Solent Fed race programme

[Pompey Mick]

We have just been informed by our Committee that we have to submit two programmes for consideration on the Fed meeting on Nov 12th. One South & one North.

As a South Road Federation we normally fly all our Old Bird races from France so the Avian Flu restrictions really hit us harder than most. I can't see how we can formulate a Channel programme without some indication from DEFRA on the level of restriction they are going to place on us next year. What do we do if they only allow Channel racing in June & July again, do we race OBs to the 31st July to get the benefit of as many Channel races as possible and where do we race prior to Channel racing starting? If the 7 day isolation rule remains in force this will be a real killer, who wants to race from a 100ml Channel race and then have to stop the birds for two weeks from any racing. A solution to the 7 day rule could be a Channel race on the Saturday followed by an Inland race on the Sunday and back to the Channel the following Saturday and so on. At least we can keep our birds going with this scenario.

There are so many probabilities to set a fixed South Road programme is near on impossible, what we need are contingency plans at this stage and not commit to anything permanent until the last moment.

[Guest TAMMY_1]

I KNOW IT AFFECTS YOU MORE THAN US UP HERE BUT I HOPE MOVES ARE MADE AND NOT LEAVE US HANGING  BUT AGAIN IT WILL ALL COME DOWN TO DEFRA AND HOPE WE MISS THE MOST OF THE BIRD FLU

[Pompey Mick]

I am hoping that even if refuse to drop the Isolation rule they might modify it so it doesn't come into force until we are racing more than 200ml over French territory say around the Saintes distance, then it wouldn't be too much of a problem. But we need to know.