William OAKDEN (GBR) riding Greystone Midnight Melody, during the Cross Country phase of the Longines FEI European Eventing Championship 2015 at Blair Castle, in Blair Atholl near Pitlochry in Perthshire, Scotland, UK , on 9th September 2015
Are you an event rider with a sponsor who wants to put their logo onto your competition gear? Stop! Before you go ahead getting your kit embroidered and made up, there are some British Eventing (BE) rules you need to abide by. To save you trawling through the 2018 rule book, here’s what you need to know…
Membership
First thing’s first, if you want to wear your sponsor’s logo, the sponsor must purchase BE’s supporter company membership. Prices start at £25 and this will mean that a company can sponsor a rider or horse they don’t own and have their logo visible on their equipment.
Logos on competitors’ dress
The rules on sizing and positioning of logos are strict, so here’s what you need to know.
Advertising and logos must not contravene any laws, be controversial or socially undesirable or bring the sport into disrepute. No logo may be displayed which the organiser has stated in the schedule as unacceptable.
• Dressage
You can wear your sponsor’s logo on both sides of a shirt collar — the logo can’t be larger than 16 square cm. You can also wear the logo on each side of the two sides of jackets or top garments at the height of the breast pockets — this can’t be any larger than 80 square cm.
• Showjumping
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The same rules apply in the showjumping as with dressage, but you can also wear your sponsor’s logo vertically in the middle of your headgear — this mustn’t be longer than 25cm or wider than 5cm. You can also wear your sponsor’s logo on the left leg of your riding breeches — this must not be longer than 20cm or wider than 4cm.
• Cross-country
No restrictions apply to the cross-country phase.
Logos displayed on horse wear
With regards to displaying sponsor’s logos on your horse’s saddlery and accessories, the same basic rules apply: advertising and logos must not contravene any laws, be controversial or socially undesirable or bring the sport into disrepute and no logo may be displayed which the organiser has stated in the schedule as unacceptable.
• Dressage
No advertising or publicity may be displayed on any horse while competing in the dressage phase, other than an officially approved logo on a saddlecloth. The logo on a saddlecoth must be contained within an area not exceeding 200 square cm on the bottom, rear corner. If you are eligible to carry a national flag on your saddlecloth, a sponsor’s logo must be displayed above the national flag on the offside only if there is a team sponsor. If there is not a team sponsor, the logo can appear on both sides of the saddlecloth.
• Showjumping
The rules are as for dressage, but you can have a sponsor’s logo on your horse’s fly fringe/ear covers — this logo must be contained within an area not exceeding 75 square cm.
British Eventing has revealed its full list of rule changes for the 2018 season
Clothing manufacturer logos
Identification of a manufacturer, who is not your sponsor, may only appear once per item of clothing (breeches, gloves, shirt, headwear or on jackets at the height of breast pockets) on a surface area not exceeding 3 square cms. Identification of the manufacturer, who is not your sponsor, on saddlery may also appear only once per saddlery item on a surface area not exceeding 3 sq cms. Manufacturers who are not sponsors of riders do not have to have BE supporter membership.
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Former web features editor, point-to-point editor and digital racing editor
Gemma is an experienced journalist, who was a member of H&H staff from 2014 to September 2025. She is passionate about all equestrian sports, including racing and point-to-pointing. She has enjoyed riding out for top trainers Nicky Henderson and Charlie Appleby and took part in a charity Flat race at Epsom in August 2018. Gemma’s has reported from numerous five-star events around Britain and Europe, as well as European championships.
