Cancellation of NAF Five Star Winter Dressage Championships 2020

Following the recent change in government advice to contain the coronavirus outbreak, it is with regret that we confirm that the NAF Five Star Winter Championships, incorporating the PetPlan Area Festival Championships, scheduled to take place at Hartpury on 8-12 April 2020, have had to be cancelled.

This is the first time that the history of these championships that we have had to take this decision, due to unprecedented circumstances out of our control.  However, our primary consideration has to be the safety of our competitors, officials and staff working at the championships – and we have a duty of care, as well as a social responsibility, to safeguard the health and wellbeing of all participants and to minimise the spread of this virus.

Over the past few days we have been working on contingency plans that would enable the championship finals to continue ‘behind closed doors’, but in light of the social distancing measures and restrictions on non-essential travel recommended by the government this has not been possible. 

We will continue to explore alternative solutions that may enable the Winter Championships to be run in some form at a later date, or for qualifications to count towards future competitions, but with uncertainty surrounding the duration of the current shutdown period it is difficult for all sporting bodies and organisations to plan ahead effectively at present.  We will continue to closely monitor the situation and once it becomes clearer when the sport may be able to resume we can assess the overall impact on the dressage event calendar.

Full refunds will be provided to all competitors that have entered, including entry, stable and hook-up fees.  Refunds will be made to the payee, minus the booking and administration fees.  Full refunds will also be issued for all Gala Performance admission tickets and hospitality tickets, minus the booking and administration fees.  Please be aware that it may take some time to process these due to the volume of refunds required, but we aim for all payments to be made within 28 days.

We thank you for your patience and understanding in what is a difficult and challenging time for everyone.

Further information

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