Eventing Safety Review: What Britain's New Commission Will Examine

What the new eventing safety commission is

On October 26, 2026, British Eventing (BE) announced an independent Eventing Horse and Rider Safety Commission to examine what more can be done to cut avoidable risk to horses and riders. It is chaired by Dame Caroline Spelman, a former Defra secretary of state, and set up with the British Eventing Support Trust, the FEI and British Equestrian.

BE's board pointed to two decades of accumulated safety knowledge, and to several recent serious incidents.

Here is the commission at a glance:

• Who set it up: British Eventing, with the British Eventing Support Trust, the FEI (the sport's world governing body) and British Equestrian.
• Who chairs it: Dame Caroline Spelman, a former Defra secretary of state.
• What it covers: rules, course design, training, medical provision and safety culture.
• Timeline: it aims to finish its work within about six months, so around spring 2027.
• Openness: its findings and recommendations will be published.

Spelman has said she will begin by listening to people in the sport and reviewing the evidence. She has also said no outcome is decided in advance, so any talk of specific new rules is guesswork for now.

Why cross-country is the riskiest phase

Eventing combines three tests: dressage, show jumping and cross-country. If you're new to the sport, our guide to what eventing is explains the format.

Cross-country is where most serious risk sits, for three main reasons:

1. Solid fences. Show jumping poles fall at a touch. Many cross-country fences are built of fixed timber, banks, ditches and water.
2. Speed and terrain. Horses gallop over open country, up and down hills, and meet each fence once.
3. Rotational falls. This is when a horse hits a fence with its front legs and flips over it. The USEA describes rotational falls as the type most often linked to rider deaths.

A 2023 study by researchers in the UK calls horse falls on cross-country the leading cause of rider deaths in eventing. That's why most safety work in the sport focuses on this phase.

What already exists to manage the risk

The commission isn't starting from zero. Here are the main tools already in use.

Frangible and deformable fences

A frangible fence is built to give way when a horse hits it hard enough, instead of acting as a fixed pivot. The best-known devices are MIM clips and frangible pins, which let a rail drop when hit with enough force.

• Swedish-made MIM clips have been used at international horse trials for more than a decade, and in early 2021 they were the only devices to have passed the FEI's new testing standard.
• Since January 1, 2021, approved devices are mandatory at international level on suitable open oxers, open corners, verticals with open rails, the top rail of triple bars and gates.
• A newer yellow MIM clip releases with less force than the original red one and is meant for corners and table fences.

Body protectors and air vests

A body protector is compulsory for cross-country at British Eventing competitions. Since January 1, 2024, it must carry the BETA Level 3 (2018) label; older protectors certified only to the 2009 standard are no longer accepted. The Irish Pony Club's 2026 rules also require the BETA Level 3 (2018) standard or later. It is designed to spread out the force of hitting the ground or a fence.

An air vest inflates in a fraction of a second when a cord attached to the saddle pulls. Under the 2026 FEI rules, as summarized by the Irish Pony Club, air vests are recommended for cross-country but not compulsory, and must be worn over an approved body protector, never instead of one.

For how to choose and replace kit, see when to replace a riding helmet, and whether kids need a body protector or air vest.

Fall and qualification rules

• One fall and you're out. Since 2018, any rider fall in BE competition means elimination, in line with FEI and US rules. Riders who fall must be seen by the event doctor before they ride again or leave.
• Qualifications. Horses and riders must earn qualifying results before stepping up a level.
• Medical cover. Events have medical and veterinary cover on site. Under US rules, a medical armband or other medical data carrier is required only for riders with a relevant medical condition, so check what your own federation asks you to carry.

Head injuries need special care. Our explainer on concussion in horse riders covers why standard checks can miss them.

What the research says about cross-country falls

The largest study of eventing falls to date was published in the Equine Veterinary Journal (online in 2023, then in its January 2024 issue). Researchers from the University of Central Lancashire and the University of Glasgow analyzed 749,534 BE cross-country starts from 2005 to 2015.

They identified 16 risk factors for horse falls. Here's how the odds of a fall compared with the BE90 level:

Other findings worth knowing:

• A rider whose horse fell at the previous start was about 2.4 times more likely to fall again.
• Horses on their first start had about twice the odds of a fall compared with horses that had run in the previous 1-14 days.
• Every extra 10 dressage penalties went with slightly higher odds of a fall. A tense or green test can be an early warning.
• More days since the horse's last run was also linked to higher risk.

The authors suggest governing bodies use this kind of data to shape safety policy. They also note limits: the data covers only the UK and includes nothing on training at home.

What amateur and young riders can do now

You don't have to wait six months to ride more safely. These steps line up with the research and the existing rules:

• Check your kit. Your body protector should carry a BETA Level 3 (2018) label and fit snugly. Replace your helmet after any hard fall.
• Consider an air vest for cross-country, worn over your body protector. Follow the maker's checks for the lanyard and cartridge.
• Move up slowly. The jump in risk from one level to the next is real. Get consistent clear rounds before stepping up.
• Take a fall seriously. After any fall, get checked, rebuild with a confident schooling session and an easier run before trying anything bigger.
• Mind the gap. After a long break or on a first run, choose a friendly course and treat it as a confidence outing.
• Read your dressage. If your horse was tense or distracted in the arena, ride the first cross-country fences more carefully.
• Walk the course properly. Note which fences carry frangible devices and plan your line and pace at combinations.

Parents of young riders will find more in our safety section. For the bigger picture on levels, see CCI4*-S and eventing levels explained.

What to watch next

• How to have your say. Watch for any call for evidence from riders, owners, course designers and officials.
• The report, around spring 2027. It is due within about six months and will be made public.
• How the FEI responds. The FEI is a founding partner, so any recommendations could matter beyond Britain.
• Your own federation. Many national federations follow FEI rule changes, so keep an eye on next year's rulebooks.

We'll update this story when the commission publishes its findings. Follow more competition news on our trends page.