It takes a sad person, or someone with a few spare hours on their hands, to actually read the full BE rule book. You know you should but there are always better things to do. So I am that sad person who has, and here I am to help educate you about those lesser known rules that may well work to your benefit one day.
2.6.3 Refund of Season Ticket Fees for an Unfit Horse
Where a Horse holds a Full or Half Season Ticket but has started in a competition fewer than three times because it has become unfit to compete, refunds of fees paid for that period of registration will be given as follows:
• No starts – full, less £10 administration charge;
• One start – two thirds;
• Two starts – one third.
Yes if you are unfortunate enough for your horse to be written off for the rest of the season due to injury having only started once or twice (if at all!) take heart that BE will give you some money back.
Did you know you can compete a 13hh2 pony at BE80T level and a 14hh pony at the other levels?
2.9.5 Height
• Horses competing in BE80(T) classes must be at least 137cms in height.
• Horses competing in all other National classes must be at least 142 cms in
height.
Most people know the minimum height for ponies is 142cm aka 14hh but very few know you can compete a 13.2h in 80T classes.
4.2.3 Hors Concours (HC)
• Horses may only take part in a Class which is lower than their actual Grade by running HC.
• A Horse may not take part HC in a class for which it is eligible unless its Competitor is over-qualified for the Class.
• No Horse or Competitor may take part HC in a class for which either is under qualified
Basically you cannot ‘try out’ a new level by competing HC. If you are eligible you must run competitively effectively.
5.11.3 Note: Horses may be warmed-up with any saddlery which is permitted for any phase of the competition. (See Rule 7.19.8)
Essentially this means you can warm up for your dressage in your showjumping bridle if you so desire!
5.22 Non-competing Horses. The Organiser’s permission must be obtained before a non-competing Horse is brought to an Event; such Horse must be owned by a BE member whose prior permission must be obtained by the Competitor.
Basically if you want to bring a travelling companion even if it is to stay on the lorry you need permission in advance and you (or another BE member) must own it.
Did you forget to wear gloves for you dressage test? No panic it’s no longer elimination instead it’s a 2 mark penalty.
6.1.8 Other Dressage Errors
The following are considered errors; error marks as indicated will be deducted per error, but they are not cumulative and thus will not normally result in Elimination. Repeated errors may lead to Elimination at the discretion of the BE Steward in consultation with the Judge.
* Entering the Dressage arena with whip: 6 error marks per judge. The judge will stop the Test and continue it after the whip has been discarded.
* Entering the arena with the Horse wearing boots or bandages: 6 error marks per judge. The judge will stop the test and continue it after removal of the boots or bandages.
* Entering the arena before the sound of the bell: 2 error marks per judge.
* Not entering the arena within forty five (45) seconds after the bell, but within ninety (90) seconds: 2 error marks per judge.
* Not wearing gloves, or other minor breaches of dress rules; 2 error marks per judge.
* Riding the wrong test. A Competitor who has learned the wrong test will, if the timetable allows, and at the discretion of the BE Steward, be permitted time to learn the correct test and to restart with 4 error marks per judge.
These rules were only changed recently and I suspect most competitors and many dressage judges are not aware that they have. Essentially if you forget to drop your whip or take off your horse’s boots or even forget to put gloves on you will not be eliminated but you will lose marks from your test score. Remember this one, as if you are unfortunate enough to forget any of the above and the judge doesn’t know the BE ruling you may have to argue your case with the steward.
Do you know under rule 6.3 that if you jump say the BE90 fence 2 instead of the BE100 fence 2, immediately realise your mistake circle back and jump the correct fence you will not be penalised? Importantly this only applies if the fence you jumped accidentally did not have crossed flags on it. In addition if you jumped the wrong fence as a result of your horse spooking/refusing the correct fence penalties will be applied accordingly.
Sorry no bling, so these boots however lovely are not allowed under BE rules
Rule 7.13 and 7.14 states that protective head wear for dressage and showjumping must be either black or dark blue in colour, so no brown (or alternatively coloured). It also states up to and including Novice level you can though wear Brown boots or Gaiters but bling is not allowed at any level – boots should be plain leather, or at most black boots can have a ‘top’. If you do choose to wear brown boots you cannot wear them with white breeches.
Rule 7.15.1 states that although long sleeves are advised when riding XC they are not compulsory
Rule 7.19.2 states that Standing martingales, draw reins, Market Harboroughs and sheepskin cheek piece covers are not allowed at any point including when warming up.
under rule 7.19.3 because BD rules apply although not specifically mentioned under BE rules Stirrups must be used and must be used in the ‘conventional’ way. i.e. if your horse goes better when your feet are out of the stirrups then tough, you must keep your feet in them!
Rule 8.6.2.1 A Horse which is upgraded on or after the Ballot Date may compete in the Class as entered unless it has already won five Novice competitions in which case it may only take part ‘hors concours’. If there is a higher Class at that Event in which there is room, the Competitor may opt to transfer
So if you win the horse’s first point at a Novice event but are also entered to run in a BE100 the following week (so effectively you won the point after ballot date of the BE100) you are allowed to compete competitively in the BE100 despite the horse now being technically ineligible.
They may be discouraged under BE rules at 1* level but top hat and tails are perfectly legal under FEI rules which obviously take precedence at FEI events.
Rule 10.2.1 a horse cannot compete at a competition if it received its most recent flu vaccination within 7 days from the commencement of the competition. The amount of people that don’t know this rule is very high including some pro’s. Be warned if you are subject to a random check and the previous booster was within 7 days the organisers can refuse you the right to compete.
Under rule 503.2 annexe 2 horses cannot compete in CCI or CIC* competitions until the beginning of the season that they are 6.
Even though BE rules have in previous years read that top hat and tails are ‘strongly discouraged’ at CCI* and CIC* level they are still allowed under FEI rule 537.2.1 annexe 2 and therefore if you chose to wear them you can without issue.
Not sure if anyone is likely to do this, but to avoid the 7 days vaccination rule, I brought my horses vaccination booster date forwards.
As a booster can be given within 365 days of the last one, I had my horse vaccinated in March, when in fact his booster is not due until August. He is still fully vaccinated and the 7 day rule is not something I need to worry about now as I don’t event until April (I do need to remember for BS, BD or BRC comps though).
The only downside is that next years booster is due in March, but this is much better for me as all my horses are due on the same day – I buy in a specific vaccine for them so have to purchase 10 vials at a time so having them all in line is cost effective for me.
[…] In case riders have missed it there has been several rule amendments by British Eventing – Rule Amendments. Many were summarised in our 15 rules you did not know about! […]