FEI vs British Showjumping Validation: Course Design Rules Compared (2026)

Published 21 June 2026 · Updated 3 July 2026

By Alex Young

Designing a course for the wrong standard is an expensive mistake. You can build a beautiful track that rides perfectly in practice — and still fail technical inspection because a combination spacing or arena dimension does not match the rulebook for that day.

YardForge validates against FEI, British Showjumping (BS), Unaffiliated and Hunter standards in the course designer. Here is how to choose the right one before you place the first fence.

When to use FEI validation

Select FEI when:

The show is run under FEI Article 238 (or equivalent national federation adopting FEI tables).
You are building for international or CSI classes.
Your course builder's sheet references FEI combination distances and arena templates.

FEI outdoor arenas are validated by minimum area (≥ 4,000 m²) and short side (≥ 50 m) — not a blanket “40 × 60 m FEI minimum” (that size is a common club ring). Our FEI arena dimensions guide matches what the designer enforces.

When to use British Showjumping (BS)

Select BS for:

Affiliated British Showjumping competitions in the UK.
Area trials and most county shows using BS technical guidelines.
Training tracks that must mirror what riders will see at affiliated venues.

BS tables differ from FEI on several combination distances at lower grades. A one-stride that is legal under BS may warn under FEI at the same height — the designer surfaces those differences in real time.

Unaffiliated and club shows

Unaffiliated mode uses sensible defaults for local shows without a published technical delegate. It is ideal for:

Pony club rallies and riding-club fixtures.
Schooling leagues where consistency matters more than a specific federation PDF.

You still get stride feedback and combination warnings — but limits are slightly more permissive than affiliated sport.

Hunter classes

Hunter validation reflects classic hunter-jumper spacing: flowing lines, generous related distances and emphasis on track rather than tight combinations. Use it when the prizelist says "Hunter" or "Working Hunter" rather than standard timed jumpers.

Five mistakes course designers make

Wrong arena size — designing on 20 × 40 m when the ring is a full outdoor FEI footprint (e.g. ~50 × 80 m).
Mixing standards mid-build — switching from BS to FEI without re-checking every combination.
Ignoring landing pole depth — validation measures centre-line distance; ground lines change how the line rides.
Forgetting pony stride — distances legal for horses can be impossible for ponies in the same class split.
Not walking the maths — always cross-check critical combinations with the stride calculator.

Workflow we recommend

Confirm the prizelist standard with the show secretary.
Set arena dimensions (manual or GPS perimeter walk).
Choose FEI or BS in the designer before placing fences.
Resolve red errors before exporting the PDF builder plan.
Share a 3D walk-through link with the course builder for final sign-off.

Validate early, not at midnight

Rules checking is built into every drag-and-drop move. Treat warnings like a second pair of eyes — especially on related distances after fence 8 when fatigue makes manual arithmetic error more likely.