Vaccinations for Equine Influenza – updated 5/1/23

New regulations are now in place regarding vaccinations for Equine Influenza. The PRA mirrors the rules of the British Horseracing Authority who have created a useful Vaccination Calculator which you can access here.

For further advice on vaccinating your pony in line with these new regulations, please speak to your vet.

Update 5/1/23:

The BHA have offered an extension on Equine Influenza booster vaccinations to January 15th 2023. 

This means that if your pony has not had a booster for Equine Influenza in the last 6 months you MUST get one on or before 14th January 2023. 

From 15th January, Equine Influenza booster vaccinations cannot exceed a 6-month interval. Those that do will need to restart their pony’s vaccinations for Equine Influenza before they can take part in any pony racing activity.  

THE PRA AWARDS 2022

Edward Gillespie, former Chairman of the PRA receives recognition for his services to Pony Racing from PRA Chairman Simon Claisse alongside the PRA Jockeys who took part in the Dragon (TV & Film) Studios Racecourse Series Finals at Cheltenham on Saturday 22nd October 2022

Congratulations to all the Jockeys who have raced this season. Having missed holding awards ceremonies in both 2020 and 2021 due to COVID, it was decided to hold the Awards after the Finals at Cheltenham on Saturday.

Well done to the following winners:

Leading Racecourse Series Rider & Pony Combination
Sponsored by Dragon (TV & Film) Studios
138cm – Freddie Fletcher & Veno Star
148cm – Megan Ridsdale & Mallow Royale
Presented by Gethyn Mills, Dragon (TV & Film) Studios

Rose Bengal Scholarship
Supported by Mr and Mrs Richard Prince
138cm – Harry Vigors
148cm – Eliza McPherson
Presented by Mr and Mrs Richard Prince

Best Turned Out
Sponsored by Howdens and RaceTech
138cm – Warren Fentiman
148cm – Freddie Keighley & Jude Brace
Presented by Kate Hills of Racetech

The Chiumbo Endeavour Award
138cm – Warren Fentiman
148cm – Billy Broomfield & Billy Loughnane
Presented by PRA Chairman Simon Claisse

Most Widely Travelled
138cm – Bruce Vaughan & Freddie Fletcher
148cm – Billy Loughnane
Presented by PRA Chairman Simon Claisse

Leading Point-to-Point Pony Riders

138cm – Bruce Vaughan
148cm – Harry Vigors

Presented by PRA Board member and PPSA Representative Nickie Sheppard

The George Crawford Bursary, supported by the George Crawford Legacy Trust
Cara Tuke
The award was presented by PRA Board member and PPSA Representative Nickie Sheppard

Services to Pony Racing
Edward Gillespie

We are recruiting…

This Role is Now CLOSED.
A new role has arisen for a Programme Coordinator to help deliver the Pathway into Racing through Pony Racing. The Pathway is in its second year and is spearheaded by the Pony Racing Authority. It brings together activities delivered by partners including Racing to School, the Pony Club, Careers in Racing, the British Racing School and the National Horseracing College. The Pathway aims to introduce young riders to racing with particular emphasis on diversity and inclusion.

Please find the full job specification and how to apply here. Now Closed.

Interview with Edward Gillespie as he retires from 10 years of Chairman of the Pony Racing Authority

Edward alongside PRA Jockey (now Graduate) Poppy Scott at the PRA Awards in 2018

What are the biggest changes you have seen during your chairmanship?

“Primarily, the PRA is the regulatory body that looks after what you might call ‘the small print’ that allows the widest possible participation in the sport of Pony Racing. Thanks to the immense work of those who came before me, we have needed to make remarkably few changes. Instead, we have been able to drive the sport forward, developing activities at all three levels of competition and broadening the appeal through Academies and Taster Days. Keeping the sport going through periods of equine flu and the pandemic has been a terrific achievement and a credit to both the Executive and to the flexibility and commitment of riders and supporters. 

What are the main challenges you see facing pony racing?

