by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 29, 2023
Legendary Aachen has it all–pomp, an incredible sense of the occasion, an educated audience (45,000 were in the stands for the show jumping Nations Cup) that knows when to cheer and when to groan. But most important, of course, is the wide array of equestrian competition it offers–dressage, show jumping, eventing, four-in-hand driving and vaulting.
With the World Equestrian Games no longer on the global schedule, the German production more than fills the gap. In fact, Aachen hosted the most successful WEG in 2006, a standard to which its successors aspired but never quite were able to match.
The opening ceremonies on Tuesday served notice of the splendor that would follow, with all manner of pageantry. Each year, Aachen picks a partner nation to salute, and this year it was Britain. That meant a visit from Princess Anne and the Household Cavalry (our cover photo), as well as racing Shetland ponies. The theme song for the evening was the Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love.”
The setting of the main arena is a true landscape in the city, complete with hedges and a lake. The big names in every discipline wouldn’t miss Aachen. The dressage Grand Prix and the show jumping Mercedes Benz Nations Cup today involved a face-off of the biggest in those disciplines.
Buoyed by double-clears from 2012 Olympic gold medalist Steve Guerdat (Venard de Cerisy) and former European Champion Marcus Fuchs (Commissar Pezi), the Swiss took the show jumping title for the first time since 2002. The class, worth 1 million Euros, was touch and go until the end. When Martin went clear, it clinched the title for his country.
Martin Fuchs proclaims victory for Switzerland after a clear round that clinched the Cup for his homeland.
Switzerland had only 4 penalties after the two rounds. Great Britain and Belgium were tied on 8, but the British got the nod for second place because they were faster in the second round.
The U.S. was fourth of eight teams on 12 penalties. McLain Ward went double clear on Callas. All eyes will be on him Sunday as he tries to win the final leg of the Rolex Grand Slam, after taking the first two segments in Geneva and the Netherlands. His performance today qualified him to compete in the grand prix this weekend.
Second-best for the U.S. was McLain’s 2018 WEG gold medal teammate, Devin Ryan of Long Valley, N.J., who had one rail in the first round and was clean in the second on Eddie Blue. It was a triumphant return to Aachen for Devin, who missed major classes with Eddie for a long time after the horse suffered a bone bruise.
Team newcomer Natalie Dean had a rail in each round with Acota M, while Laura Kraut logged two rails in the first round and one in the second with her 2021 Olympic team silver medal mount, Baloutinue.
“We always aim for the podium, and we just barely missed it in fourth, against eight of the top teams in the world. So not disappointed,” said U.S. Coach Robert Ridland.
“McLain of course did his normal double-clean in the anchor spot. The energy and excitement here at the sold-out stadium at Aachen is, as always, the epitome of the sport, the Wimbledon of show jumping. The atmosphere actually was a bit much for Baloutinue, and he ended up being quite an uncharacteristic handful for Laura.
McLain Ward on the field at Aachen with Callas. (Photo courtesy USEF)
“Natalie in her first big-time Nations Cup was very impressive and it was great to have Devin and Eddie Blue back on our team after his absence due to injury following the world championships in 2018…also a very impressive performance.”
Devin Ryan and Eddie Blue. (Photo courtesy of USEF)
In the dressage Grand Prix, Germany’s Olympic champion Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, world number one and two-time World Cup winner, with TSF Dalera BB; Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin on Imhotep, a son of Everdale, a stallion who was being ridden at Aachen by another famous Brit, World Champion Lottie Fry (she won the world title on Glamourdale; like Everdale, by the stallion Lord Leatherdale).
Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Charlotte is back after having baby Isabella Rose. Jessica was absent from the world championships last year after she gave birth. It’s nice to see these women aren’t missing a beat once their babies have arrived.
Jessica, Charlotte and Lottie finished 1,2,3, with only Jessica breaking 80 percent, which she did after a slow start that she left behind with her usual verve and a strong finish to earn 82.304 percent. She got a 10 for her final halt.
In the beginning of her test, she explained In the first salute, the mare was slightly restless and lifted her left hind leg.
“That is an energy thing,” Jessica explained.“She can hardly wait for us to start.”
Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and her fabulous mare. (Photo courtesy CHIO Aachen.)
Germany topped the competition with a score of 235.413, while Denmark finished second (228.608). Britain came oh-so-close behind on 228.565.
