The decision to make eventing prize money optional helped give organisers confidence to host competitions in uncertain times after lockdown, but now calls are being made to ensure this situation doesn’t continue indefinitely. H&H asks British Eventing, plus representatives of riders, owners and organisers about the issues involved...
EVENTING prize money is back in the spotlight as stakeholders urge against the rules allowing organisers to waive monetary prizes from becoming the new normal.
Awarding prize money was made optional as part of the resumption protocols to help get the sport back up and running in July.
Mark Phillips raised the topic in H&H (comment, 10 September) questioning how important prize money is at “week in, week out fixtures” when much of the money on offer is won by the same competitors.
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"}
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H&H senior news writer
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.
