Any rider who is taken to hospital from or suspected to have sustained concussion at a British Showjumping (BS) competition will be suspended for three weeks – and that information will be shared with other British Equestrian (BEF) governing bodies.
BS has brought in the 21-day suspension rule for 2026 to prevent competitors returning to competition during a time when suffering a second brain injury could have catastrophic effects. The criteria for suspension are if a rider is taken directly to hospital from a show or when medics, officials or organisers suspect a concussion.
BS will also alert other BEF member bodies, not of medical information but of suspension dates. To request the period be shortened, a rider must provide a hospital discharge sheet or doctor’s report clearing them to compete.
British Showjumping concussion rule
“We’re not trying to spoil anyone’s fun but we need to help educate people – especially those responsible for young people in the sport – about the dangers of a second head injury in that time period,” BS chief executive Iain Graham told H&H.
“You may feel you need to get back on and keep competing but the main thing is the long-term effects. The long term is one of the great things in our sport; you can keep competing till you’re 70+ at the top level so we have a long time to enjoy it and missing a couple of weeks of competition isn’t the end of the world.”
BS’s emailing other governing bodies is aimed at preventing riders who have suffered concussion competing in other disciplines during the crucial period. Suffering a second injury before the brain has fully healed can cause significant swelling, potentially leading to permanent disability, or death. The NHS states that anyone suffering from concussion should avoid contact sports for at least three weeks.
“We have been doing this – the BEF is developing a system to share information securely with a requirement that all member bodies share this suspension information, which we have been told should be operational in the next month – and everyone affected has accepted it’s to protect them,” Mr Graham said. “We have to do all we can as a governing body to protect people in our sport.
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“We don’t know what happens at home but hopefully we can get more people talking and thinking about head injuries; we have seen a real change in the last 10 to 15 years and people do understand you have to protect your head.”
What do you think about the rule? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance for your letter to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine. Letters may be edited for clarity and length.
Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