Charlotte, who warmed up Wednesday in the Prix St. Georges with a victory on her “ballerina,,” Times Kismet, earned a score of 79.782 on Imhotep in the team competition. That’s remarkable, considering her relatively brief competitive partnership with “Pete,” as the Dutchbred stallion is known. Lottie’s mark was 78.913.
Charlotte noted, “My goal was to compete here, and here I am, I came second and am absolutely delighted with Imhotep. How he coped so well with the atmosphere here, at the biggest, best equestrian show in the world. He is an inexperienced horse, he hasn’t done many Grand Prix tests yet, he is 10 years old and it is such fun riding him! He is so full of energy and has so many highlights. He is the horse with the best piaffe I have ever sat on.”
And that’s saying something. Remember, she rode the great Valegro to her Olympic gold medals.
Lottie was enthused with her finish.
“I know what Everdale is capable of. But for everything to go right on day X and in the arena in Aachen, that is something different. So I couldn’t have been happier today. I was actually a bit emotional after the test because he felt so super and I am looking forward to the next class.”
That is Saturday’s Grand Prix Special, which will determine the final team placings.
The U.S. wound up eighth of eight teams in the Grand Prix on 213.638. Anna Buffini on FRH Davinia la Douce was last to go in the class, but led the way for America in 17th place with a score of 72.804, backed up by Alice Tarjan, 23d on the petite Serenade MF (71.087). Susie Dutta (69.739) 30th on Don Design DC also figured in the total, with Sarah Tubman 31st on First Apple having the drop score, 69.67.
Anna Buffini and Davinia La Douce. (Photo courtesy USEF)
As the anchor rider, Anna was ready to handle the pressure of her second Aachen experience.
Although her mare “was the most difficult she’s been beforehand,” Anna and trainer Guenter Seidel were “really soft with her and just waiting for her to get her legs under her again and feel good again after the travel. She had the fire in her eyes. She was excited to go.”
Driving dressage was running at the same time as ridden dressage, with the USA’s Chester Weber taking the lead on 38.85 penalties, just ahead of world number one Boyd Exell of Australia on 38.92, far past third-place Bram Chardon (48.38) from the Netherlands. Bram is ranked world number two, and Chester is world number 16.
At half-time of the show jumping,16-year-old DSP Alice was retired to the refrain of “One Moment in Time.” She was German rider Simone Blum’s partner in taking the show jumping world championships at the 2018 WEG in North Carolina. The mare wore a sheet that bore the words, “Thank you, Alice.”
Said Simone, “I wouldn’t be where I am now without Alice. She has always been my soulmate. Because she is so unique, we have a very special connection.”
Simone Blum and DSP Alice.
Check back for another update. In the meantime, get individual dressage results at this link. Find team dressage results here.
To see jumping results, click here.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 28, 2023
The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s most recent Town Hall webinar was a “Recognized Riding Academy-inspired” program, geared to addressing the concerns of the grassroots.
Previous Town Halls have dealt with such first-world equestrian issues as increasing prize money or how many shows can be entered to accumulate points for year-end championships.
But those at the entry and lower levels are “super-important” for the future of the sport in terms of its stability and growth, as USHJA President Mary Knowlton noted in this week’s session.
A key issue with those groups is cost; not only the cost of showing, but the cost of lessons or even just having the chance to ride.
One of the 37 people who participated in the forum was Shasta Parry, a show organizer from Utah. She noted, “it’s an expensive sport. It is inaccessible to far too many. I hate it, but I’m not sure how to fix it for everyone.”
So she says, “I’m doing what I can to bridge the gap, and cheering others on to do the same.”
If managers want to offer Outreach, Shasta suggested, “put together a schooling show.”
But even such smaller shows are expensive because of everything involved in putting them on; not just the obvious items like jumps, prizes and judges (though you don’t have to use licensed judges), but also behind-the-scenes expenses, such as manure removal or paying for EMTs.
Mary believes the introductory Outreach shows are “the biggest thing that helps,” and says Outreach Festivals “have to be low-cost, we really do police that.”
Jess Boppe commented that while there are local shows where riders can “get their feet wet with showing,” the costs pile up fast as they move on to rated shows. She pointed out membership and registration for riders and horses can amount to $200, and then there are the fees at the shows themselves. Jess wondered if the governing bodies might look at doing away with “some of these fees that are really adding up for horse owners and riders.”
