PrintMembers off the U.S. Eventing Association’s Professional Horseman’s Council are hard at work drafting new proposals for 2011 to make the sport of eventing safer. They’re particularly focused on putting together a new description of rider representative responsibilities, because they believe the job of being a rider rep at an event is taken too lightly.
They propose that all rider representatives must walk the course, preferably with the officials or course designer, before the start of dressage. Additionally, any concerns brought forward by the rider representative should be documented for future reference.
Furthermore, if an official at an event is found to have been negligent in their responsibilities, the PHC believes they too should be subject to review, fines, or even suspension. Cross-country designers would be held to these standards as well, if an exceptional number of falls occur.
“The safety of our sport, and likewise its future, is in all of our hands. The PHC is challenging every member of the USEA to continue to work towards our goal of a safer sport. We must never forget that we are all in this together," read the PHC statement on the USEA website.
