Due to the recent rule changes introduced by BS, whereby only BS accredited photographers can attend BS events, I went through the process and became an accredited photographer in November 2024! There still isn’t an awful lot of information out there on the process, requirements and what to expect so I thought it might be handy to jot down my experience and knowledge here.

Disclaimer: This is all correct to my knowledge. However, I am not an official representative of BS – any questions should go to them. 

Being an accredited British Showjumping (BS) photographer means that you are allowed to photograph any BS accredited events. Therefore, any photographers not registered by March 2025 will no longer be able to attend these events. 

To begin this process, you’ll need to become a BS member. You are required to hold a BS safeguarding certification (or relevant certification) and fill out a self-declaration form. You’ll also need a valid DBS check and to sign a code of conduct form. It seems like a lot when it’s written down like this, but the process was fairly straightforward! 

The following step-by-step guide was provided to me by British Showjumping themselves:

The email contact I used was Natalie.Owen@britishshowjumping.co.uk and she was brilliant! 

The process is as follows:

1. If you don’t already have a British Showjumping account, you will need to create a free online account using the ‘Members Online’ portal. To access this, visit the British Showjumping website and click ‘Member login’ in the top-right-hand corner. You will be able to create an account by clicking ‘Not registered or can’t login?’ and following the setup process.

2. All individual photographers will need to be listed as an Accredited Photographer, even if they operate under a company name. If you are the owner of the company, please use your personal email address to set up your own account, to allow us to create a ‘company’ account using the company email address.

3. Once you have created an account, please send an email to request:

• An upgrade to a free account (please note: this account is for contact purposes only and does not hold the same rights and privileges of other British Showjumping Memberships)
• A Self-Declaration Form
• A link to the British Showjumping Safeguarding training, if you do not already hold a valid Safeguarding certification

4. Once we have received all documentation, you will be given an ‘Accredited Photographer’ qualification on your account, which will allow show centres to allocate you on their schedules.

5. If you would prefer your company name to be listed on the schedules instead of your name, you will need to let us know the company name and email address. We will then be able to connect all of the photographers to the company account. Please note: only those who are registered with British Showjumping as an Accredited Photographer will be permitted to operate under your company name at British Showjumping shows. Please ensure all photographers that you usually employ get in touch to register with us.

It’s worth checking if you have any relevant safeguarding training beforehand as this will save you money and time! As I work with vulnerable young children, I already hold a relevant safeguarding certification and DBS so this saved me a lot of time!

Once you receive the accreditation, your company name will show on the schedule. You can let your venues know that they can allocate you to their schedules. Once they have allocated you, you will need to accept the invitation so keep an eye out for this to prevent delays in the schedule!

You also get a ‘Registered Photographer’ logo for you to use as detailed in the Code of Conduct.