BRC Handbook

Flu vaccinations

G7.3 Incorrect Flu Vaccinations

A yellow/red card system will be adopted for qualifiers and championships, whereby a yellow card can be given to a competitor, allowing them to compete, with an advisory notice to get the vaccinations corrected within a set time frame. A red card will be given where welfare of the horse is compromised or for a second offence, an advisory notice will be issued to ensure correction of the incorrect flu vaccination.

At qualifiers this system will be implemented by the Official Steward and at championships through the Ground Jury.

No refund of entries or stabling fees will be awarded for any disqualification at either qualifiers or championships.

Every effort is made to ensure that flu vaccination checking is carried out correctly. BRC accepts no responsibility whatsoever for any losses incurred, whether directly or indirectly due to incorrect checking. It is the sole responsibility of the competitor to ensure that their horse’s flu vaccinations are valid and it should not be assumed that because vaccinations have been accepted at one competition in good faith, it will be accepted at another competition.

G7.3.1 Yellow Cards

Yellow cards will be issued provided that the welfare of the horse is not compromised. An advisory notice will be issued and reported to the BRC Office. A competitor will be given a period of 28 days, or, before they next compete in a BRC qualifier or championship, taken from the date the advisory notice is issued to rectify. The period of 28 days is given when competitions are running close together, allowing the horse to compete within the 28 days without being penalised. Once the 28 days has expired, the Flu Vaccination certificate must be corrected before competing is permitted. Yellow cards must be rectified before attending a championship where possible. If not feasible due to timescale of events, dispensation must be granted by BRC Office for the competitor to attend. Competitors issued with a yellow card will be permitted to compete in the qualifier or championship the flu vac failure has been identified at.

Examples of where a yellow card would be given with an advisory notice to rectify the issue/restart the vaccinations within a set period of time but not limited to are:

• First booster date has been given too early/too late
• Primary injections given too early/late
• Errors with annual vaccination
• No veterinary stamp
• Incorrect date written in passport

The advisory notice will inform the action to be taken where possible.

G7.3.2 Red Cards

Red cards will be issued when there is a potential risk to horse welfare. An advisory notice will be issued and reported to the BRC office. Competitors who receive a red card will not be permitted to compete in the qualifier or championship where the flu vac failure has been identified at. The horse may not be able to compete at subsequent qualifiers or championships depending upon the error, until this is corrected.

Examples of where a red card will be issued, resulting in disqualification from the event, but not limited to, are:

• No vaccinations presented at all
• Vaccination given on any of the 6 days preceding the competition or entry to stabling
• No microchip
• Failure through having received a yellow card, to not make the corrections

G7.3.3 Flu Vaccination Reporting

All errors with flu vaccinations will be reported to the BRC office and kept on record. For yellow cards the details will be kept until the error is corrected. For red cards the details will be kept for a period of 12 months from the date BRC is notified, the error has been corrected.

It is the competitor’s responsibility to ensure any advisory notices are acted upon, failure to do so may result in disciplinary action being taken and/or disqualification. Official Stewards will receive regular updates of horses on record along with the horse details i.e. passport number/microchip number, the competitor’s name and club for their records.