Jonelle Price riding GRAPPA NERA in the CCI-S 4* section G during the Thoresby International Horse Trials held in Thoresby Park near Newark in Nottinghamshire in the UK on April 2025
Are you up to speed on your eventing rule changes for 2026? We’ve looked at both the British Eventing rules, governing national competitions, and the FEI rules, which are in place for international classes, to highlight key changes.
Do make sure you look at the full rule book for whatever level of eventing competition you are interested in so that you are not caught out.
What’s changed: this is an interesting “non-change” insofar as BE has had to add wording saying use of the voice is prohibited in dressage tests and will be penalised with the loss of two marks for each movement where it occurs.
Pulling yourself up across country for safety reasons
Rule 6.3.9.14, page 60
What’s changed: for the first time the rulebook makes provision for a rider to pull themselves up across country “on grounds of safety” – the specific reasons mentioned are a loose horse, loose dog or something blocking the course – and have their time adjusted.
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Previously this time adjustment has only been covered in the rulebook if the competitor was pulled up by officials (which can also still happen).
Water trays in showjumping
Rule 6.2.6.3, page 50
What’s changed: if you’re competing at novice level or above, you need to teach your horse to jump a water tray – the new showjumping course and obstacle table shows that a water tray will be used from this level upwards if available. This isn’t actually a change, but a clarification aimed at improving consistency in course design and horse education.
Tack rules
Rule 7.19.2, page 68
What’s changed: bridles without throat lashes are now allowed in the dressage (but a throat lash is still needed for the jumping phases).
Rule 7.19.2, page 69
What’s changed: two changes around nosebands. Firstly, double or dual nosebands are now allowed for the jumping phases, including Kineton nosebands/bit lifters.
Secondly, a chain on the lower strap of a grackle is now allowed in the jumping phases, but the chain must be covered for cross-country. Chains on the inner surface of nosebands are still banned.
Rule 7.19.7, page 72
What’s changed: this is not a new rule, but it has been clarified that when using a running martingale in the jumping phases with two reins, the martingale rings can only be used on the top rein.
Option to run British open championships at four-star
Annex 6, page 170
What’s changed: the option has been added for the British open to be run at four-star, rather than as an advanced. With the championships now at Hartpury Horse Trials and the CCI4*-S proving much more popular than the British open there in terms of quality and quantity of entries, it will be interesting to see if the classes are combined this year and whether that can rejuvenate the open.
Jumping fences after retirement in showjumping
Rule 6.2.9, page 49
What’s changed: the rulebook now formalises that you can “make up to two attempts to jump any single obstacle in the proper direction” after retirement in the showjumping; previously the rule only allowed this after elimination.
Continuing before the bell after being stopped in showjumping
Rule 6.2.7, page 48
What’s changed: if you are stopped by the judge or stop voluntarily in the showjumping and then continue before the bell, you are eliminated – this is unchanged from last year’s rules. However, what’s new is that at BE80, BE90 and BE100 level, you will be allowed to finish the round before being eliminated.
Eligibility for BE80 championships
Annex 6, page 165
What’s changed: combinations who have gained foundation points at BE100 can now compete in BE80 regional and national championships.
Qualifying after the ballot date
Annex 6, page 164
What’s changed: a new rule states that combinations qualifying for a championship, series or qualifier after the ballot date will only be accepted at the organisers discretion and if the timetable allows for that specific class. If necessary, a wait list may be held.
Cross-country falls on the flat
Rule 6.3.11.4, page 61
What’s changed: a new cross-country rule sets out that a fall of rider or horse and rider that is not associated with a fence is a fall on the
flat (FOF) and that any fall within the lettered elements of a combination is considered to be associated to that fence.
Coaching sessions for those whose riding gives cause for concern
Rule 3.8.6, page 23
What’s changed: the wording covering what happens if someone’s riding has given cause for concern, but without resulting in a disciplinary sanction, has been updated to say that if additional coaching sessions or assessments are needed, they will be paid for by the member or associate.
Electric and push bikes
Rule 5.2.1, page 38
What’s changed: the wording has been updated so that the clause covering disciplinary sanctions if members or their connections are found to be riding or parking bikes in an unsafe manner, which includes following a horse cross-country.
What’s changed: penalties for missing a flag across country have been reduced from 15 to nine.
Dressage scoring
Article 544.1.2, page 59
What’s changed: at higher level events and four-star championships, previously only marks for flying changes could be reviewed and altered when there was a difference of three points or more between judges. This has now been expanded to include halts, rein-backs and walk pirouettes.
Blood rules
Article 526.4, page 44
What’s changed: the rules around blood on the horse in the showjumping phase have been rewritten to bring them in line with the new blood rules in pure showjumping. In short, previously all horses with blood on the flanks or bleeding in the mouth were eliminated. This has been replaced with wording stating that any blood on the horse caused by the tack, equipment or athlete results in a recorded warning.
These will be issued by the ground jury in minor cases after providing the rider with the opportunity to have a hearing. There is still provision for stronger penalties where warranted as cases indicating abuse can be dealt with under that rule and in all cases of blood, the horse can only continue in the competition if the ground jury, in consultation with the veterinary delegate deems the horse fit to compete.
What’s changed: the wording around use of the whip has been tweaked and separated by sanction type in terms of what offences lead to a recording warning and what to a yellow card. There is also new wording stating the whip is “not to be used to discipline the horse”.
A new Annex 1 has also been introduced “presenting all eventing sanctions in a single table for easier overview and comparison”.
Horses acting as schoolmasters
Article 504.2.1, page 19
What’s changed: previously, horses that had achieved minimum eligibility requirements (MERs) at World Championships, Olympic Games, or CCI5*s could not compete in one or two-star events in the same or following year. This has been removed “to support the development of less experienced athletes and allow experienced horses to act as schoolmasters”.
In addition, horses at junior championships now cannot have obtained an MER in World Championships, Olympic Games, or CCI5* in the current year, whereas previously it was the preceding or current year.
Dress and kit mistakes in dressage
Article 544.2.1, page 59
What’s changed: there is some new wording around “technical faults” in dressage, which includes that if a rider starts their test with a whip, boots or bandages on the horse’s legs or with discrepancy in dress (for example, no gloves), “the judge at C stops the athlete and, if needed and possible, an assistant may enter the arena to remove the item(s). The athlete then continues the test from the movement where they were stopped. The marks given before they were stopped are not changed.”
The implication seems to be that this will be penalised with two penalties rather than elimination – we have asked the FEI for clarification on this and whether it’s a change from previous rules.
Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.
