ATTELAGE DE TRADITION
May 2026
Equine Influenza: Biosecurity Protocols & Precautions
At all AIAT competitions, the health, safety, and welfare of our equines are our absolute highest priorities. Carriage driving relies on the strength and well-being of our horses, and maintaining robust biosecurity standards is a collective responsibility.
In light of equine influenza vigilance, we are implementing strict but straightforward precautionary measures for our upcoming events. We require all competitors, grooms, and support teams to familiarize themselves with and adhere to the protocols outlined below.
Monitoring and Reporting Signs of Illness
Equine influenza is highly contagious. Early detection is vital to preventing its spread. Please monitor your horses closely throughout the event for any of the following symptoms:
Vaccination Requirements
To protect all participants, strict entry requirements are in place regarding equine influenza vaccinations. At most events we STRONGLY advise on vaccinating your equines, however, some of our events will insist on vaccination.
Passport Checks: All horses and ponies entering the event grounds must be accompanied by their official passport.
Up-to-Date Boosters: Passports will be verified at check-in to ensure the horse has a valid, up-to-date equine flu vaccination record in compliance with governing body rules.
Healthy Status: No horse should be brought to the venue if they, or any other horse on their home yard, have shown signs of respiratory disease or elevated temperature within the past 14 days.
On-Site Biosecurity & Prevention
We ask all competitors to practice diligent stable management and minimize mixing while on the grounds:
No Shared Equipment: Do not share water buckets, feed bowls, grooming brushes, sweat scrapers, or tack/harness pieces between horses from different yards.
Water Taps & Troughs: Use your own designated containers to collect water from venue taps. Do not allow your horse to drink directly from communal taps or shared water troughs.
Minimize Close Contact: Maintain a safe distance between vehicles and horses in the parking and trailer areas. Avoid nose-to-nose contact between horses from different stables during warm-ups, staging, or when moving around the venue.
Public Interaction: We ask that participants and spectators refrain from petting or feeding any horses other than their own.
Immediate Action Required: If you notice your horse—or a horse near you—exhibiting any of these symptoms, please report it immediately to the Event Secretary or a ring steward. Our on-site welfare team will be deployed to assess the horse and assist you safely.
Thank you for your cooperation and professionalism. By working together and practicing good biosecurity, we ensure a safe, competitive, and enjoyable season for the entire carriage driving community.
CIAT Tickety Boo, Grandin, USA 11-12 April 2026
The AIAT celebrates a very special CIAT event this weekend thanks to the generosity of Paul and Glenda Van Sickle who are hosting the CIAT Tickety Boo attelage de tradition on their estate in Grandin, Florida. With their debut CIAT event, the sis a truly international competition with British Judge Richard Lanni, TD Paul Mills and Andrew Tilley officiating. Hot on their heels will be 24 traditional turnouts with equines of all sizes and combinations including British drivers Abi Hutchinson and Sam Searle taking part.
Mannheim, Germany 6-8 March 2026
The AIAT Annual Meeting, held in Mannheim, Germany, from Friday, March 6, to Sunday, March 8, was a resounding success. All member countries of the Association Internationale d’Attelage de Tradition were in attendance, with the exception of Chile, which was nonetheless represented by Vice President Raimundo Coral.
The event provided an excellent opportunity for members to:
Network and collaborate: Exchange calendars, invitations, and personal experiences.
Promote the craft: Discuss strategies to maintain, strengthen, and spread the culture and passion for traditional driving.
A major highlight was the visit to the Heinz Scheidel Carriage Collection, the largest and most diverse collection of original vintage carriages in the world. The collection features approximately 600 carriages of various models and types, meticulously restored over decades and displayed across several floors of a dedicated building.
On Saturday evening, guests enjoyed a Gala Dinner surrounded by the magnificent carriages of the Scheidel collection. The official AIAT Meeting took place on Sunday morning, opened by a report from President José Juan Morales Fernandez, followed by the presentation of event calendars and invitations by the Presidents of the AIAT National Associations (representing Italy was the Gruppo Italiano Attacchi).
The weekend also featured a technical Clinic, where five turnouts underwent a mock evaluation. This allowed all judges to compare their assessments and align their standards. Finally, the assembly addressed several core topics:
Competition rules and procedures.
Communication strategies.
The development of the official website.
Overall, it was an incredibly intense weekend that sets the stage for a year of events full of surprises and prestige.
Stratford Manor Hotel, Warwickshire 28 February 2026
Photos kindly supplied by Alan K Payne
OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM AIAT GREAT BRITAIN – February 2026
Setting the Record Straight: A Season of Tradition & Welcome 
We have been made aware of inaccurate and misleading information circulating on social media regarding AIAT-GB. We want to reassure our community—competitors, stewards, and volunteers alike—that these claims are substantially incorrect.
Our mission remains unchanged: AIAT-GB is a place for everyone. Whether you drive a pre-1945 antique, a traditional trade turnout, or are a junior or para-driver, you are part of our heritage and you are welcome at our events.
Join us for a fantastic 2026 Season! 
Mark your calendars for a weekend of fun, friendship, and tradition at these stunning venues:
CIAT Glamis (Scotland) – 9th/10th May
CIAT Ashfields (Essex) – 13th/14th June
CIAT Beamish (County Durham) – 18th/19th July
CIAT Glebe House (West Sussex) – 8th/9th August
CIAT Mostyn House (Flintshire) – 29th/30th August
CIAT New Forest (Hampshire) – 19th/20th September
None of this would be possible without our extraordinary volunteers and organizers. You are the heartbeat of this sport, and we thank you for your tireless dedication.
For official, reliable information, always visit:
www.attelagedetradition.co.uk
#AIATGB #CarriageDriving #AttelageDeTradition #BritishEquestrian #TraditionalDriving #HeritageSport
Check out our seasonal news kindly compiled by Liz Harcombe
Discover our wonderful printed hard copy books by our celebrated author Elizabeth Cartwright-Hignett. You can order your copy direct from Rosemary Neale.
by Elizabeth Cartwright- Hignett
Elizabeth Cartwright- Hignett has written another fascinating compendium about life with carriage horses and has generously offered her book to AIAT Great Britain for exclusive distribution. Available in a strictly limited edition of only 40 books, this full colour 183 page hardback edition is available for only £30 plus £5 post and package. International customers will need to confirm shipping rates prior to purchase. Thius is an avid read and collectors piece for any carriage driving enthusiast!
Elizabeth Cartwright- Hignett lives in Wiltshire and is retired, but is still involved with carriage driving as a judge of International Attelage de Tradition. Her interests are history, literature and the countryside. She is the author of ‘lili at Aynhoe’- Barrie & Jenkins, London 1989,
Three Ladies of Siena – Iford Publications, 2012
by Elizabeth Cartwright- Hignett
Horsedrawn- A Miscellany of Carriage Driving a limited edition book book by Elizabeth Cartwright-Hignett is a beautifully produced hardback with 193 pages eloquently illustrated and designed. available for only £30 plus £5 post and package. International customers will need to confirm shipping rates prior to purchase. Thius is an avid read and collectors piece for any carriage driving enthusiast!
Contains well researched, wonderful carriage driving stories, information, poems and traditions.
