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Queen hosts reception for Brooke’s 90th anniversary
Queen Camilla has been president of Brooke for 18 years.
Guests included famous faces and miniature ponies.

The Queen has hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the equine welfare charity Brooke.

Guests at the event included Brooke representatives from around the world as well as famous supports of the charity including Rory Bremner, Angela Rippon, and the charity’s patron Alastair Stewart.

Two miniature ponies, Alfie and Lala, also met the Queen in the Quadrangle of Buckingham Palace.

The Queen has been president of Brooke for 18 years, beginning when she was Duchess of Cornwall. After a recent review by the palace of royal patronages and presidencies, it has been announced that she will continue in the role.

Brooke was founded in 1934 by Dorothy Brooke and helps working equines across Africa, Asia, Central America and the Middle East.

Chris Wainwright, chief executive of Brooke, said: "I’d like to thank Her Majesty the Queen for her lifelong dedication to equine welfare, her commitment to Brooke through her presidency which started in 2006, and for hosting a marvellous event for some of our valued supporters at Buckingham Palace.
 
“The day provided us with a very official recognition of Brooke’s amazing impact on the lives of working horses, donkeys and mules over the last 90 years.  

“Everyone at Brooke is and will always be driven by our passion for animal welfare, and we’re extremely privileged to have royal support as we approach 100 years of transformational change.”

Image © Shutterstock

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Annual submission deadline small pet animal exemptions

News Story 1
 Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.

Submitting this annual return ensures continued compliance with regulatory requirements for products marketed without a full Marketing Authorisation. The exemption specifically applies to products intended for animals, cage birds, terrarium animals, small rodents, ferrets and rabbits.

For further details and submission guidelines, visit the gov.uk website.  

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Bluetongue RZ extended across Scotland

The Scottish Government has announced an extension to a Bluetongue Restricted Zone that is in place in south-west Scotland.

From 3 October, the Restricted Zone will be extended to cover the whole of Scotland. The Animal, Plant and Health Agency (APHA) says this is in response to further disease spread, as well as simplify trading conditions ahead of the autumn.

Since the whole country will share a disease status, it will no longer be necessary to have a movement license to move susceptible livestock around the country. Restrictions on germinal products remain.

As of 1 October 2026, there were 1,979 cases of BTV-3 in England, 389 cases in Wales and 40 cases in Scotland.