British Eventing (BE), British Riding Clubs and the Pony Club have unified helmet standards so that a single “hat tag” will be accepted across all three organisations’ events in 2018.
The new ‘aqua’ coloured tag will mean riders can now wear just one tag.
The 2018 hat rules includes a small change to the AS/NZS 3838 standard for the Pony Club and BE, both of which will now only be accepting this standard from 2006 onwards.
All three bodies will use an aide memoire that will list the standards and quality assurance marks and will be used by officials.
“Safety in eventing, and all equestrian activity, is of the highest priority for us and an area that British Eventing has invested in extensively over many years,” said BE chief executive David Holmes.
“This universal hat tag system is a great step forward in improving rider safety across multiple member bodies, which is not only beneficial for risk management in the sport, but means a more clear and efficient process for riders, officials and volunteers.”
Head of British Riding Clubs Laura Sanger said: “We are delighted to be working with BE and the Pony Club to promote the highest safety standards to all of our members.
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
“We are also pleased that this will reduce the burden on officials and volunteers across all three disciplines, as the need for multiple tags will no longer be necessary.”
If you can’t make Olympia this year, there are plenty of ways to keep up with all the action
Pony Club chairman Mary Tuckett added: “Keeping our members safe is always of great importance to us and the new ‘aqua’ tag will aid officials and volunteers with a clear and streamlined process that will help promote hat safety among riders.”
The full 2018 rules for each member body will be published in due course and available online.
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Rachael joined Horse & Hound in 2014, initially as a digital sub editor then became part of the news team as a writer in 2015. The philosophy graduate studied journalism at the Press Association before working as a local reporter at the Brentwood Gazette. Rachael is now a mum of two and still loves all things equestrian, including hacking, dressage and jumping with her cob Bert. Rachael left the H&H staff to go freelance in June 2019, but still contributes to our magazine and website, as well as our sister magazine Country Life, among others.