Allie Zorn suggested “maybe a push for more transparency regarding how fees are utilized,” would help people understand what use is made of their money by shows and equestrian organizations.
She suggested it would be “a little easier for parents coming in (to showing) to know how their money is being spent.”
Other topics that came up during the Town Hall included being mindful of how to deal with riders who might be too heavy for a stable’s horses. It can be hard to estimate a rider’s weight, so one idea was to list weight ranges (rather than specific weights) that riders can check so instructors can make appropriate rider/horse pairings. It also would not be as embarrassing as asking for a specific figure for a rider’s weight.
(Horse & Hound reported this week that 12 people were asked to dismount at the Royal Three Counties Show in Britain because they were too big for the ponies they were riding. There is talk that a weight limit might be brought in next year.)
There was a discussion of dealing with temperatures and humidity when making a decision as to whether to ride or show. When the combination is over 150 degrees “it starts to get dangerous,” said Stephanie Cook, noting 160 is very dangerous. She pointed out it is not kind to put horses into “those metal boxes” after they have shown all day in high heat, thus subjecting the animal to a long ride in a hot vehicle (while you drive your air conditioned truck). She suggests waiting until things cool down in the evening, or perhaps staying an extra night before heading home.
The subject of jackets in the heat also drew comments. Even though jackets may be waived, there are some instances in which riders will insist on wearing them because they think they have a better “look” in that attire.
Leslie Terry said in the extreme heat and humidity of South Florida, “I see kids all the time passing out.”
She suggested a rule that would ban jackets when the heat index reaches a certain point.
Participants offered some interesting ideas when asked how to handle having riders of varying abilities riding together in the same ring, perhaps indoors in inclement weather. One suggestion was to have them proceed one behind the other, playing a sort of game where the last rider might be asked to move to the front of the line in an extended trot, while another might move up in a sitting trot or another gait.
Kay Altheuser mentioned having one person get in the center of the ring act as the instructor for five minutes, then switching off with another rider.
Cory Kieschnick noted pole exercises work, because they can run the gamut from rails on the ground to cross-rails and little fences.
It’s interesting what people can come up with when they have a forum like the Town Halls where they feel free to talk and exchange ideas that can improve the experience for everyone.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 28, 2023
Dressage at the Park, July 6-9 at the Horse Park of New Jersey, will have 1- and 2-star FEI competition this year in addition to national classes. It offers nine qualifiers for various championships as well.
Those trying to qualify for the Pan American Games in Chile this autumn will have their last chance to get the necessary scores at the competition in Allentown, since qualifying for the Small Tour (the Pan Am teams combine Small and Big Tour riders) ends on July 9, the final day of the show.
Dressage at the Park always attracts a nice group of horses and riders.
But there will be more to enjoy than just the competition during the show.
On the Saturday, July 8 during the lunch break, kids pf any age will be able to participate in a matchy/matchy parade, whether they want to wear costumes themselves, dress up their ponies or use stick horses or Breyer horses. They can do whatever they like with color coordination to make them feel like little dressage queens and kings.
There are several divisions, including a leadline (only necessary for real ponies, not the stick horses!) The ponies, if not already entered at the show, must be entered with a signed liability waiver, a negative Coggins test and vaccination records. Click here for the entry blank and more information.
Participants are asked to raise money any way they like, through donations or a lemonade stand, perhaps. The proceeds go to Philadelphia’s Work to Ride program, a nonprofit community-based prevention program that aids under-resourced urban youth through constructive activities centered on horsemanship, equestrian sports and education.
Dr. Carey Williams of Rutgers university will offer a free seminar on equine nutrition in the pavilion at the park on that Saturday. Later in the afternoon, about 3 p.m., New Jersey dressage rider Alice Tarjan–who will just have returned from competing at the Aachen show in Germany–will be signing autographs and doing a Q and A during a party open to all.
“We’re excited to have her come,” said Jennifer Bateman, a member of the show committee.
The free events are something everyone can enjoy, whether they’re riding or not. And there is no admission charge to attend the show.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 26, 2023
What’s in a name? A lot, when it’s as ill-conceived as the new “League of Nations.”
That’s what the FEI (international equestrian federation) is calling the re-do of the Longines Nations Cup series for 2024. The first time I heard how the FEI intended to christen the international team show jumping series, I thought it was a joke. Anyone with a working knowledge of 20th Century history knows the League of Nations, formed after World War I, couldn’t prevent World War II. It’s a name that’s synonymous with failure. Would a car manufacturer in this era call its new model the Edsel?
