Post by NanciK on Aug 11, 2008 18:12:59 GMT -5
Horses, Riders Unscathed After Olympic Cross Country Course
August 11, 2008
Intense humidity and scattered rain hovered in Hong Kong Monday during the third day of the 2008 Equestrian Olympics at the Beas River cross country venue. Although Team USA fell in the overall eventing team placings, the overall competition was still a success for the equestrian community: no horses or riders were injured like in the 2004 Olympics.
Risky Endeavors
The sport of eventing is one of the most dangerous Olympic sports. Numerous horse and rider deaths at the highest levels of competition in recent years have caused many to question whether the risks are too great.
The sport's participants have been forced to take a hard look at the causes of the deaths and get down to the tough business of finding solutions.
Rules Safeguard Horse and Rider
In the United States, equestrian leaders convened a safety summit in June to find answers that would build on changes announced earlier in the year. Earlier rule changes were designed to increase rider responsibility and, hopefully, save lives.
At the international level, a new rule that forces the elimination of any horse, rider or horse/rider pair that falls put five riders out of contention—including 2004 U.S. bronze medalist Amy Tryon. [Amy was disqualified today due to the fall] The rule was made to encourage riders to be more careful navigating obstacles that could cause death if navigated incorrectly.
When in China
Overexertion in the Hong Kong heat and humidity pose the greatest danger to equine athletes during cross-country eventing. While conditions are similar to summer weather in some parts of the U.S., top level competitions that are this strenuous and demanding are rarely scheduled during peak U.S. summer heat.
Although the humidity was intense, Monday's cloud cover and rain kept conditions much more tolerable. The first riders began the course at 8 a.m., and the last finished by 11:30 a.m., keeping horses out of competition during the mid-day heat. The usual course length was shortened by one-third, to 5.7 kilometers, which helped reduce the risk of such symptoms like pulmonary hemorrhaging, to which several eventing horses have succumbed in the past.
Several U.S. and international horses and riders have been killed or critically injured going over obstacles during past cross country eventing. Course designers have been challenged to make safety a priority, and this Olympics course was closely scrutinized to ascertain whether its layout would be successful in avoiding potential disasters.
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The HSUS Heads to China to Monitor Olymipc Equestrian Games
August 8, 2008
Today marks the beginning of a journey that members of the HSUS equine protection team will make to Hong Kong, to attend the equestrian portion of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Just as we have attended the Games at other venues in the past, we will be on site to monitor the care, treatment and safety of the equine athletes.
The equestrian events are being held in Hong Kong rather than Beijing (site of the majority of this year's Games) because of the strong, well-established presence of the horse racing industry there, and the excellent facilities for the import, quarantine, stabling and competition of equine athletes from teams around the world.
Spirit of the Games
The Olympic Games are steeped in tradition, pageantry and a strong spirit of congenial international competition. In no sport is this spirit more evident than in the equestrian competitions.
What is unique about these events, among all the Games, is that they are the only ones which include animals in the competition—with horses being the only animals involved.
It Takes Two
The horses on the U.S. Equestrian Team and those of other nations are athletes, just as crucial a part of the competition as their riders and—indeed—as the athletes in other sports. Just as the teammates in basketball, volleyball and other Olympic team sports, horse and rider are—dependent on each other for their success; responsible to each other for their joint failures.
Ultimate Trust
It is said that equine athletes, like their human counterparts, love their job, their sport, the competition. Watching a dressage horse in perfect harmony with his rider, or a stadium jumper run a clean course and witness a victorious air pump from his rider, is proof of the unique partnership that exists between the two.
The difference, of course, between human athletes and their equine counterparts is that humans are each, individually, in a position to make the choice to compete. They know the risks, of injury, pain and even possible death as a result of competition.
Horses may not be aware of those risks, and they are surely not in a position to choose whether or not they compete. But they are certainly subject to the very real risks and are capable of very real suffering—just as much as their human teammates. They rely on their human partners and the event organizers to make sure that their welfare is not jeopardized, and that the risks are minimized in every way possible.
The Events
The equine athletes competing in the Olympics—and those participating in eventing competitions the world over—are expected to excel in the three equestrian disciplines that comprise eventing: dressage, show jumping and cross country. Cross country—which requires horse and rider to navigate an arduous series of immovable jumps over a varied terrain—poses the greatest risk for horse and rider.
The unforgiving jumps, combined with an emphasis on speed over accuracy, means that if a horse fails to clear a jump and instead hits it, the result can be serious injury or even death. In the past 18 months, more than a dozen horses and riders have been injured or killed while competing in U.S. eventing competitions. This spate of deaths and injuries spurred the governing body of the sport, the United States Equestrian Federation, to call a summit earlier this year to discuss how to make the sport safer for humans and horses alike.
Fans of equestrian sport from around the world will be watching these Games with the hope that these concerns have been adequately addressed, and no horse injuries or deaths will mar the grandeur of this event. We are hoping to witness a rousing, inspirational and—most importantly—safe 2008 Olympic Games.
