How British Eventing works: understanding the people behind the sport

Jan 12
Eventing is a thrilling and complex sport, but behind every well run competition there’s a whole team of people working to make it happen safely, fairly and smoothly. From the national governing body to event organisers, volunteers and officials, everyone has a role to play.

Here’s a look at how British Eventing operates and how the different parts of the sport fit together.

British Eventing: The Governing Body
British Eventing (BE) is the national governing body for eventing in Great Britain, responsible for regulating and scheduling affiliated eventing from grassroots to national championships. BE oversees the sport’s rules, competitions, training, safety standards and rider support across the country.

BE’s responsibilities include:
• Regulation and supervision of all affiliated events, ensuring they meet consistent standards.
• Membership services, including entries, competition access, communications, and support throughout the season.
• Rule making and interpretation, providing the framework that keeps the sport fair and safe.
• Training and education programmes for riders, coaches and officials.
• Safety initiatives, including supporting research and practical safety systems used in eventing.
• Supporting national teams and pathways up to international competition. BE operates under the umbrella of British Equestrian, the national federation representing equestrian sport in the UK and connected to international bodies such as the FEI.

Head office employees provide core functions such as entries and membership services, communications (website, newsletters and social media), competition schedules, series and league structures, and member support. Behind the scenes, BE also develops policies, manages governance, and creates resources that riders and organisers use throughout the season.

Event Organisers: bringing competitions to life
While BE sets the standards and rules, event organisers are responsible for the delivery of each individual event. That means they set dates, secure venues, manage entries, recruit volunteers, and organise logistics on the ground. Organisers contract with BE to run affiliated events and must ensure their events reflect BE’s health, safety and competition expectations.

Key duties of event organisers include:
• Planning and budgeting the event schedule.
• Recruiting and supporting teams of helpers such as fence judges, dressage scribes and stewards.
• Liaising with officials appointed to the event.
• Managing entries, communication with riders, timetables and prize arrangements.
• Ensuring risk assessments and safety measures are in place.

Organisers invariably rely on volunteers for a huge range of tasks — from running information points to marshalling, timing, and helping competitors on the day. A national volunteer database helps match helpers with events that need support.

Officials: ensuring fair play and safety
Officials are essential for running BE affiliated events in accordance with the sport’s rules. Some are appointed by the organiser, while others represent British Eventing directly.

Key roles include:
BE Steward – the official representative of British Eventing at an event. They ensure the competition is conducted according to BE rules and safety standards, interpret rules on the day, and manage rule related decisions.
BE Technical Adviser – this official is also a representative of British Eventing at an event. They work closely with course designers and organisers to oversee technical aspects of the event, including cross country and safety features.
BE Scorer – responsible for creating the timetable, collecting and calculating scores, and producing official results.
BE Regional Coach– supports the establishment and continuity of training events within a particular geographic region.

In addition to BE officials, events rely on sport specific roles such as dressage judges (often from British Dressage) and showjumping judges (from British Showjumping) — all of whom must be accredited and trained to ensure competitions are run fairly and safely.

Members and Volunteers
Anyone participating in BE events — riders, owners, supporters and organisers — benefits from a membership structure that gives access to competitions, training resources, and community support. Membership also comes with obligations, including adherence to the BE code of conduct and rules designed to protect horse welfare and fair play.

Volunteers remain the lifeblood of eventing. Without the army of helpers who give up their time to help and support these events BE supports volunteer training and connects helpers with opportunities throughout the season.

Together, this network of roles ensures eventing stays well organised, competitive and safe for riders and horses at every level — from first BE80 classes to national championships and beyond.