Gearing up for the eventing season? Check out what you need to wear…
If you’re thinking about entering your first-ever unaffiliated one-day event or you’ve been out of the game a while but have just signed back up with British Eventing (BE), then you might be wondering what to wear for eventing to make sure you’re well prepared for the big day.
Correct dress at competitions depends slightly on the level at which you are competing and whether you’re going affiliated or unaffiliated. If you’ve got an unaffiliated event in mind, their guidelines will be based on the affiliated rules, which you can skip down to read about in full. If you’re heading to an unaffiliated competition, keep reading from here.
What to wear for eventing
Exactly what’s required for each phase is a combination of safety, tradition and rider comfort, however, at lower levels you will wear the same for the dressage and showjumping.
In short, you’ll need the following items, but we’ve got lots more information on the specific rules, including for each discipline and level, below:
- riding hat – this should be up to standard and you’ll need a jockey skull for cross-country. (See our guide to the best jockey skulls)
- riding boots – you’ll need either long leather boots or short boots teamed with leather gaiters, both in black or brown. (See our guide to the best long boots)
- breeches – these were traditionally light in colour, but can now be navy or black, too. (See our guide to the best competition breeches)
- show jacket – in any single conservative colour or tweed at lower levels. Some coloured and contrast elements are permitted. (See our guides to the best show jackets and best tweed jackets)
- show shirt – long- or short-sleeved with appropriate collar for a stock or tie. (See our guide to the best show shirts)
- stock or tie – it’s up to you, but stocks are more common (tradition suggests to wear white with black/navy jacket but coloured with tweed)
- gloves – make sure you’ve got good grip, especially for cross-country. (See our guide to the best riding gloves)
- base layer – any colour, long sleeves recommended. (See our guide to the best base layers)
- body protector – must be BETA level 3 (2018), air jackets optional. (See our guide to the best body protectors)
- number bib – it’s best to get some bib numbers, too, in case you need to provide your own
- stopwatch – optional, but can be useful
LeMieux Number Bib | Amazon
This bib is available in a selection of colours so that you can display your competition number. It has adjustable side and shoulder straps for a good fit.
Optimum Time OE Series 3 Event Watch | Amazon
Available in 7 colours, this watch is can be really useful. It comes on an elasticated strap, gives minute beep signals and has a 16mm display with an adjustable viewing angle.
Other important tips
- Stocks should always be tied properly
- Long hair should be secured appropriately – tied back and in a hairnet
- Competitors are advised to remove jewellery
Hy Hair Nets | Viovet.co.uk
These hair nets are available in two different weights and a range of colours for a smart, discreet look.
What to wear at an unaffiliated eventing competition
You won’t go wrong if you adhere to the affiliated rulebook, as described below. However, the dress code tends to be more lenient at local unaffiliated shows. Whatever the level of show, you’ll want to be smartly turned out in jacket, breeches and stock or tie for the dressage and showjumping phases. For cross-country, a body protector is mandatory and you can choose your cross-country colours, although long sleeves are recommended.
Your best best is to stick to the list above, and if you want to wear something different – for example, different coloured breeches – contact the show secretary to check that it is permitted. You will also need to find out what sort of bib numbers are required – some shows provide bib numbers, others will ask you to print them out at home.
Two items that are essential whatever the code, are a hat that meets the current riding hat safety standards and a body protector that has the blue BETA Level 3 (2018) label, which shows it meets the current body protector safety standards.
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If you wish to wear an inflatable/air jacket, for cross-country it must be worn over a permitted body protector.
What to wear for affiliated eventing
Hats
In a nutshell: For dressage and showjumping, as long as your riding hat is up to standard you can wear any style. For cross-country, however, you’ll need a jockey skull, which you can wear for all three phases if you’d like.
More specifically:
- Protective headwear must be worn by anyone mounted at a BE competition, with the harness correctly fastened.
- All hats must be tagged with a visible current BE (or Pony Club/British Riding Clubs) tag.
The hat must meet at least one of the following standards:
- – British and European: PAS 015 (2011), VG01.040 2014-12 or BS EN1384:2023, all with BSI Kitemark or Inspec IC Mark
- – American: ASTM F1163 15 or 23 with SEI Mark or SNELL 2016 or 2021
- – Australian and New Zealand: AS/NZS 3838 2006 onwards with SAI Global Mark
- Cross-country headwear must have no peak or peak-type extensions. Protuberances above the eyes limited to 5mm max and must be smooth or rounded in nature. A removable hat cover with light flexible peak is permitted.
Spurs
In a nutshell: These are optional at all levels.
More specifically:
- Must be smooth metal, blunt and incapable of wounding a horse.
- Shank must be no longer than 4cm long and must point to the rear and downwards.
- Metal spurs with round plastic, metal or rubber knobs are not permitted.
- Rowel spurs are permitted but not in young horse classes.
- Tines and Spursuader spurs are not permitted.
What to wear for eventing dressage and showjumping
For all classes, competitors should wear:
- Protective headwear of any colour
- Jackets may be any single conservative colour in muted tones. Subtle pinstripes, piping and coloured collars are permitted, as is contrast piping to the collar, lapels, pockets and vents. Tweed should not be brightly coloured or boldly patterned. Navy jackets with red collar and white piping are reserved solely for British team members
- If a waistcoat is worn, it must be in a conservative colour with muted tones.
- Long or short-sleeved shirt that fastens at the neck (white, cream or conservative/muted colour)
- Tie, American collar or correctly fastened stock
- Breeches in white, buff, fawn, navy or black
- Gloves – mandatory for the dressage phase only
- Plain dark boots of any conservative colour or topped boots or full grain smooth dark leather gaiters of any conservative colour with matching boots
- Below intermediate, riders can wear brown boots or brown leather gaiters with matching boots
- For ONu18 classes, riders under the age of 16 may wear jodhpur boots with matching plain black or brown half chaps
- Or, uniform with protective headwear
For advanced; advanced intermediate; and intermediate championships; in addition to the above:
- The option of a black or dark blue tailcoat. Jackets of official national colours may be worn
- Plain black/brown boots or full grain smooth black/brown leather gaiters with matching boots or topped boots
Things to note
Whips are not permitted in any form during the dressage test. One whip, no longer than 120cm including lash, maybe carried while riding on the flat.
The type of bib number worn is at the discretion of the organiser. Competitors may need to produce their own bib number.
One whip, maximum length 75cm and not weighted, may be carried for the showjumping phase.
What to wear for cross-country
Competitors should wear a sweatshirt, shirt or base layer. Long sleeves are strongly recommended.
Breeches and boots rules are as the dressage and showjumping phases.
Safety wear
At all levels, protective headwear with no peak and a cover should be worn.
Body protectors are mandatory and must be British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) approved, labelled as Level 3 (2018). Exo Body Cages can be worn but must be declared to the event secretary before going cross-country.
Air jackets are optional, but must be worn over a permitted body protector if you want to wear one for the cross-country phase. However, they can be worn for showjumping and dressage without the body protector.
Things to note
One whip, maximum length 75cm and not weighted, may be carried for the cross-country phase.
Bib numbers must be worn and be clearly visible from in front and behind.
For competitors in international classes, consult the FEI rules.
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You may also be interested in:
Should you wear a stopwatch to go cross-country when eventing?
11 of the best body protectors that meet the current standards
16 of the best long leather riding boots for every budget
5 helmets that incorporate MIPS technology
Find your next set of cross-country colours here
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Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.