The historical League of Nations (based, like the FEI, in Geneva, Switzerland) was formed after World War I, with those attending the Paris Peace Conference agreeing to establish an organization that could ensure future peace. Except that it didn’t.
Asked about its revival of the League of Nations name for the Longines series, an FEI spokesperson said, “In terms of renaming, this was discussed with the Task Force during the (six-month) consultation phase (and has come up a lot in the past), as it has always been problematic that the term Nations Cup is broad and refers to any “O” (team) event so for jumping any CSIO event, and not solely events part of the FEI Nations Cup. By introducing a new name – which is specific to the series, then there is greater clarity and a unique identity.”
Not every Nations Cup is part of the new league. Aachen and the Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida, for instance, are among the competitions that are not involved.
“As to the historical reference regarding the (League of Nations) name,” said the FEI spokesperson, “rest assured this was considered and discussed.”
But perhaps not fully understood?
Eighteen organizers from Europe, North America and the Middle East have submitted bids to host one of the five qualifiers and the Final for the new league. It’s a global series, where the world’s 10 best teams travel to all five qualifiers and compete against each other, with the top eight teams then qualified for the Final.
The format, which was approved unanimously by the FEI Jumping Committee, will be unique to the Longines League of NationsTM . It consists of two rounds, with all four athletes from each of the 10 teams (and potentially the host nation) participating. The three best scores count in the first round. It is followed by a second round, with the best eight teams competing in reverse order, carrying their penalties forward from the first round, but with only three athletes per team and no drop score.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 26, 2023
Two saddlebreds at the Virginia Horse Center for the Shenandoah Classic competition tested positive for Equine Herpesivrus-1(EHV-1) last week. Both were taken to a veterinary clinic where one was euthanized and the other was stable after receiving medical care.
Approximately 80 horses were under quarantine after being stabled in the same barn as the two positive horses at the Lexington, Va., facility. They were prohibited from competition and were placed in isolation by the State Veterinarian’s Office of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Each was monitored twice daily for fever (temperature over 101.50° F) and other clinical signs.
None of the 80 quarantined horses remained on the grounds after Sunday, June 25. Starting June 26, the State Veterinarian’s office put a special team on the grounds, disinfecting every stall and grounds equipment such as Bobcats, tractors, muck buckets, rakes, etc. Dr. Abby Sage has stated that after June 26, the Virginia Horse Center will have the “safest stalls in the country”.
Glenn Petty, horse center CEO stated “The Virginia Horse Center cannot state enough how appreciative we are for the professional and common sense leadership of Dr. Abby Sage and Dr. Tabitha Moore, State Veterinarian’s office; Dr. Ginger Reagan, show veterinarian; Dr. Hugh Behling, Kalarama Farm veterinarian; Dr. Katie Flynn, USEF BioSecurity Veterinarian; and R H Bennett, show manager.
“We had a great team and thoughtful management of the situation worked. Also, the trainers and exhibitors could not have been more supportive and cooperative. At the end of the large trainer meeting, the team was given a round of applause for the handling of this situation.”
Moving onto the grounds this week will be the Arabian Horse Association Region 15 and 16 Championship and the Vaulting Region IX Championship. The House Mountain Hunter Jumper Show scheduled for this week has been moved to July 18-19.
For more information on EHV-1 or the latest on disease outbreaks visit https://equinediseasecc.org/.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 25, 2023
New Jersey’s Essex Horse Trials earlier this month turned out to be a good warm-up for the 4-star Strzegom, Poland, eventing Nations Cup, as Caroline Martin Pamucku finished second individually to lead the U.S. team to the silver medal.
Caroline Pamucku on cross-country aboard HSH Blake at Strzegom, Poland. (Photo courtesy FEI)
Caroline, who won the Essex Combined Test competition with HSH Blake, was first after dressage in Poland with a score of 28.1 penalties. But time penalties with Blake on the cross-country course designed by Marcin Konarski boosted her total to 35.7. She was clean in show jumping to end on that score behind the winner, Lea Siegl of Austria on van Helsing P (33.3).
