The 2026 British open championship will undergo a “significant rider and owner-led format change”, and a first prize five times last year’s.
The NAF Hartpury International Celebration of Eventing incorporating the British national championships returns to Hartpury University and Hartpury College from 11-16 August.
Organisers have promised that this year the British open xhampionship will “take centre stage”. It has been elevated to FEI four-star level from a national advanced class, and will run within the NAF CCI4*-S, “placing the championship firmly at the heart of the competition”.
“This streamlined structure ensures the British open is contested over the same track, in the same arena and under the same spotlight as the international field,” a Hartpury spokesperson said.
“Where eligible, the overall CCI4*-S winner will also be crowned British open champion, taking both titles.”
The decline in entries to the championship had caused concern; top course-designer Mark Phillips said he was “dismayed and embarrassed” by the class last year, as there were so few entries and “almost more foreign riders than Brits”.
“The prize money of £407 for first won’t have covered the winner’s costs,” he said in his H&H column. “And third prize of £192 won’t have covered the entry fee.”
He noted that the CCI4*-S, in which top Brits ran instead, had a +£7,000 prize pot, adding: “If the British open means nothing to Hartpury and British Eventing (BE), scrap it or give it to an organiser who wants to make something of it.”
2026 British open championship prize pot
The first prize for the 2026 British open championship will be £2,500 on top of the CCI4*-S prize, so “combinations will be chasing up to £5,000 and one of the most coveted one-day titles on British soil”.
“Awarded the championships for the next five years, Hartpury in partnership with NAF is doubling down on its commitment to eventing,” the spokesperson said. “This long-term backing has enabled bold investment, close collaboration with riders and owners and a clear ambition to make the event bigger and better.”
Hartpury deputy vice-chancellor Rosie Scott-Ward said the change had come directly from rider feedback.
“By integrating it with the CCI4*-S, we’re creating a clearer, more competitive and more visible championship that is truly at the pinnacle of the event,” she said. “With everything building to Saturday, it promises to be a standout moment for riders and spectators alike.
“We’re also keen to work on engaging our local community to bring more spectators to our sport for a family weekend in Gloucestershire.”
BE CEO Rosie Williams added that BE had been working with Hartpury to try to add value to the national championships.
“ It’s a really important part of the British Eventing calendar and something we want to celebrate more,” she said. “These changes will help bring the championships to the forefront of the event and give them the prominence they deserve.”
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