Martyn’s Law explained: What equestrian competition organisers need to know

Local riding club competitions to national championships. Keeping riders, spectators and staff safe has always been a key priority for equestrian event organisers. However, a new piece of legislation means many venues will soon have additional responsibilities to help prepare for the unlikely event of a terrorist attack.

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, commonly known as Martyn’s Law, received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025. While the legislation is not yet in force, the Government has confirmed there will be an implementation period of at least 24 months, giving organisations time to understand their new responsibilities and prepare before the legal requirements apply.

If you organise equestrian competitions or events, it’s worth understanding what the legislation involves and whether it could affect your venue.

What is Martyn’s Law?

Martyn’s Law has been introduced to improve public safety by ensuring those responsible for publicly accessible venues and events are better prepared to respond in the event of a terrorist incident.

Rather than expecting venues to eliminate every possible risk, the legislation aims to ensure there are proportionate plans and procedures in place to reduce the risk of harm and improve emergency responses.

The Act applies to qualifying premises and events where the public are permitted to attend and where attendance reaches certain thresholds.

Will Martyn’s Law affect equestrian events?

Potentially, yes. Whether an equestrian event falls within the legislation depends on the number of people reasonably expected to be present at the same time, including competitors, spectators, officials, volunteers and staff.

Many local competitions and smaller unaffiliated shows are unlikely to meet the threshold. However, larger county shows, championships, exhibitions and major equestrian events may fall within the scope of the legislation.

The Act introduces two tiers of requirements.

Standard Tier (200–799 People)

For venues or events where between 200 and 799 people are reasonably expected to be present at the same time, organisers will fall under the Standard Tier.

The Government has designed these requirements to be straightforward, practical and low-cost, focusing on procedures rather than significant investment in security infrastructure.

Organisers will be expected to have procedures in place for responding to a terrorist incident, including:

  • Evacuation procedures
  • Invacuation procedures (bringing people into a safer area)
  • Lockdown procedures
  • Communication procedures for informing staff and the public during an incident.

For many equestrian events, this may involve reviewing and updating existing event risk assessments and emergency plans.

For example, organisers may wish to consider:

  • How competitors, spectators and volunteers would be alerted in an emergency
  • Whether stewards and officials understand their responsibilities
  • How public announcements would be made if areas of the venue needed to be evacuated or secured
  • Whether emergency access routes remain clear throughout the event.

Many venues may already have some of these procedures in place as part of their existing health and safety planning. Martyn’s Law encourages organisers to ensure these procedures also consider the possibility of a terrorist incident.

Enhanced Tier (800+ People)

Where 800 or more people are reasonably expected to be present at the same time, venues and events will fall within the Enhanced Tier.

These venues will have additional responsibilities, including implementing appropriate public protection measures and maintaining more detailed documentation demonstrating how risks have been considered and managed.

Depending on the venue and the nature of the event, appropriate measures could include:

  • CCTV systems
  • Bag search procedures
  • Vehicle management or checks
  • Monitoring access points
  • Enhanced staff training
  • Additional security planning.

The Government makes clear that these measures should be reasonably practicable and proportionate to the venue and the risks involved.

Some of the UK’s largest equestrian events may fall within this category if they meet the qualifying attendance thresholds.

What should equestrian organisers do now?

Although the legislation is not yet in force, now is a good opportunity to begin preparing. Event organisers should consider:

  • Whether their venue or event is likely to meet the attendance thresholds
  • Reviewing existing emergency procedures and risk assessments
  • Ensuring staff and volunteers understand their roles during an emergency
  • Keeping up to date with Government guidance as implementation approaches.

Preparing early will help make any future changes more manageable and ensure venues are ready when the legislation comes into effect.

Where can I find more information?

This article provides a general overview of Martyn’s Law for equestrian event organisers. The official Government guidance should always be used as the primary source of information, as it will continue to be updated as implementation progresses.

The Government’s guidance can be found here:

As the implementation date approaches, organisers should continue to refer to GOV.UK for the latest guidance and any updates relating to the legislation.

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