With just under one month left until the first event of the season, British Eventing (BE) members are gearing up for what is set to be a great season.
With 126 events in the 2024 calendar, including brand new venues and a host of regional and national championships, plus an array of exciting series to contend, there’s never been a better time to join BE. With 45 events in the first three months alone, members are sure to kick off their 2024 campaign with a bang.
A relaxation on the regional qualifications and subsequent championships where relevant, means that more riders than ever can set their sights on BE’s prolific championships – the BE90 and BE100 grassroots championships at Badminton Horse Trials, and the BE80 grassroots championships at Bramham Horse Trials.
Train with the best
Members are also taking full advantage of the fabulous training on offer more than ever before through The Howden Way Regional Academies. They provide members, no matter what their age or ability, the opportunity to access top class training and education. The Academies are open to everyone, from 10 years of age upwards, and each month, our coaches nominate a Spotlight Award to the most deserving regional academy trainee, selected by gold medal-winning eventer Laura Collett. Each winner receives a fabulous uvex exxential helmet, as well as a rosette that recognises their achievement.
There is also the British Eventing Talent Pathway for promising event riders and the Young Horse Academy and Young Horse Leagues supported by The Howden Way to help develop and promote the up-and-coming equine talent in Great Britain.
£10k Performance Bonus Payouts
BE have also seen an unprecedented increase in the number of new members joining since the end of last season, and it’s no wonder with the newcomer and grassroots Performance Bonus league payouts offering fabulous bi-monthly monetary prizes from a staggering £10k prize pot.
Popular series
BE’s Winter Series has gone from strength to strength and both the Arena Eventing and ACE are more popular than ever. The Bates Arena Eventing final held at Aston-le-Walls, is this year looking set to be better than ever. And if you’ve ever dreamed of competing at Aintree Equestrian Centre, now is your chance by qualifying for the HarryHall.com One Club ACE finals, where competitors can witness the thrill of riding at one of the UK’s most iconic venues. Last year’s inaugural ACE Qualifiers were such a success that entries for this year’s series have been exceptionally popular.
It’s also very promising to see a marked increase in horse registrations, with people rushing to register their horses for the season ahead; in fact, three times as many, surpassing last year’s uptake.
Protection and support
To make eventing sustainable and fair, this year, both members and organisers can benefit from the Abandonment Support Fund, offering discretionary goodwill payments of up to 60% of their entry fee where uninsured events abandon due to extreme and/or adverse weather conditions. All organisers will also benefit from a reduction in the affiliation fee if their event abandons.
As a member of BE, you will also automatically benefit from valuable insurance cover, so you can compete knowing that you are in the best possible hands. This is an equine liability insurance policy for Public Liability to insure you against legal liability for accidental injury to third parties or damage to third party property that occurs during the period of insurance with a maximum payment of up to £20m.
And for those members who suffer injuries from a fall or require support with their mental health, The British Eventing Support Trust is there to improve your safety and wellbeing. The trust aims to help riders through difficult times, whether that be recovering from an eventing accident or coping with mental health challenges. It also seeks to promote, research, develop and implement initiatives which will help maintain the overall safety and welfare of our riders.
Gold standard in safety
BE is a World-leader in research and implementation of safety initiatives, investing heavily in fence safety systems, expert course design and training for event officials. As the governing body for the sport, we set out the highest standards for events ensuring that expert medical and veterinary teams are on hand for our members.
Membership for everyone
2024 really is set to be the best yet! With multiple membership options on offer, there is no reason not to take full advantage of everything BE has to offer. BE’s membership options include Introductory, ideal for riders competing at BE90 and below, Standard, for riders competing up to and including Intermediate Novice and CCI2*, and Premier, for those competing across all levels.
For those riders who don’t wish to have the horse’s results officially recorded, and those who wish to try competing with BE for the first time but without the initial commitment of purchasing a membership, GO BE is for you.
With 40% off the cost of your membership for Pony Club and Riding Club members, there’s never been a better time to begin your journey with BE.
To find out more about joining British Eventing, click here
