British Eventing

The national governing body for eventing (dressage, show jumping and cross-country) in Great Britain, with staff based in Warwickshire.

About British Eventing

British Eventing (BE) is the national governing body for the sport of eventing in Great Britain. Its website explains that eventing combines dressage, show jumping and cross-country in one competition, and that men and women compete against each other on equal terms. BE regulates and schedules affiliated events across England, Scotland and Wales. Its website says the season runs from March to October, with levels from introductory up to international competition, plus a winter series in the off-season. Its own pages give membership as about 12,000, while Wikipedia says over 11,000 and another page says more than 16,000, so the size depends on the source and date.

BE was formerly the British Horse Trials Association (BHTA). Its own page says the BHTA became independent from the British Horse Society in 1997, thanking 22 founder members, and Wikipedia says it took the name British Eventing at the start of 2001. It belongs to the British Equestrian Federation, and it is responsible for selecting Team GB riders for the Olympics and other international events. The pages we read give no formal mission or values, but BE describes its team as dedicated and says it works to enable the sport to take place to the highest possible standards.

BE Limited's address on its website is Building 2020, Meriden Business Park, Copse Drive, Meriden, near Coventry, in the West Midlands. Wikipedia places it at Stoneleigh in Warwickshire, which was its base in 2012 when a magazine report said its staff shared a building with other equestrian bodies and that it was looking for a new one. The Meriden address is the one on its own site. It organises nearly 200 events a year in venues across Britain, and it also holds a Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park with national championships.

On culture, the organisation says it trains hundreds of volunteers, officials, riders and technical support teams, and runs safety research and initiatives. Its site includes a safeguarding and duty of care section, a learning hub called BE Prepared, and a Rider Focus Group, which suggests it listens to members. Wikipedia names the current chairman as Mark Sartori and the chief executive as Rosie Williams. We found no staff or culture statement in the company's own words, and the head office team is described only through a page we could not see.

A governing body needs people for many tasks: event schedulers and rules and safety specialists, officials and volunteer coordinators, membership and customer service staff, competitions and results teams, communications and marketing, finance, training and education staff, and team selection and performance staff. If you love horses or competition but want a career that is not riding, a body like this gives you a way into the sport through organisation, rules, safety and education. Check the BE website for what is available now.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Regulating and scheduling affiliated eventing competitions across Britain.', 'title': 'Rules and event scheduling'}
• {'desc': 'Coaching, officials training and the BE Prepared learning hub.', 'title': 'Training and education'}
• {'desc': 'Safety research, biosecurity guidance and safeguarding resources.', 'title': 'Safety and safeguarding'}

Key facts

• National governing body for eventing in Great Britain; formerly the British Horse Trials Association
• Became independent from the British Horse Society in 1997 and took the name British Eventing around 2001
• Season from March to October with nearly 200 events; membership of 11,000 to 16,000 depending on source
• Office at Meriden Business Park, Meriden, West Midlands (company site)

Website: britisheventing.com