Keeping Racecourses ‘onside’ for the Dragon (TV & Film) Series will continue to be a challenge. Racecourses are incredibly generous with their facilities and supply of Officials and Medics. We need to reward that by delivering attractive races in terms of quality and quantity of runners. That’s why our new handicapping initiative was introduced; a reminder that racing over many centuries has relied on that means of ‘levelling up’. 

Tremendous progress is being made with establishing Academies, particularly since the PRA was asked by the Racing Foundation to lead the ‘Pathway into Horse Racing through Pony Racing Project’ with other organisations focussed on attracting and retaining young people into Racing. I am really excited for the future with where many of these are located, in what have been ‘cold spots’ for the sport. In every case, we depend on the enthusiasm of a few individuals who see the benefits of what we are offering. Our aim is to help Racing truly reflect the nation – how it looks, talks and feels. That requires recruitment from a wide range of communities for jockeys, coaches and administrators.

What was your favourite moment during your Chairmanship?

There have been so many for me over the past ten years, on and off the track. Seeing Tom Marquand, who happens to come from the village where I live, and Hollie Doyle achieve national recognition has been wonderful. PRA Graduates now dominate Jump Racing and I celebrate every big win they achieve. Following Benoit de la Sayette’s journey right from the beginning to seeing him carve through the field in the Victoria Cup at Ascot was very special. He has shown that life is seldom straightforward and succeeding in sport brings with it immense challenges that can be overcome by having the right support group. 

What’s next?

I am delighted Simon Claisse will be taking over from me as Chair. Simon and I formed a fun partnership as Chief Exec and Clerk of the Course at Cheltenham for a decade and I know he will bring expertise, energy and fresh ideas. We have a fantastic Board and Excecutive. I wish them all possible success. 

For me, my other role which can continue for a few years, is as Lord-Lieutenant of Gloucestershire, The Queen’s representative in the county. That takes me racing occasionally and brings me into contact with many people who share my passion for horses. 

PRA Announces Simon Claisse as Chairman

The Pony Racing Authority (PRA) is delighted to announce Simon Claisse, previously Chairman of the Point-to-Point Authority and former Head of Racing for the Jockey Club South West Courses and Clerk of the Course at Cheltenham Racecourse, will take over as Chairman from 1st July 2022 from Edward Gillespie who has held the position since 2013. 

 Simon has been involved in pony racing since it was introduced to this country in 2004 both in his role at Cheltenham Racecourse and in a personal capacity.

 Commenting on the appointment, Edward said, “I am thrilled that Simon has agreed to take on this vital role within an area of the industry that is so important to the future of the sport.

 The knowledge and experience that Simon brings to this role will help take the PRA and pony racing to the next level.

 I have really enjoyed being involved with the PRA helping drive it forward to reach new communities.  So much has been achieved over the past decade, with the support of everyone across Racing. We have over 180 graduates riding either under Rules or in Point-to-Points with many of these coming from households with no equine or racing knowledge. All the very best to Simon, the Board and the Executive for developing the sport further. There is so much to look forward to”.


Simon commented: “I have been an advocate of pony racing since its inception, it was hugely satisfying to host pony racing and to stage the first PRA Graduates race at Cheltenham. Having been involved with a family member who competed at all levels, the sport clearly provides a huge amount of fun for its participants, but equally invaluable experience demonstrated by the competency levels of those aspiring to progress further within horseracing.  I am looking forward to working with the Executive and the Board at such an exciting time for pony racing.  I am particularly looking forward to helping with the delivery of the Pathway into Racing through Pony Racing. This will take pony racing to new audiences with the aim of making pony racing accessible to everyone.”

Read the full press release here.