The Dutch team won on 133.8, even though the fourth member of the squad was eliminated on cross-country. The U.S. had 142.8 penalties under the guidance of Emerging and Developing Eventing Coach Leslie Law. The total was 166.1 for bronze medal Belgium.
The Dutch are hoping to win the Nations Cup series when it concludes this fall in order to qualify for the Paris Olympics. One Olympic slot is available for the highest-placed team that hasn’t otherwise qualified for the Games.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 23, 2023
Dr. Karyn Malinowski, founding director of the Equine Science Center at Rutgers University, received the 2023 Distinguished Service Award at the 2023 Equine Science Society Symposium in Grapevine, Texas.
The Distinguished Service Award in Equine Science recognizes outstanding contributions in the field. Award recipients must also have a record of significant accomplishments in teaching, research and extension or service as it relates to the advancement of the equine sciences and horse industry.
Karyn has served as a faculty member at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences since 1978 and in various roles, including extension specialist in equine sciences, animal sciences professor, founding director of the Equine Science Center and the director of Rutgers Cooperative Extension.
Her research and extension programs concentrate on improving the equine athlete’s well-being and quality of life, while ensuring the equine industry’s vitality and viability, both statewide and nationally.
After having the opportunity to drive the famous Niatross, she got interested in racing and spent several summers learning how to drive harness horses. In 2001, she acquired her first Standardbred racehorse, Could Be Magic, who took her to victory in her amateur debut in 2003 at Freehold Raceway.
“I am deeply honored and humbled to receive this prestigious award from the Equine Science Society,” said Karyn.
“It has been my extreme pleasure to have worked for over four decades with top-notch young people and horses.”
At the same meeting in Texas, Dr. Kenneth Harrington McKeever, FACSM, FAPS, a professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at Rutgers and associate director of research at the Rutgers Equine Science Center, was elevated to the rank of Fellow of the Equine Science Society. The rank of Fellow is an elite member status reserved for recognizing distinguished service to the horse industry and to the Equine Science Society over the member’s many years of service.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 23, 2023
Two saddlebred at the Virginia Horse Center for the Shenandoah Classic competition tested positive for Equine Herpesivrus-1(EHV-1). Both were taken to a veterinary clinic where one was euthanized and the other is stable after receiving medical care.
Approximately 80 horses are under quarantine after being stabled in the same barn as the two positive horses at the Lexington, Va., facility. They are prohibited from competition and were placed in isolation by the State Veterinarian’s Office of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Each is being monitored twice daily for fever (temperature over 101.50° F) and other clinical signs.
No other horses at the show are considered exposed and the competition will continue. However, the unexposed horses also are having temperatures and clinical signs monitored.
The U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Equine Health and Biosecurity Veterinarian, Dr. Katie Flynn, has been in direct communication with all parties regarding the response to the confirmation of EHV-1.
“I applaud the VHC staff, the show veterinarians, competition management, and show participants for their prompt response and collaborative efforts to immediately implement biosecurity measures to protect the health of all equines on the premises,” she said.
Based on the assessment of the premises by the Virginia State Veterinarian’s office, and the immediate activation of the VHC biosecurity and disease response plan upon confirmation of EHV-1, USEF supports continuation of competition with the enhanced biosecurity measures and monitoring of horse health through the twice-daily temperature recording and observation for signs of illness.
For more information on EHV-1 or the latest on disease outbreaks visit https://equinediseasecc.org/.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 22, 2023
Tamie Smith, the heroine of Land Rover Kentucky less than two months ago, now is facing tragedy as her Luhmühlen 5-star mount, Solaguayre California, was euthanized in the wake of a cross-country injury at the German event last weekend.
The mare sustained a knee fracture after hitting the third element of the water obstacle.
In a social media statement, Tamie said, “My heart is broken as I write this and say that Solaguayre California was humanely euthanized after a planned surgery to repair a slab fracture to her knee.
“As California jumped out of the C element of the water at the Luhmühlen CCI5L, I felt her hit the jump and what seemed to be just a sting and disappointing moment of having to pull her up to save for another day. Initially the assessment of her recovery was favorable as we stopped when we did and it seemed to be a simple fix. However it has turned out much more extensive and the damage was irreparable.
Tamie Smith and Solaguayre California. (Photo courtesy Tamie Smith)
“This is devastating to our team; her owners and I cannot quite imagine life without our girl, however her tenacity and grit was the complete example of how we get through times like these.
