O'Leary and Northern Ireland trainer Hamilton sound stark Brexit warning

Gigginstown House Stud boss Eddie O'Leary and leading Northern Ireland-based trainer Brian Hamilton predict a no-deal Brexit will have catastrophic consequences for the racing and breeding industries.

The pair expressed fears over the future should the tripartite agreement that ensures freedom of movement for horses from the UK to Ireland and France cease to apply, bringing about the possibility of travel restrictions, long delays at customs checks and tariffs.

Horse Racing Ireland chief executive Brian Kavanagh said he would hold talks with the British and French racing authorities this week amid the fears Britain could crash out without a deal.

Their concerns came as the French government and Eurotunnel began taking practical steps to deal with the possibility of Britain leaving the EU without a deal by beginning the construction in Calais of two border inspection points, which will have capacity for veterinary checks on horses entering France in the event that Britain becomes a 'third party country' on March 29.

O’Leary said: "We all thought two years ago that this would sail through but unfortunately, British politicians are a bit like Irish politicians, in that they put the party before the country. What’s the difference between a politician and a patriot? A patriot will die for his country.

"Nobody knows anything yet. Brian Kavanagh doesn’t know, not even Theresa May knows what's going to happen. We'd all hope for a smooth transition but my own personal hope is there’s another referendum and they vote to stay in because the British voted on a lie the last time and they hadn't a clue about what they were voting on. I think if they voted again, we’d have a different result."

Asked if he had a contingency plan, O'Leary, who manages Gigginstown for his brother Michael as well as his own successful breeding operation Lynn Lodge Stud, said: "How would we have a contingency plan when we haven't a clue about what's going to happen?

"My main concern at the moment is what’s going to happen over the sales of horses. I assume that in 2019 something like this can be sorted out. I also presume, as a worst case scenario, there would be a transition period of some sort. It's the greatest f*** up in living history."

Brian Hamilton: 'I’ve horses for people in the south and I don’t know what way it’s going to go if there’s a no-deal Brexit. It’s no benefit to anyone.'Credit: Patrick McCann

Hamilton, who is based in County Down and trains a number of Gigginstown-owned point-to-pointers, echoed O'Leary's concerns.

He said: "I'm in the dark. I think it’s terrible. We’ve no government to start with up here and it's just pathetic. The way the DUP are operating, it's just a joke in terms of people in the farming and horse industry.

"I voted to stay in the European Union as the British people were voting about something they didn't know anything about. Nobody was fit to tell them how things were going to go.

"I have horses for people in the south and I don’t know which way it's going to go if there’s a no-deal Brexit. It's no benefit to anyone. The government in Northern Ireland doesn't support racing.

"I would hope that there would be another referendum. The European Union aren't going to back down and the two are playing chicken with one another. Hopefully the situation resolves itself or else we’ll be out of a job."

Explaining the implications of a no-deal Brexit, HRI chief Kavanagh said: "One of the key elements of the racing and breeding industries is the ability to freely move horses between Britain, Ireland and France.

"We need to go through the process of what would happen at border inspection posts and we are in discussions with the department of agriculture and the customs officers about this."

He added: "There may need to be identification and veterinary checks at these posts, which at the moment are only at Dublin and Shannon Airport. This would cause a big disruption and it would be a real backwards step for the industry. I will be meeting with our British and French counterparts this week.

"They’re still contingency plans at the moment but the situation will become clearer by next week, although the clock is ticking. The prospect of Britain exiting the European Union without a deal is very real and we need to be prepared."

Border Inspection Posts in Calais

Last week, France's prime minister Edouard Philippe announced the Macron government would be spending an additional €50 million on staff and facilities to cope with the effects of a potential failure of the UK and the EU to reach a deal before the Article 50 deadline expires at 11pm London time on March 29.

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and Eurotunnel boss Jacques Gounon visit the site of the new Border Inspection Post at the mouth of the Channel Tunnel near CalaisCredit: Sebastien Leroy / Twitter

The construction of a pair of border inspection posts (BIPs), with facilities for equine veterinary checks, was begun in Calais on Monday, with separate posts planned for the port and traffic emerging from the tunnel.

Jacques Gounon, president and chief executive of Eurotunnel's parent company Getlink, told business channel BFMTV that two years of planning by the company and regional authorities meant the tunnel would be ready to continue operations on what planners refer to as D1ND [Day One No Deal].

Gounon said: "What is new is that we will have a specific building, available to the French and British customs services, which we are in the process of preparing. We are ready and I believe we will be able to guarantee that freight and people can cross this new frontier simply. It is a new situation but nothing extraordinary."

In its briefings on a no-deal scenario the UK government has said it would not require veterinary checks and the installation of BIPs for horses entering the country from France or Ireland.

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