Facing up to truths could help riders improve their safety

Calls have been made for the sport to become “braver” at addressing poor cross-country riding when it happens

- LUCY ELDER

SELF-REFLECTION and facing up to uncomfortable truths are vital for riders if eventing safety is to progress.

The call for riders to take responsibility for their own safety – and discussion over how their coaches and peers can help them do so – was made by Chris Bartle, William Fox-Pitt and Jon Holling during the FEI eventing risk management seminar (23 January).

British eventing high performance coach Mr Bartle stressed this is “not about apportioning blame”, but instead analysing whether certain mistakes are training issues, and if those came about as a result of conscious or unconscious decision-making.

“MERs [minimum eligibility requirements] are a technical way of the FEI dealing with making sure riders and horses are ready to move to the next stage, so they are only the very base level,” he said.

“I think the important thing in coaching, and developing people’s understanding of the sport, is to have an idea that MERs are there in the background, that they are important and necessary to achieve to move to the next level.