How Much Does it Cost to go British Eventing in 2022?
Guys, we made it! The British Eventing season officially kicks off this weekend with classes running at Aston-Le-Wells and Poplar Park. So, whether you're heading to compete yourself, groom for a friend or spy on the pros running young horses for the first time, here's to surviving the winter and (hopefully) an uninterrupted season of competition ahead.
There have been many changes from BE HQ within the last few years, including scrapping abandonment insurance and the introduction of tiered membership levels (just when we thought we'd escaped the tiered system). So, we've carried out a quick public service to look at just how much it costs to go Eventing in 2022.
In our example, we will calculate the cost for a new member, let's call her Jessica, who hopes to event up to BE100. Jessica will be riding her horse, Captain, who has no previous BE points.
The Introductory membership only covers up to BE90, so Jessica will need a Standard membership, which costs £125.00 if she sets it up as a direct debit. She will also need a season ticket for Captain, which is £67.00.
Her entry fee for the BE100 at Aston Le Wells is £80.95 + £17.45 start fee, which is a total of £98.40. For transparency, this fee will vary for different events.
Jessica and Captain plan to compete in six events throughout the season, so if we divide the rider membership and horse season ticket by six and add it to the entry fee, the cost to compete at each event is £130.40.
So, Jessica will pay £782.40 to enter six events across the 2022 season.
Now let's have a look at the time Jessica and Captain will actually spend competing at each event. They will spend approximately four minutes within the Dressage boards, two and a half minutes in the SJ ring and around five and a half minutes on the XC track.
This means they will spend a total of 12 minutes competing at each event and 72 minutes across the whole season, presuming that they complete each event. That equals £10.87 per minute of competition.
That's a little scary; let's half-halt and turn this article around.
Eventing is about so much more than the physical time spent in the saddle. That money goes towards a host of incredible features that contribute to a successful day’s competition. For example, this money pays for riding on good ground at breathtaking locations and gives you peace of mind that you are running over safe courses with correctly pegged fences and MIM clip technology.
You'll enjoy high-quality course design, jumps and decorations, which add a huge amount to the overall experience. In addition, you can rely on efficient organisers, experienced judges, and competent volunteers. The list of BE benefits goes on and on.
We didn't write this article to put you off Eventing, quite the opposite. We love our sport and the incredible competitors we meet along the way. We are proud to see so many passionate equestrians continuously strive towards their goals, fulfill lifelong ambitions, and explore unbreakable bonds with their horses.
What we do hope to achieve is clarity about the financial commitment to Eventing, or any other equestrian discipline, so that you can make an informed decision about whether it's the right path for you.
Ask yourself why you want to event. Is it because it truly gives you the biggest thrill of your life, and you couldn't imagine a day better spent? If so, £10.84 a minute is money well spent, no doubt about it.
If you're doing it because you want to keep up with the crowd or because you want to post an event report on Instagram, then it might be time to rethink whether that’s the best way to spend your hard-earned cash.
The Apt Team x
All facts and figures were true, to our knowledge, at the time of publishing.
More information can be found on cost of membership and competing by visiting the British Eventing Website
Photo by Dave Cameron Photography
Words by Stone Stories Copywriting
