Factors associated with the wastage and achievements in competition of event horses registered in the United Kingdom

The aims of this study were to estimate the wastage of horses registered for eventing in Britain, to investigate the reasons for this wastage and to evaluate factors affecting the horses' achievement of grade I status (at least 61 points) while registered. An analysis of the database of the British Eventing register found that 33.7 per cent of horses registered for the first time in 1999 were not re-registered for eventing in subsequent years. By using multivariable logistic regression analysis, it was shown that horses that were kept at an event yard were more likely to be re-registered than those kept on other premises (odds ratio [OR] 2.0, 95 per cent confidence interval [CI] 1.2 to 3.2), and those that took part in showjumping while registered were also more likely to be re-registered (OR 1.5, 95 per cent CI 1.1 to 2.2). Horses that took part in unaffiliated eventing while registered were less likely to be re-registered the following year (OR 0.7, 95 per cent CI 0.5 to 0.9), as were those that were not insured (OR 0.7, 95 per cent CI 0.5 to 1.0) and those from outside the British Isles (OR 0.6, 95 per cent CI 0.3 to 1.0). Veterinary problems were the most commonly cited explanation (35.1 per cent) why horses that remained in their original ownership were not re-registered with British Eventing the following year. Horses from Australia were more likely to achieve grade I status than horses from the British Isles (OR 9.7, 95 per cent CI 7.1 to 13.2), as were horses from New Zealand (OR 6.4, 95 per cent CI 5.0 to 8.2), the USA (OR 5.2, 95 per cent CI 3.8 to 7.2) and France (OR 2.8, 95 per cent CI 2.1 to 3.7), but horses from the Netherlands (OR 0.5, 95 per cent CI 0.3 to 0.9) and Belgium (OR 0.3, 95 per cent CI 0.1 to 0.9) were less likely to achieve grade I status. Mares were less likely to achieve grade I status than geldings (OR 0.4, 95 per cent CI 0.4 to 0.5).