August 11, 2008
Intense humidity and scattered rain hovered in Hong Kong Monday during the third day of the 2008 Equestrian Olympics at the Beas River cross country venue. Although Team USA fell in the overall eventing team placings, the overall competition was still a success for the equestrian community: no horses or riders were injured like in the 2004 Olympics.
Risky Endeavors
The sport of eventing is one of the most dangerous Olympic sports. Numerous horse and rider deaths at the highest levels of competition in recent years have caused many to question whether the risks are too great.
The sport's participants have been forced to take a hard look at the causes of the deaths and get down to the tough business of finding solutions.
Rules Safeguard Horse and Rider
In the United States, equestrian leaders convened a safety summit in June to find answers that would build on changes announced earlier in the year. Earlier rule changes were designed to increase rider responsibility and, hopefully, save lives.
At the international level, a new rule that forces the elimination of any horse, rider or horse/rider pair that falls put five riders out of contention—including 2004 U.S. bronze medalist Amy Tryon. [Amy was disqualified today due to the fall] The rule was made to encourage riders to be more careful navigating obstacles that could cause death if navigated incorrectly.
When in China
Overexertion in the Hong Kong heat and humidity pose the greatest danger to equine athletes during cross-country eventing. While conditions are similar to summer weather in some parts of the U.S., top level competitions that are this strenuous and demanding are rarely scheduled during peak U.S. summer heat.
Although the humidity was intense, Monday's cloud cover and rain kept conditions much more tolerable. The first riders began the course at 8 a.m., and the last finished by 11:30 a.m., keeping horses out of competition during the mid-day heat. The usual course length was shortened by one-third, to 5.7 kilometers, which helped reduce the risk of such symptoms like pulmonary hemorrhaging, to which several eventing horses have succumbed in the past.
Several U.S. and international horses and riders have been killed or critically injured going over obstacles during past cross country eventing. Course designers have been challenged to make safety a priority, and this Olympics course was closely scrutinized to ascertain whether its layout would be successful in avoiding potential disasters.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The HSUS Heads to China to Monitor Olymipc Equestrian Games
August 8, 2008
Today marks the beginning of a journey that members of the HSUS equine protection team will make to Hong Kong, to attend the equestrian portion of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Just as we have attended the Games at other venues in the past, we will be on site to monitor the care, treatment and safety of the equine athletes.
The equestrian events are being held in Hong Kong rather than Beijing (site of the majority of this year's Games) because of the strong, well-established presence of the horse racing industry there, and the excellent facilities for the import, quarantine, stabling and competition of equine athletes from teams around the world.
Spirit of the Games
The Olympic Games are steeped in tradition, pageantry and a strong spirit of congenial international competition. In no sport is this spirit more evident than in the equestrian competitions.
What is unique about these events, among all the Games, is that they are the only ones which include animals in the competition—with horses being the only animals involved.
It Takes Two
The horses on the U.S. Equestrian Team and those of other nations are athletes, just as crucial a part of the competition as their riders and—indeed—as the athletes in other sports. Just as the teammates in basketball, volleyball and other Olympic team sports, horse and rider are—dependent on each other for their success; responsible to each other for their joint failures.
Ultimate Trust
It is said that equine athletes, like their human counterparts, love their job, their sport, the competition. Watching a dressage horse in perfect harmony with his rider, or a stadium jumper run a clean course and witness a victorious air pump from his rider, is proof of the unique partnership that exists between the two.
The difference, of course, between human athletes and their equine counterparts is that humans are each, individually, in a position to make the choice to compete. They know the risks, of injury, pain and even possible death as a result of competition.
Horses may not be aware of those risks, and they are surely not in a position to choose whether or not they compete. But they are certainly subject to the very real risks and are capable of very real suffering—just as much as their human teammates. They rely on their human partners and the event organizers to make sure that their welfare is not jeopardized, and that the risks are minimized in every way possible.
The Events
The equine athletes competing in the Olympics—and those participating in eventing competitions the world over—are expected to excel in the three equestrian disciplines that comprise eventing: dressage, show jumping and cross country. Cross country—which requires horse and rider to navigate an arduous series of immovable jumps over a varied terrain—poses the greatest risk for horse and rider.
The unforgiving jumps, combined with an emphasis on speed over accuracy, means that if a horse fails to clear a jump and instead hits it, the result can be serious injury or even death. In the past 18 months, more than a dozen horses and riders have been injured or killed while competing in U.S. eventing competitions. This spate of deaths and injuries spurred the governing body of the sport, the United States Equestrian Federation, to call a summit earlier this year to discuss how to make the sport safer for humans and horses alike.
Fans of equestrian sport from around the world will be watching these Games with the hope that these concerns have been adequately addressed, and no horse injuries or deaths will mar the grandeur of this event. We are hoping to witness a rousing, inspirational and—most importantly—safe 2008 Olympic Games.
