Wall: Not enough being done to tackle ‘rotational falls’

Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) chairman Pat Wall says not enough is being done to tackle deadly “rotational falls” in eventing, but the world governing body has disputed this.

Prompted by the death of New Zealand eventer Tom Gadsby in England last Sunday, Wall said: “This incident should precipitate a fundamental rethink on course design.”

“Event rider fatalities are largely associated with rotational falls over upright fences where the horse lands on a prone rider. The changes that have been made are disappointing in their efficacy and more creativity is needed if further serious

injuries and fatalities are to be prevented.

“It is not acceptable that people are killed participating in the sport they love when all preventive initiatives have not been exhausted.”

Gadsby, 26, was killed competing at Somerford Park, Cheshire, when The Drover fell. In March, eventing suffered tragedy, when Frenchman Bruno Bouvier, 60, was killed in a rotational fall in Portugal. Neither has Ireland escaped: In 2009, Antrim rider Ian Olding died at an event in Lincolnshire, while in 2008, Karen Rodgers, 41, from Kildare, died in a fall in Cork.

However, according to the world governing body, the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), the ratio of falls to competition starters has steadily decreased since records began in 2004: In 2012, an average of 5.6% of the 14,950 cross-country starters had falls, horse falls decreased to 1.85% (from 2.02% in 2004), while rotational falls have dropped from 0.51% to 0.27%.

While describing Gadsby’s death as “a true tragedy”, FEI Eventing Committee chairman Giuseppe Della Chiesa said “unfortunately, tragic accidents like this do occasionally happen”.

The Italian said a “Risk Management Policy and Action Plan was created in 2010 to monitor the risk in the sport and ensure that riders and horses are not exposed to greater risks than those inevitably related to the nature of the sport”.

“It is a combination of various measures, including improved training of horses and riders, education of coaches and officials, qualification and disciplinary rules, further enhanced medical and veterinary coverage at events, the possible implementation of frangible/deformable structures, and improved protection of athletes,” said Della Chiesa, also stressing that the FEI was “working to ensure riders and horses are well educated and trained”.

“However, freak accidents still unfortunately occur and, while recognising that eventing will never become a zero risk sport, the FEI is committed to exploring new initiatives, research and proposals aimed at further minimising the risk.”

In his statement, Wall said research had shown that an apron providing a ground line is one “simple initiative” that can reduce the risk of rotational falls, but he said “several other initiatives to ameliorate the probability of falls associated with serious injuries have to be trialled”.

British Eventing chairman Mike Etherington-Smith told the Irish Examiner they would be happy to hear from HSI about the “unexplored initiatives”.

“We would be pleased to welcome Horse Sport Ireland to share their ideas and unexplored initiatives with us should they so wish, since we welcome ideas from all quarters,” he said.

Meanwhile, Peter Smyth will not want a repeat of 2011 when he lines out in the final of the TRM/Horseware Premier Series tomorrow in Kildare. The Strabane rider has topped the league since May, but has not forgotten he was overtaken two years ago in the final by Eddie Moloney. This time, on 32 points, he holds just a three-point advantage over Edward Doyle.