Balloting will remain part of the British Eventing (BE) entries system for the first events of 2023. This is a change from plans announced in October 2022, when BE announced that balloting would be scrapped for 2023.
For later fixtures, event organisers will be able to decide whether to use this system or take entries on a first come, first served basis.
The long-established ballot system requires all prospective competitors to enter a fixture by a certain date, after which the entries secretary works out which entries will be accepted and which rejected. In doing so, the secretary follows certain rules around which entries take priority and then moves to random selection if there are still too many.
Announcing the removal of balloting last year, BE personnel cited advantages such as competitors being able to find out quickly whether their entries had been accepted, without having to wait several weeks with money tied up in that entry, and that balloting was perceived as confusing and a barrier to new people competing with BE.
Today BE chief executive Helen West said: “We are hoping to accredit one or two third-party entry systems at some point over the forthcoming months. Once [they are] accredited, organisers will have the choice of using one of these, which will allow the ability to remove ballot dates, or to continue using the BE entries system should they wish to.
“BE members will always be given priority over pay-as-you-go entries in all cases.
“Organisers will need to make it very clear in their event schedule which entries policy they are operating and their refund policy.”
A BE spokesperson also said that “unfortunately, there would need to be development work to allow for balloting to be removed as an option from the BE entries system”.
Entries for Epworth (1) and Poplar Park, both running on the first weekend of the season (4–5 March), open tomorrow (1 February). Epworth has a ballot date of noon on 14 February and Poplar’s ballot date is set at noon on 7 February.
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