Competing becomes cheaper and easier

Lower costs to start competing and easier for clubs to host competitions – these are some of the new developments introduced by the Swedish Equestrian Federation’s competition section to counter the declining number of entries.

“We’ve been working intensively to make this happen by the new year,” says Annika Skoglund, Chair of the Swedish Equestrian Federation’s competition section.

As of January 1, 2025, the Swedish Equestrian Federation will introduce entry-level competitions called 0* events and a trial license for existing competitions.
“The aim is to reduce the costs for newcomers and help organizers fill the fields again,” Skoglund adds.

First came the pandemic, then the economic downturn. Recent years have severely impacted Swedish sports. With declining household purchasing power, Swedes have also spent less on leisure activities.
“I think horse enthusiasts have prioritized keeping their horses, but may have had to cut back on training and competition costs,” Skoglund says, continuing:

“We naturally want to do everything we can to stimulate growth and support both riders and organizers. We hope our organizers will embrace the entry-level competitions and give this concept a try.”

Facts – 0 Competitions*

Statistics show the most significant decline in the number of entries is in show jumping and dressage at the 1* and 2* levels. The competition section within the Swedish Equestrian Federation has therefore decided to introduce the 0* competition, which will be a mix of pay-to-play, club, invitation, and current lower-level classes.

For Riders

• Riders of all ages can enter.
• To make it more affordable, the cost of a 0* competition meeting license in 2025 will be only SEK 95. The current cost for a meeting license is SEK 175.
• Pricing for an annual 0* license has not yet been finalized.
• As per current rules, riders under 14 don’t need their own “green card” to compete in 0* classes. Instead, they can be accompanied by a responsible person at the competition.

For Horses

• To make it cheaper, the horse license for 0* competitions will only cost SEK 140. The current cost is SEK 360.
• No measurement certificates for ponies are required, as there will be no categories.
• Vaccination requirements remain the same as today.

The changes for riders and horses mean that the entry cost for licenses, the green card, and pony measurement before competing will drop to SEK 235, compared to around SEK 1750 today, saving up to SEK 1500 on the first 0* competition entry.

For Organizers

• Proposals must be submitted to the respective district at least 35 days before the competition.
• No electronic results are published (e.g., via Equipe), only physical result lists at the venue.
• Results are submitted to TDB but not published, for statistical purposes.
• Only one official representative is required at the competition. This official must be trained by the Swedish Equestrian Federation and can be a supervisor, judge, course builder, or trainer. An approved riding instructor can also serve as the official for a 0* event, reducing costs for organizers and simplifying the process.

Equine Welfare

Equine welfare will be ensured by designating a horse inspector to conduct checks similar to those done by supervisors at 1*-5* competitions. This includes inspecting at least 5% of the participating horses’ mouths and 5% of their nosebands. The inspector reports to the official representative at the event.

General

• No electronic results are published (e.g., via Equipe), only physical result lists at the venue.
• Results are not qualifying.

Discipline-Specific

• The highest class varies by discipline.
• In show jumping, 0* classes can be run as centimeter jumping up to 0.85 meters. The Show Jumping Committee may extend this after a decision in early November.
• In dressage, the highest class is Light B:3.
• The highest classes for other disciplines will be announced along with the 2025 TR updates for each discipline.

Facts – Trial License

Riders who haven’t held a rider’s license since 2009 can obtain a trial license for SEK 95, which applies for one competition. The license can be issued up to three times per calendar year and only within one year. It applies to entries in existing competitions from 0*–2*, following specific discipline-specific rules, which will soon be published on ridsport.se.

As per current rules, riders under 14 do not need their own green card to obtain a trial license, regardless of age, as long as they are accompanied by a responsible person with a green card.

The changes for riders mean that the entry cost for licenses and the green card before competition will drop to SEK 95, compared to around SEK 1000 today, saving up to SEK 900 for entries with the trial license.

This pressrelease has been automatically translated using Chat GPT