Shining a Light on a Vaccination Problem
Posted: 27th May 2026
An article from our Chief Executive, Jenna Payne
Last week, I joined the Devon County Show team on the horse‑gate checkpoint, working alongside a small team of vets and experienced stewards to verify vaccination records for every horse entering the showground. I expected a steady, routine job. What I got instead was a front‑row seat to one of the showing world’s biggest, and most quietly ignored, problems: unvaccinated horses attending our shows.
With a recent spike in equine influenza cases, the organisers had decided to enforce their long‑standing vaccination rules. Every horse, including companions and those in displays/demonstrations were to be checked before entry. Simple in theory. In practice… not so much.
Day One: The Chancers Arrive
The first morning was a parade of hopeful rule‑benders. We turned away around fifteen horseboxes, most for the same reason: passports that didn’t match the horses entered. Thankfully, the Show Secretary had armed us with exhibitor lists, making it easy to cross‑reference names and spot the mismatches.
By day two, people got more inventive. By day three, nobody even tried. Word travels fast when a team is thorough.
The Value of a Headcount
One lorry insisted they had two horses on board – until one of our vets spotted three noses through the windows. The third horse was unvaccinated. After a tense exchange (and more abuse than anyone should have to take), we escorted the vehicle to a safe overflow area. The unvaccinated pony was transferred home and the two vaccinated horses were allowed in. It was a small victory for common sense.
We quickly learned the value of a simple headcount. Every vehicle was then checked; through windows, open doors or even dashboard cameras. One Shetland appeared chestnut on camera despite being listed in his passport as black. However, when the owner opened the lorry, the truth was fortunately obvious: sun bleaching on top, black everywhere else. We were pleased to welcome them in.
Microchips Don’t Lie
Several vehicles arrived with ‘companion ponies’ on board and we started to scan these. Some microchips didn’t match the passports presented and those animals were turned away. It was astonishing how often the paperwork simply didn’t line up with reality.
One exhibitor presented a full lorry of horses… and not a single one matched a passport. None of the passports were even in her name. That case went straight to Trading Standards.
The Seven‑Day Rule: Heartbreak and Hard Lessons
Three exhibitors fell foul of the rule prohibiting vaccinations within seven days of the event.
One case was genuinely heartbreaking: a pony with a perfect vaccination history, but the owner, worried about her horse, had given a booster just a few days before the show. We were truly sorry to turn her away.
Another exhibitor was only one day out but was fortunately not competing until the following day. We held them in the overflow car park until midnight, when they became eligible to enter the showground. Their pony grazed happily while their stable was prepared for their return to the showground.
A group of display horses also had to wait out their seven‑day window and missed a day performing at the show. This caused disruption, additional cost and gave the show organisers a significant layer of complexity. Housing horses safely off-site for extended periods meant finding space, stables, bedding, water and facilities, all while keeping public areas clear and minimising disruption to visitors. Even with a strong team behind this event, the knock‑on effects were felt across the showground; from redirected traffic to delays in ring timetables. These pressures weren’t caused by the show, but the consequences still landed on the organisers – a reminder that enforcing vaccination rules isn’t just a welfare issue, it’s a major operational undertaking.
Creative Paperwork… Too Creative
At one point, we were handed a high‑quality photocopy of a vaccination record carefully glued into a passport. The owner claimed the original passport had been lost. Which raises the obvious question: how do you photocopy a passport you no longer have?
Doing Everything Possible
Despite the challenges, the team genuinely worked to help exhibitors enter the show wherever possible. Slight date discrepancies were referred to our veterinary lead, who took a balanced, risk‑based approach. Forgotten passports weren’t an automatic barrier; we used live video calls to verify passports and vaccination records and several veterinary practices emailed PDF vaccination histories when needed. But photos were never accepted; they’re too easy to fake.
And it’s worth saying that for every difficult encounter, we had many more exhibitors thanking us for being thorough. Those who were fully compliant were genuinely appreciative that the rules were being upheld fairly and consistently. Their support made a real difference during some long and challenging shifts.
We even had horseboxes arrive with no horses at all, despite having exhibitor passes, claiming they were carrying equipment or needing to collect horses. With parking limited, they were redirected to public car parks unless they wanted to unload equipment on foot. Unsurprisingly, none did.
A Depleted Showground and a Clear Message
The rings were noticeably less busy. Many exhibitors clearly chose not to attempt entry at all. And that, more than anything, shows the scale of the issue. Our showing industry has a vaccination problem and it’s time we stopped pretending otherwise.
Other disciplines – showjumping, dressage, racing, pony club, riding clubs – treat vaccination checks as standard. It’s time showing caught up. If we want safer, cleaner, healthier shows, this must become the norm.
If you’re planning vaccination checks at your show, here’s my tips…
- Communicate with your exhibitors
- Have experienced passport checking teams available and a clear lead to adjudicate on discrepancies
- Cross‑reference passport names with exhibitor lists
- Headcount horses on every vehicle
- Use a microchip reader (and have a spare!)
- Create a holding bay so problem vehicles don’t block the queue
I’d like to thank the Devon County Show team for giving me the opportunity to be part of this process. Working on the gate for three days taught me more than any rulebook ever could and I’m genuinely grateful for the experience. I hope that by sharing what we learnt – the challenges, the surprises and the solutions – we can all take this forward and continue raising standards across our shows. Our industry is at its best when we learn from each other and this was a powerful reminder of that.