Eventing Ireland is pleased to announce the introduction of the EI Grassroots Championship for 2023. This championship will offer classes at EI80, EI90 and EI100 and is exclusively for our grassroots members and those who are new to the sport of Eventing. No Eventing Ireland membership is required to compete – simply register for a free, web-only EI account. Qualifiers and the final, which will be held mid-season, will be run under Eventing Ireland rules.
Qualification
To qualify for the EI Grassroots Championship, combinations must earn a minimum of two MERs* at their chosen level at EI National Events in 2023. The cut-off date for qualification will be confirmed in early 2023.
*an MER is dressage minimum 55% good marks (45 penalties), no more than 16 SJ penalties and clear XC jumping penalties for each event.
Eligibility
The Grass Roots Championship will be eligible to all athletes, from the beginning of the calendar year in which they turn 12 years old.
An athlete must not have evented above EI100 level with any horse.*
As per EI rules, all underage athletes will be required to submit a photo or scan of their birth certificate or passport, a signed parental consent form and a signed letter of competency.
A horse/pony must not have evented above EI100 level with any athlete.
As per EI rules, a horse must be minimum 148cm and 4 years old and a pony must be minimum 138cm and 5 years old. A pony may be ridden by an adult if it is minimum 143cm and minimum 5 years old.
| EI80 Grassroots | combination must not have earned more than two MERs at EI100 level in the previous two years
OR may not have earned 3 or more MERs at EI90 in the preceding year. |
| EI90 Grassroots | combination must not have earned more than three MERs at EI100 level in the previous two years. |
| EI100 Grassroots | a combination must not have earned more than six MERs at EI100 in the previous season. |
**EXCEPTION:
A rider who has completed at EI110/Novice level in or before the year 2017 but has not competed at this level since will be eligible to enter on a horse that has not competed above EI100. Any such rider will be eligible for the EI90 Grassroots and EI100 Grassroots classes, as long as the combination meet the MER criteria stated above.
Any combination who is considered to be competing below a level at which they are established will be queried and may be withdrawn.
