It is unlikely British and British-based riders will be able to compete at Europe’s first CCI5* of the year after news broke today (Friday, 28 May) that there will be no exceptions to restrictions.
The restrictions for UK-based travellers are in effect a travel ban, with very limited exceptions. One potential route for competitors still determined to get to Germany would be investigating travelling earlier and undergoing a minimum 10-day “quarantine” stay in a nation that does not currently have a ban on UK travellers and is not on Germany’s “areas of virus variants of concern” list.
A spokesman for the horse trials told H&H that the event received the “official information today [28 May] that there will be no exemption from the required quarantine for travellers from the UK”.
“This is not only binding for equestrian sports but for example also for soccer, golf etc. at the moment. Nobody can say if things will change again closer to the event,” she said, adding that national federations have just been informed.
“Therefore everyone needs to decide if they would like to hope and wait, find a way to travel earlier in order to go into quarantine or cancel their trips.”
Information on the UK Government website states: “From 23 May the UK is designated as a virus variant area of concern, which means that you may only enter Germany from the UK if you are a German citizen, a resident or their spouse/partner/child under 18, or if you can invoke an urgent humanitarian reason such as an immediate family bereavement.
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
“No other travellers may enter Germany from the UK. Further information about restrictions on entry from areas of virus variants of concern is on the Federal Interior Ministry website. Travel from the UK is subject to pre-departure digital registration and 14-day quarantine with no exemptions and no possibility for early test and release.”
Riders hoping to compete at the five-star at Luhmühlen may have their plans scuppered as Germany tightens restrictions on those
There are 38 British combinations still entered in the five-star, as well as a number in the CCI4*-S, which is held at the same time. Many of these are double, or triple entered in the four-star sections at Bicton (9-13 June) and/or Millstreet (3-6 June), but it is still a blow to top-level sport.
A number of international riders based in Britain are also among the entries, including reigning title holders New Zealand’s Tim Price and Ascona M (plus his 2018 Burghley winner Ringwood Sky Boy) and 2018 winners Jonelle Price and Faerie Dianimo.
Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade to access our H&H Plus online service which brings you breaking news as it happens as well as other benefits.
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
