WTF Are We Doing?

[Old_Mac_Donald]

Hang on. Georgie’s death is a tragedy. Elliot Patterson died the same weekend and our community is rocked.

But saying “you all need to mourn and go quiet” for one rider but not for the countless other riders who have (and will) die throughout the year feels like they don’t matter. “Georgie is a tragedy, but you are a statistic”.

Pay your respects, but don’t tell others that they cannot go on living and riding and sharing.

The family of Olivia Inglis encouraged people to take and share photos of themselves riding with #RideForOlivia.

I support EN’s decision not to bury Georgie’s death in news - that is definitely a respectful call.

[Bogey2]

So sorry about Elliot, just read up on him.

[Libby2563]

@Old_Mac_Donald

Elliot Patterson died the same weekend and our community is rocked.

Ugh how horrible! From a Euro Dressage article:

“Elliot had an accident at the end of a routine session,” his fiancée Alexis Hellyer explained. “Whilst cooling the horse off on a long rein at walk, the horse spooked sideways and lost its back legs and landed on the right side. Elliot was wearing a helmet.”

Patterson was transported to the hospital where he remained in coma in the ICU with severe head trauma. He passed away on 26 May 2024.

[M1ssmouse]

I have a friend left blind in one eye and brain injured from a similar accident, walking off a horse that stumbled. Poor Elliot, another family in devastation.

[enjoytheride]

Yet not wearing a helmet during a victory lap is totally fine. Every time. Every ride.

[fivestrideline]

I think you are preaching to the choir here, at this point. Boyd isn’t going to stop taking off his helmet on victory laps because of these threads.

[PrairieRose]

I actually think tbchick is on to something. Now that we have frangible penalties, there needs to be a better way to review when one is triggered. Game cameras aren’t very expensive and many have live stream capability. There should be video of every rider at every fence, from fixed points of reference and multiple angles if necessary for review purposes. I don’t think that’s a crazy idea.

[trubandloki]

@PrairieRose

I actually think tbchick is on to something. Now that we have frangible penalties, there needs to be a better way to review when one is triggered. Game cameras aren’t very expensive and many have live stream capability. There should be video of every rider at every fence, from fixed points of reference and multiple angles if necessary for review purposes. I don’t think that’s a crazy idea.

As much as I love my game cameras, they are not that reliable at getting all of something you want.

I would not depend on them to get proper video of every rider on course, especially if you are buying them because they can get gotten cheaply, because those are even less reliable.

[fivestrideline]

Agree. Not sure if @PrairieRose you have seen what cheap game camera footage looks like? It isn’t even on par with Amazon iPhone knock offs as far as video quality. A Ring camera is better - and even that is jumpy and not very clear. If we are going to use video evidence to decide scores, it needs to be GOOD video. I just don’t think we have the tech for the price to make this solution feasible quite yet.

[Mack_the_Knife]

Have been very impressed with Equireels which has been showing up at a number of shows I have officiated at recently.

[PrairieRose]

Game camera probably wasn’t the right term to use. You’re right those are grainy/ poor resolution. If you’ve ever seen for example, web cam footage of a bald eagle’s nest - that’s what I was envisioning. Those might be super expensive though, idk.

[FrittSkritt]

Like I said, god forbid we criticize the golden goose. The fangirls will be all over you…

[Annie10]

Check out eufy cameras. I have them at my farm. They are very affordable and the video quality is amazing

eufy - Built with Care | Home Security System & Robovacs

[Rel6]

I guess I don’t understand why we’re criticizing him specifically for the helmetless victory laps when it is so common. Are there any male rides who generally do keep their helmets on for victory laps? I’d love to call attention to them as positive examples, but genuinely can’t think of any.

[luvmyhackney]

I always thought it was a competition rule that helmets were to be worn while on horseback.

Didn’t realize it was optional for victory laps.

[Rel6]

Maybe someone else can correct me, but my understanding is that its more a general understanding that the rule won’t be enforced for victory laps.

[enjoytheride]

Perhaps we should be asking why it’s so common. Every time. Every ride. Every rider.

[tbchick84]

The logic behind my suggestion about cameras or sensors on the fences were for the horses who know they can slow themselves down by dragging their hind legs on a fence when jumping into water or down a hill. Some horses also know they can push off the back of an obstacle and conserve energy. While I would love to see every single fence pinned, I worry that riders might right an obstacle differently in a way that might be less safe just avoid tripping a pin. If a camera or sensor showed the horse had simply pushed off the fence after it had cleared the obstacle, why should it be penalized? With all the blue tooth technology out there, I would think this wouldn’t be such a big ask.

[skydy]

FEI Jumping Helmet rule:

It is compulsory for all persons to wear a properly fastened Protective Headgear at all times when mounted. If an Athlete
chooses to remove their Headgear at any time, whether permitted or not by these rules, such removal shall always be entirely
at their own risk. An Athlete who loses their Headgear or whose retention harness becomes unfastened during the course of
their round must recover and replace it, or in the case of the retention harness becoming unfastened must refasten it. In
such case, the Athlete will not be penalised for halting to retrieve their Headgear and/or refasten the retention harness, but
the clock will not be stopped. An Athlete who jumps or attempts to jump an obstacle with a retention harness incorrectly
fastened or not fastened will be eliminated unless the circumstances rendered it unsafe for the Athlete to stop immediately
in order to refasten the harness (e.g. if the harness becomes unfastened in the middle of a combination or one or two strides
before the obstacle in question). As an exception to this rule Senior Athletes may remove their Headgear while accepting
prizes, during the National anthem and any other ceremonial protocol.

This might allow taking off the helmet for a victory lap, but I don’t think it would be OK under the rules to do it just because you had a good round.

[fivestrideline]

Thanks for posting this!

So there we have it - removing the helmet during FEI prize giving is perfectly legal, though not very safe.

Perhaps we can stop chanting to the choir and use that energy to push for a rule change?