Equine Influenza Vaccination Requirement for The Pony Club Championships
With the increased number of reported Equine Flu cases across the country, Members are reminded that horses and ponies must be vaccinated in accordance with The Pony Club Equine Influenza Vaccination Policy to attend any Pony Club activities.
The Pony Club Championships:
For The Pony Club Championships at Offchurch Bury, it is strongly recommended that horses and ponies should have either received a booster or the primary course V1 and V2, within 6-months and 21 days prior to arrival at the event in line with the FEI protocol.
All vaccinations must be given at least 7 clear days before arrival at the Championships.
What this means in practice:
If your horse or pony is already vaccinated within the 6-month and 21-day window, NO ACTION is required.
If the last vaccination falls outside the 6-month and 21-day window, a booster should be given before attending.
* Important: August vaccinations must still be given at least 7 clear days before arrival at any event.
** If your horse or pony was vaccinated in February 2026, it may be too early to meet the 6‑month and 21-day interval. This depends on the exact vaccination date and the date you attend the Championships. If you are unsure, please email equinewelfare@pcuk.org for advice.
Key Points to Remember:
- Vaccination is strongly recommended to be within 6-months and 21-days of attendance date
- Must be given at least 7 clear days before attending
- If in doubt, book a vaccination now to ensure maximum protection
Please remember that it is a legal requirement for all horses and ponies to travel with their passport.
Vaccination Intervals:
*** For the period 1st October 2022 to 31st December 2022 only, lower risk equines may have, with veterinary advice and approval, extended the annual booster period to 15 months if there was a genuine veterinary shortage of vaccine. The subsequent booster should have been made within 9 months, resulting in 2 booster vaccinations in 2 years and making the 2023 vaccine booster date no more than 24 months from the 2021 due date. Vaccination records which have this extension clearly approved and annotated by the vet will be accepted at Pony Club events.
~ Horses and ponies must not attend activities within 7 days of receiving any vaccination. For clarity: no horse or pony may compete on the same day as a relevant injection is given or on any of the 6 days following such an injection.
Checking Passports and Microchip Numbers:
Prior to the Championships, you will be required to upload a copy of your horse or pony’s passport including the vaccination page(s) onto the entry system, where it will be checked and approved. (FAQs will be available when entries open to help with this).
On arrival at the Championships, your horse or pony will be scanned to check the microchip number matches the uploaded passport.
You will not be permitted to stay at the event if:
- The vaccination status does not meet The Pony Club’s Vaccination Rule
- The V1, V2 and V3 vaccination intervals are not correct for the time period in which they were administered.
- The passport and the microchip do not match.
- The passport is not available for inspection. Photocopies or screenshots are not accepted. (Replacement Passports are permitted)
Please refer to The-Pony-Club-Equine-Influenza-VACCINATION-RULE for further information.
If you have any questions or concerns, please ask your Branch DC, Area Representative, Centre Proprietor, Centre Co-Ordinator, or if they cannot help, please ask them to email equinewelfare@pcuk.org.