Equine Health & Biosafety

Equine Health & Biosecurity Requirements

Updated September 2, 2023

Blenheim EquiSports is dedicated to the health, welfare, and safety of all equine and human exhibitors. Following the outbreak of vesicular stomatitis (VS) virus in Southern California, Blenheim EquiSports is following the US Equestrian guidelineseffective as of September 1.

All Horse Requirements

Per US Equestrian’s recommendations surrounding vesicular stomatitis, all horses arriving at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park for the Blenheim Fall Series must have:

  • Record of the horse’s temperature, taken twice daily for at least three days leading up to arrival. 
  • Vaccination records, including the horse’s name and date of vaccine, attested to by your veterinarian and in accordance with USEF Equine Vaccination Rule GR844.

Move-in appointments will continue to be required throughout the International Jumping Festival, September 20-24.

Blenheim EquiSports will be accepting horse arrivals for the International Jumping Festival beginning Monday, September 18 at 12 p.m.  Arrival appointments must be scheduled here. Under no circumstances can horses arrive outside of these hours and without an appointment without permission. A $10 VS mitigation fee will be included with all entry fees.

For Horses Arriving from VS-Affected Counties

Horses arriving from VS-affected counties must also have an official state-issued or approved, timed certificate of veterinary inspection (CVI).

The CVI must confirm the examination of horses within 14 days of arrival at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park. A CVI, also known as a health certificate, is an official document issued by a federal, state or accredited veterinarian certifying that the animals identified on the document have been inspected and were found to satisfy the regulations pertaining to their intended movement – within the same state, between states or internationally.

The certificate must also include both of the following two statements:

“I have examined the animal(s) represented on this certificate of veterinary inspection and have found no clinical signs of vesicular stomatitis and they have not originated from a premises under quarantine for vesicular stomatitis.”

“I declare that the horse listed below is not demonstrating any signs of EHV-1, has not had any known exposure to EHV-1 in the past 21 days, and is not coming from a property with known EHV-1 positive cases.”

Upon arrival at Blenheim EquiSports – Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park, horses coming from VS-affected counties will be examined by a qualified, licensed and accredited veterinarian or their designated, trained technician prior to entry to the stabling area. Horses may be required to be removed from the trailer for inspection if access is restricted.

For Horses Arriving from Non-VS-Affected Counties

Horses arriving from non-VS-affected counties, a completed declaration of health will be required. This can be completed here.

Additional Notes

No haul-ins:
Horses must be checked into a stall and follow the biosecurity protocols. No daily haul-ins are allowed.

Upon Arrival

All move-ins must be scheduled in advance. Upon entering the showgrounds, you must present:

  • your certificate(s) of veterinary inspection (if coming from a VS-affected county) or a declaration of health if coming from a non-VS affected county. If completed online, this declaration of health will already be on file with Blenheim EquiSports.
  • temperature logs for the past three days for each horse.
  • each horse’s vaccination records, including the horse’s name and date of vaccine, attested to by your veterinarian and in accordance with USEF Equine Vaccination Rule GR844.

These documents must accompany your horse and trailer.

Of note to all exhibitors:

  • Non-showing horses will be not allowed on the grounds and all horses must be entered in the show prior to arrival.
  • The horse’s show name given on the certificate of veterinary inspection must match the horse’s name as it appears in ShowGroundsLive.
  • Temperature charts will be supplied and horses’ temperatures must be taken twice daily. Any temperature over 101.5°F shall be reported to competition management.
  • Exhibitors are required to observe horses for clinical signs of vesicular lesions and report any signs to veterinarian or competition management. There will be an immediate isolation of any horses with vesicular lesions.

The following biosecurity management measures are also highly recommended:

  • Eliminate whenever possible common water sources during the event.
  • Strongly discourage the use of shared equipment and tack between participants.
  • Minimize exposure to fly vectors through use of fly wipes, sprays, foggers, and other repellents for use on animals, applied as directed by label instructions. 

Should the conditions change, our policies will be updated accordingly. Learn more about Vesicular Stomatitis prevention here.