By Nancy Jaffer

Editor's Note: This is the first in a regular monthly column brought to you by Practical Horseman magazine by veteran journalist Nancy Jaffer about issues affecting hunter/jumper, dressage and eventing disciplines. Check back at PracticalHorsemanMag.com for the next installment.

May 2, 2008 -- Has eventing outlived its era? Can a sport with an element of peril that has its roots in a cavalry test stand up to the scrutiny of the Internet and a public horrified by gruesome scenes on cross-country courses?

The recent spate of equine deaths, as well as human fatalities and serious injuries at competitions, prompted a soul-searching initiative from the U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF) and the U.S. Eventing Association (USEA) on the sport's future and ways to make it less hazardous.

A Safety Summit is planned for Lexington, Ky., June 7-8, to glean ideas on the subject from anyone willing to put them forth. Even before that, however, the USEF and USEA are discussing rule change proposals designed to stem the tide of tragedies.

Most recently, the disasters include a critical injury in a rotational (somersaulting) fall to Olympic medalist Darren Chiacchia at a March event, and the fatal falls suffered by Frodo Baggins and The Quiet Man in April at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. Frodo's rider Laine Ashker, who was hurt in his rotational fall, sustained broken bones and collapsed lungs that put her on the critical list.

But no matter how many qualifying processes, inducements to ride responsibly and fence modifications are instituted, the basic premise of jumping at speed will always hold the threat of danger.

Michael Etherington-Smith © 2008 by Nancy Jaffer

The bottom line, as Rolex Kentucky course designer Michael Etherington-Smith observed: "It is a risk sport. If you don't like the risk, you don't play."

The question is, how much can the risk be reduced without destroying the character of the sport? Or looking at it from another perspective, can nonracing horse sports afford a discipline where death is a distinct possibility, especially in the run-up to the 2010 World Equestrian Games?

Change is Nothing New
There already have been many revisions to eventing's basic premise since the sport made a transition to civilian life in the 1950s. Even when it was no longer a military exercise, however, eventing for many years had a "finish no matter what" approach, which took its toll on horses and often on riders as well. That was, of course, before the Internet, which sends out a flash when a calamity occurs and provides a forum for anyone who is interested to discuss and dissect it, fanning the flames of controversy.

The sport also has been modified a great deal during the last two decades. It first came under close outside scrutiny after the 1992 Olympics, when TV aired footage of eventing falls (not all of which were filmed at the Games). The Humane Society of the United States made eventing a cause célèbre, insisting on modifications. Some were implemented as a result of the organization's campaign, including barring a competitor from continuing after the fall of a horse on cross-country.

An alteration of greater impact was the elimination of roads and tracks and steeplechase from major events three seasons ago, leading to predictions of doom by some. Former U.S. Combined Training Association President Denny Emerson believes course designers focused on difficult complexes that interrupt the flow of a horse's gallop as a way to make up for the absence of the speed and endurance elements that previously did a great deal to sort the placings.

Not everyone shares that opinion, but it is one of many theories about why there have been so many accidents. Part of the big problem is that no one can pinpoint just one reason for the recent series of problems, which makes the situation far more difficult to fix.

Roger Haller © 2007 by Nancy Jaffer

Roger Haller, the 1996 Olympic course designer, said the growth of the sport means more people are jumping fences today, and while the number of accidents is small in comparison to the number of participants, it's still more than in the days when fewer people played the game. "When we have these kinds of numbers, we're going to have this kind of a serious accident. That statistic may be something we can't combat, but we can try to improve the circumstances to reduce it even more," he said.

Olympic medalist, commentator, author and trainer Jim Wofford, noted, "I do think it is not so much the fault of the cross-country-- because I think the cross-country tests themselves are fine--but what we are asking the horses to do in the dressage and show-jumping is requiring more discipline and domination by the rider, while the cross-country requires agility and initiative on the part of the horse.