The leading National Hunt trainer, who is the son of former Olympic champion showjumper Nick Skelton, speaks out on Brexit’s impact and why we must sell our sport
The biggest problem we have right now in the horse industry, not just racing, is Brexit. We’re all feeling its impact and politicians, Brexiteers and its implementers have let the equestrian world down massively.
The problems seem to stem from the fact that all the new legislation was pushed through in such a haphazard way that a lot of industries got forgotten – and there’s no question that the equine industry was one of the most forgotten of the whole lot.
Politicians have effectively alienated a whole section of the population, but what makes it even more frustrating is a failure to recognise its consequences since. I have no doubt that many of them will have shrugged their shoulders in response to what they believe to be an affluent demographic struggling, but the equine world is a thriving industry as well as a pleasure market.
Decimating businesses
So many smaller competition yards live hand to mouth and if they can sell a horse to the Continent, it’s a massive deal – it’s big revenue and a chance to keep things running. We’ve in effect lost that market now due to the huge costs involved since Brexit.
Then how many foreign riders do you see competing at many of our international showjumping shows nowadays? We’ve lost that appeal to attract foreign investment into the UK.
Brexit has decimated my dad, Nick Skelton’s, business. He no longer keeps any horses in the UK – he can’t because of the problems involved in trying to move them.
This wasn’t just a financial decision either – of course, it costs a lot more to transport horses now, but the welfare of the horse is a priority. We’re hearing horror stories about horses being stopped at ports for hours waiting to be allowed through the border crossings – is this EU politicians pulling strings and making money out of us, or is this simply red tape that doesn’t need to be there at all, in which case surely we can go back to the process in place pre-Brexit?
Selling our sport
The one thing that politicians seem to have forgotten is that the British countryside is equine engrained, with a wealth of equestrian pursuits going on.
Equestrianism is a healthy hobby – mentally, it’s good to be around horses and it’s rewarding as well. It’s also a sociable and inclusive environment to which you’d be happy to take your family – you don’t go showjumping, eventing or to a racecourse and hear fans chanting derogatory songs about
each other, for example.
The equestrian world has a lot going for it, which I don’t think we highlight well enough. But not getting help from the politicians with the likes of Brexit is unacceptable.
I’m afraid the situation is completely unsustainable, things have to change. Maybe we should all take this a bit more seriously
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- This exclusive column will also be available to read in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 16 March
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