Must watch! FEI Eventing Forum 2023; Data, research and the future of the sport

[Jealoushe]

I’m through parts 1-4 but wanted to share the link here for others to watch the symposium here and I’ll circle back once I’m through it all.

As an Eventing safety nerd I must say this entire symposium had me completely enthralled. LOTS to digest. Lots of information on data and research being done on fence design, falls, and rider responsibility. Lots of discussion on social licensing and what it will take to keep Eventing alive in the next decades.

I really think anyone Eventing right now or involved in the sport should watch this. It’s long but you can always play it in the background while you work or clean stalls!

There are 5 parts total.

Eventing Seminars 2023 - 2024

[Jealoushe]

Bumping because all eventers should be watching this.

[beowulf]

Thank you for the link. I’m only on session 1, work has been very busy. Lots to think about from the first session already.

I found the stats interesting and, I have been thinking a lot about what Laurent and Rob said, and support it.

What I thought was really interesting was this:
“Over 4 years, 164 horse falls happened at a fence were there were 2 or more horse falls recorded. 2018-2022”

[Jealoushe]

So glad you are watching, can’t wait to hear your thoughts. Only gets more interesting imo

[trakehners]

Listened to the whole thing last week after you initially posted it and I found it very enlightening—I spoke with my trainer about it during my lessons to get her thoughts and I’ll be very interested to hear what everyone here thinks!

[RAyers]

I found it long on talk and very lacking in relevant data. The “statistics” were pure descriptive stats with little connection to looking at real cause/risk.

The reliance on highly constrained systems as analytic analogies (e.g. Vos claiming aircraft industry is similar statistically, Equiratings using financial betting algorithms) for eventing is leading the decision making down a path that changes the sport with no real justification.

[Jealoushe]

Would love to hear more on your thoughts on any specifics they mentioned? Some of it was pretty shocking what everyone agreed with.

One thing I do support is two horse falls at a fence and the fence gets removed. The stats say it could save 80 horse falls over 4 years. I’m down with that.

[RAyers]

We can’t quite say the “stats” say that as we don’t know what analysis was used. The MD who brought that up made a good point though! He was definitely highlighting the oversimplification that others are making in their analysis by showing that effects propagate across time (removing one fence at one competition compared with leaving it in over years of competition) while the session chair was focused only on single competitions. I felt he was one of the few who understood the complexity of the risk analysis required.

[make_the_time]

@RAyers it’s been discussed elsewhere here on these forums that EquiRatings is a very simplistic analytical system which cannot be used as a safety predictor. It can’t even be used as an accurate performance predictor either, particularly if the underlying distribution of data is statistically non-stationary. That is, a horse which is getting worse each outing, can look the same as one which is getting better each outing. Overall, it’s somewhat depressing to see all the shallow thinking in the governance.