On Monday the 1st of March, the FEI announced that all international equestrian events on mainland Europe had to be cancelled due to an outbreak of the Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1) that had originated in Valencia, Spain. For the organisers of The Dutch Masters, this decision was an extra forceful blow as their 2020-event also was cancelled – then due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

After extensive consultations with the umbrella organisations and the veterinarians of the Dutch Equestrian Federation as well as the FEI, the organisers of The Dutch Masters have however found new dates for their event – on the condition that the EHV-1 outbreak doesn’t spread any further. 

The 2021-edition is now planned to be staged behind closed doors from Friday 23 till Sunday 25 April in the Brabanthallen in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. "The Dutch Masters will closely follow all developments in the coming weeks and if needed adjust the planned date in April. Priority in all circumstances will be the safety of both competitors and horses," reads a statement from the organisers. 

"The organisation is working on a protocol for the participating horses, together with Prof. Dr. Marianne Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University and advisor of the Dutch Equestrian Federation, Randy de Greef, The Dutch Masters veterinarian and the FEI. To organise the event not only corona-proof but also rhino-proof, measures will be taken such as a veterinarian check-up upon arrival, regular temperature measurements and possibly a nose swab of the participating horses. All measures will be discussed in detail in the coming weeks in cooperation with all authorities in order to be well prepared," the statement continues. 

The April edition will present a similar programme as the scheduled event in March with the Major of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping on Sunday afternoon. Dressage fans will be offered an equal programme with a Big Tour (CDI4*): A Grand Prix and a Freestyle to Music. All competitions can be watched live on multiple channels.