The Open Championship is one of the most prestigious accolades in the sport of eventing, and a title that many top riders aim for. The British Open Championship was introduced and first won by Bruce Davidson on J J Babu in 1986 and the first National Champion was Ginny Leng with Night Cap II. Since its inception, the roll of honour contains all the great names within eventing, including Pippa Funnell, Mary King, William Fox-Pitt, Sir Mark Todd, Andrew Nicholson, Oliver Townend and, more recently, Gemma Tattersall.

Th  British Open Championship runs as a CCI4*-S, the competition takes place across two days with the dressage on Saturday and then show jumping on Sunday morning. On Sunday afternoon, the competitors run cross country with the top 10 jumping in reverse order, keeping the tension and excitement running right until the last horse comes through the finish line.

Who can compete in the Open Championships?

The Open Championships attract some of the most established horses. Horses qualify throughout the season with successful results at Advanced level and above.

Find out more about how to qualify for the Open Championships in the BE Rules and Members' Handbook.

What level are the Open Championships held at?

The Championships are run at Advanced level with Championship technicality.