The following letter from Equestrian Sport Productions COO and show manager David Burton, Jr. was sent to ESP exhibitors:
As many of you have heard, yesterday Florida Governor DeSantis announced that he is allowing Palm Beach County to enter “Phase 1” of reopening businesses. After reviewing our extensive protocols and the WHO mitigation score classifying Equestrian Sport Productions (ESP) horse show operations at a very low risk, the Village Of Wellington stated early this week that they would support our shows starting back in “Phase 1.” We appreciate your patience and understanding that we have been reluctant to put out much information regarding our planned events until we had this level of assurance that we could move forward. We are actively finalizing our updated ESP Spring Prize List to publish online as soon as final USEF license approvals have been issued.
We are currently planning to run two schooling show events on May 22-24 and May 29-31, followed by three straight weeks of USEF “A” Rated competitions along with three USEF Local Rated Wednesday Equitation days. A link to all of the schedule drafts can be found HERE.
All of these schedules have been modified to the best of our ability to limit the amount of time exhibitors will spend at the show grounds. We will update the SGL software to the best of our ability to allow for more precise information on when exhibitors will show. “Show and Go” is a large part of our new normal. This includes orders of go for all rings. We will also be utilizing sign up capabilities in the SGL software that will allow for individual requests for time slots to be selected before the finalized order of go is established. Information and tutorials will be announced shortly.
Please note that open schooling days will have times designated by time and height. We will not be allowing for show jumps to be touched during these open schooling times and limitations on horses allowed in the rings will be enforced. If your horse requires ring time before showing, we strongly suggest that you consider entering one of the schooling show days because open schooling will be limited in June.
Next week we will put out a full prize list and entry blanks and we will notify everyone by e-blast as well as posting on the PBIEC.com website and our social media pages. The first step will require that all entry forms, releases, and methods of payments be established. Once all forms are received and processed, you will be assigned a back number that can be used to enter all shows in May and June. The entry process will be opened up on May 18th. Please note that you will not be allowed to enter until a back number is assigned (Online back numbers of 10,000 or 20,000 are not a back number assignment).
We strongly suggest that if you are planning to show at any of these shows to fill out the proper forms and establish a payment method. No charges will be made until stall reservations and entries are accepted and processed. Entries will be limited by maximums allowed per ring per day. We strongly recommend that you enter the classes that you plan to show in for all days and all shows. Please do not expect for ring capacity to allow for adds to be accepted the day before. More than ever, your accuracy on entries will allow us to give you more precise information on when you will show.
Stalls will also be limited to those who have accepted entries and processed back numbers. Please note that by request of our local authorities, we will be limiting entries to barns and exhibitors that are not traveling from distances that require overnight housing. Once hotels open up in our area, we will announce that this restriction has been lifted.
Most of you received the “USEF announcement of COVID-19 Competition Action Plan,” and we have created a modified version of this document listing how ESP will adapt these requirements and recommendations to our horse show operation. We ask you all to take the time to read through this document so you can prepare for our “New Normal.” There is a lot of information to absorb in this document, so please read through this carefully. The ESP COVID-19 Competition Action Plan can be found HERE.
Trainers PLEASE read carefully through your responsibilities and bring all of the materials for your staff and clients to operate safely in the areas you control. We have been preparing our own list of protocols since early March with constant changes and adaptions based on USEF and local mandates. We are confident with enforcing these protocols, along with your cooperation, we can restart the sport we all love SAFELY.
As always, your safety and well-being is our number one priority. We sincerely look forward to getting our excellent show staff working again while seeing you all safely competing. We ask in advance for your patience, understanding, and support as we all learn to navigate these uncharted waters. Thanks in advance for your patronage.
~ David Burton, Jr.
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