BRITISH Riding Clubs has announced the cancellation of the 2001 national championships.

Having already cancelled the horse trials championships and their finals, it has now decided the show jumping, dressage and other popular competitions will have to follow suit.

There will be no area qualifying competitions and the finals - due to be held at Malvern in September - have also been cancelled.

Individual clubs are making their own decisions about when to resume local events.

Laurie Punnett, BRC chairman, said: "Foot-and-mouth precautions mean that several of our areas are unable to stage their qualifiers, or even to predict when they might be able to do so.

"As a country-wide organisation, we feel we cannot resume national competitions until the UK has been declared free of foot-and-mouth. Sadly, the disease is still very much with us. If we can't hold area qualifying competitions, that isn't fair to the members concerned.

"Also, the championships would be uneconomic without a full programme of area qualifiers."

In September 2002 the championships move to a new venue at Lincolnshire showground. After more than ten years at Malvern, the event has outgrown the space available on the Three Counties Showground