Olympic riders meet Camilla before their trip to Hong Kong

The Olympic and Paralympic dressage and eventing teams took a break in their preparations to meet the patron of the British Equestrian Federation (BEF), the Duchess of Cornwall, at a special reception at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire on July 25.

The Duchess took the opportunity to talk to riders, team managers, coaches, and suppliers, wishing them good luck for the challenges ahead in Hong Kong.

The Olympic teams are currently going through seven days of pre-export quarantine, which is mandatory for all horses travelling to the Games.

The dressage team is in quarantine at Hartpury College, the eventing team at the Unicorn Trust in Stow on the Wold, with the jumping team at Towerlands in Essex.

The Paralympic team will also be at the Unicorn Trust from August 18.

Strict bio-security measures are in place for the duration of the quarantine period.

Chief executive of the BEF, Andrew Finding, said the event was a good focal point for all the teams and he shared the delight of the riders at meeting the Duchess.

He said: “This was a valuable opportunity to gather some of the teams together prior to their departure for Hong Kong and focus on the task ahead.

The Federation as a whole wishes the Olympic and Paralympic teams the very best of luck as they go off to Hong Kong knowing that they have had the very best of preparation.”

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