Members of Relentless, winners of the Open Championships, Luke Morgan and Jacko's Boy (Red) lead Dougie Gittins and Junior Jack (Green) over the enormous drop at Fence 8 in The Merribelle Stable National Team Chase Championships, 2015 Heythrop Team Chase, Langston Farm 11-4-15
British Team Chasing has brought its rules in line with British Eventing, the Pony Club and British Riding Clubs.
Hats must meet any of the following standards:
PAS 015 (1998 or 2011) with a kitemark
VG1 with a kitemark
ASTM F1163: 2004 onwards with a SEI mark
SNELL E2001 or E2016 with a SNELL label and number
AS/NZS 3838, from 2006 onwards
Hats must be tagged with either the British Eventing/British Riding Clubs/Pony Club-approved hat aqua tag or with British Team Chasing’s own hat tag.
“It is compulsory for all competitors and grooms to wear crash helmets to current recognised safety standards at all times when mounted at any team chase course — such hats must not have a fixed peak,” adds a statement from British Team Chasing.
“All competitors must also wear a British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA 2009) approved and appropriately labelled Level 3 (purple label) body protector, manufactured in the year 2009 or after.
“A body protector of this nature is also required when competitors are wearing air jackets of any make.”
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The autumn team chasing season is now in full swing, which means only one thing — the adrenaline junkies are
Racing body protectors vary in the level of protection they give, so competitors are urged to check theirs is of the correct standard for team chasing rules.
The season kicks off with its warm-up event at LandS Eventing at Dallas Burston Polo Club in Warwickshire on 11 March. The first team chase of the year is hosted by the Beaufort at Sherston in Wiltshire on 18 March.
British Eventing has also updated its body protector rules for the 2018 season.
Competitors must wear a BETA 2009 level three body protector, or an Exo Body Cage, for cross-country.
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