“I find comfort knowing we were able to get her to the best surgeon with the best medical team. There were so many amazing people who helped facilitate this and no stone was unturned on trying to find a perfect plan to having her make a full recovery.”
Tamie continued, “California was a star in the making and showed the world, especially this season, how incredibly gifted she was. Our hopes and dreams for her were so high. Our hearts are broken.”
Tamie, who will be riding her Kentucky star, Mai Baum, on the U.S. team at Aachen next week, added, “I have to reflect at the incredible honor it is to have these partnerships with our horses. How lucky are we to experience such a bond with these athletes. I know that living……means you take the good with the bad. Life’s uncertainty can’t disable your life because you are afraid of the risk of living. It isn’t easy, but it is better to have experienced the moments and memories and to live for every moment than to just sit and be safe.
“California was the epitome of “Carpe Diem”…….so I take this meaning of living life to the fullest in her memory.
My brain is spinning, my heart is broken, but I know I have you all to keep me pushing on.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 21, 2023
Air vests, once most commonly associated with eventers, have gotten more popular with hunter/ jumper riders over the last few years.
While it may seem like a good safety measure to wear one, the truth is that there hasn’t been sufficient research to determine how much protection they offer and set safety standards for their use.
Eventers are required to wear hard body protectors under their air vests on cross-country. There already are safety standards in place for body protectors.
Hunter/jumper riders just wear the air vests, which unlike the body protectors, do not change their body profile–a look that is important to them. The vests fit nicely over a regular show coat and are attached to the saddle via an unobtrusive lanyard. When the rider parts company with a horse, the lanyard detaches and activates the vest’s trigger mechanism, releasing Co2 to inflate the vest before the body hits the ground.
But there’s a great deal that isn’t known about the effectiveness of air vests operating on their own, without body protectors beneath them.
There’s a lot to take into consideration when calculating the protective value of air vests for riders.
The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association is launching an extensive program of testing the air vests at Virginia Tech, which previously came up with the star rating program for evaluating helmet safety. USHJA has pledged $100,000 toward the research, which will cost a total of $825,000 and cannot begin until $450,000 is raised. Those who wish to contribute can go to this link.
On Tuesday night, USHJA presented an informational webinar with Drs. Stefan Duma and Barry Miller from Virginia Tech. It was hosted by Joe Dotoli, the USHJA’s safety committee chairman.
There are a lot of questions to be answered, from the extent of the thoracic protection offered by the vests, with and without body protectors, as to whether they also may help prevent some head injuries.
One problem mentioned is the prospect that if someone falls from their horse and the vest doesn’t deploy, the Co2 canister used to inflate the vest could prove a danger to the rider’s ribs.
Another downside is the concern that the popping sound of the vest being deployed could spook a rider’s horse or other horses in the vicinity. Companies that make vests are working on making the noise go away, but achieving it “will be a challenge.” The vests started as protection for motorcycle riders, Joe pointed out, and the cycles (of course) didn’t care about a popping noise.
Listeners to the webinar wondered whether wearing an air vest could become a rule, the way helmets did at the beginning of this century. But Joe noted at that time, the U.S. Equestrian Federation “had a good standard from ASTM (The American Society for Testing and Materials) on the helmets.”
Air vests (the black garment over the red coat) are gaining popularity with hunter/jumper riders, despite the fact that more information about their effectiveness is needed. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
To find a standard for the vests, “we don’t know until we do the science,” he explained. The study is expected to take two years after it gets under way. The sooner the money is raised, the sooner that will happen.
One of the goals of the work is to “test and rate the biomechanical performance of equestrian chest protection systems.”
Once manufacturers have information from the study, “they can design vests around the research,” Joe said.
The researchers would like to get any videos that might help them in their work. If you have something like that, send it to bmiller21@vt.edu .
A concern expressed during the webinar is whether the vest can protect someone whose horse falls on top of them. It requires a body protector for an effort to reduce the severity of crush injuries, though it is not always effective against such a traumatic accident.
Joe noted that “eventing falls have been so devastating with rotational falls.” He explained that type of fall doesn’t tend to happen in hunter/jumper competition because of breakaway cups and rails that tumble easily in those classes, while eventing involves many more solid obstacles cross-country.
USHJA webinars have aired on a number of topics. Next up on Monday June 26 at 7 p.m. is a Town Hall on the grassroots of the industry.
