent success.
Invariably the footing at these shows is excellent, and the course building good. The courses are a little bit different too: big arenas, slightly more open distances, more bending lines and lighter materials. Riders wanting to make an international career at the higher levels need to educate themselves and their horses to cope with this way of jumping. If you look at those representing Great Britain in nations cups and championship teams they are all competing regularly abroad - even our youth teams all had to travel to Europe to gain the experience necessary for selection.
Many of our most talented young riders are now basing themselves abroad, working for big yards like Ashford Farms, Jos Lansink, Karel Cox & VDL Stud in order to further their careers, and many of the big players in the sport are buying or renting yards in Europe to optimise their access to the best of the sport, I have several friends who are producers, or want to jump at 1.35 - 1.45 level who have relocated to France and Belgium. We are breeding a lot of really lovely horses in the UK, but we need access to the Europe for our best marketing opportunities.
Our most famous show, Hickstead, will not have a nations cup until at least 2028, and without this you have to wonder what the incentive to cross the Channel to the UK will be. Windsor CSI5* and London GCT CSI5* were well attended, but there were big grumbles after Windsor in 2023. The costs and delays of returning to Europe are a disincentive to compete in the UK
Last time I competed in Lier, there were probably at least 25 British competitors competing across the classes with a mix of young and older horses, whereas on this occasion 5 lorries had come from the UK, with a further 5 or 6 British riders who were based in Europe. Top British based riders are not going to 2* shows and taking a bunch of pupils and young horses, we have effectively withdrawn from this part of the market. Riders based in Ireland are managing to take the long ferry direct to Cherbourg to avoid leaving and entering the EU twice, but our continued progress and success in the sport is being severely hampered by added cost and our nervousness about this.
It is definitely not economical to go abroad for one show, and probably for less than three or four shows, but in Belgium there are lots of 3 day national shows with classes up to 1.40 or 1.45. You can do a weekend registration for €100, or in the winter months you can jump without registering. It is often possible to make arrangement with the shows come early and leave late so you don’t need interim stabling. These shows charge normal prices for shavings (e.g. €12 a bale - which is what I pay in the UK) and hay. If you take your own feed and bedding you must take invoices to show they are not for resale.
My conclusion is that yes, it is worth it, if you possibly can European shows raise your game, open your eyes to loads of possibilities, promote your horses and provide a really valuable experience.