2022 Membership and Registering your Pony

-Please do not try to register ANY pony until you have completed your child/Jockey’s membership
-Please make sure your pony has completed the criteria for qualification BEFORE you try to register it. ie Training Day to be completed, not just booked.  For further details, see the PRA Regulations
-Qualifications MAY NOT be carried over from last season.
-Pony Registrations must be made by noon on Friday for approval. An email is sent to your inbox when the Chief PRA Steward approves the pony’s registration.  If approved, you will be able to enter races closing that Sunday. Register early to avoid disappointment. 
-When registering, you will be asked to upload photos of your pony’s passport. Please have this on hand and check the size of the photo’s you are uploading.
-Be aware that Annual JMB Measurements expired on the 31st December. You will need to remeasure your pony now for a valid 2022 season JMB number and you should book this directly with the JMB.
-If you wish to add a second pony for your Jockey to ride this season, please go to the pony’s registration page on your account and add the child/Jockey there. The same goes for adding a second Jockey to ride the same pony as another Jockey. 
On both occasions, please inform the Chief PRA Steward immediately by email (caroline@ponyracingauthority.co.uk) so they can check the qualification and pony details, and approve the addition.
-If you are registering a pony which is already on the PRA database, please be sure to enter the name correctly and as given on the passport.
(Using the official Passport name and not a stable name applies to all ponies!).
-If you are hoping to enter a race of a weekend you MUST make sure you have registered your pony on the PRA website, uploading all required documents and correct information including contact details for any Master or DC required to approve the qualification no later than 12, midday on the Friday before.  Please do not leave it to the last minute. 

Uploading Passport Pages?

Please don’t try to upload a PDF – it won’t work. Photos of passport pages must be JPEGs or PNGs and the total maximum size for all photos is 4 MB.  The easiest way to register your pony is often via a phone or tablet.  When uploading your passport’s front page, ID pages and Vaccination Records, simply click on the photo before you upload and change the ‘Actual Size’ of the photo to ‘Large Size’. 

Amendments to the Vaccinations Code

EQUINE INFLUENZA VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS

From 01 January 2022, the primary course and booster interval schedule for Equine Influenza vaccinations will be amended as follows:

 The European Horserace Scientific Liaison Committee (EHSLC) Board approved the above changes to vaccination protocols in October 2019, following consideration of advice from experts in equine infectious disease.

As communicated by the BHA in November 2019, it was initially proposed that the harmonisation changes come into effect from January 2021, subject to consultation with participants in each racing jurisdiction, which was subsequently delayed by the BHA due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The harmonised EHSLC primary course and six-monthly booster intervals will now come into effect from 01 January 2022, with the BHA and Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) taking a coordinated approach to implementation.

Please note that the new primary course and booster intervals were implemented in both France and Germany on 05 May 2021, so horses entered to race in these jurisdictions must be compliant with the new requirements.

Primary course intervals

-Primary course intervals are only required for horses that have not yet been administered a primary course or are required to re-start a new primary course.

-Horses that have a compliant primary course and compliant subsequent boosters up to and including 31 December 2021 do not have to re-start the vaccination process. 

-Any horse starting a new primary course up to and including 31 December should continue with the current intervals, even if V2 and V3 are administered in 2022.

-Any horse starting a primary course from 01 January 2022 must comply with the new intervals.

 Six-monthly boosters 

Boosters should be administered no more than six months apart, according to calendar months rather than a fixed number of days. For example, a horse that is fully vaccinated on 01 January would require a booster on or before 01 July.

-We ask that trainers seek to move to the new vaccination schedule as soon as practicable. However, to help trainers implement the changes with minimal disruption to training, horses should be fully compliant with the new requirements by 01 January 2023.

-This means that before 01 January 2023, race entry will not be refused on the ground of having not yet commenced six-monthly boosters.

-As of 01 January 2023, an Entry for a Race, or a Confirmation of Entry in respect of Early Closers, will not be accepted for any horse unless it has a correct vaccination record.

To be clear: all horses must have a compliant vaccination record by 01 January 2023 (i.e.) all horses must have been administered a booster within six months of 01 January 2023.

*Horses which are due an annual booster between 01 January 2022 – 30 June 2022 will require a booster vaccination between 01 July 2022 – 31 December 2022 in order to be compliant by 01 January 2023.

*Horses which are due an annual booster between 01 July 2022 – 31 December 2022 will be compliant by 01 January 2023.

*NB horses which are vaccinated on 01 July 2022 will be due their next booster on or before 01 January 2023.

-As under the existing Rules, there is no minimum interval for boosters.

-Horses which do not have a compliant vaccination record as of 01 January 2023 will be required to re-start. Horses which have an interval of over six months between boosters will be required to re-start.