Group chasing rider fall guidelines tightened following assessment

British Group Chasing (BTC) has up to date its rider fall rules forward of the 2024 spring season, following a trial run of a one-fall-and-out rule in 2023.

The rule is right here to remain, so riders who fall off won’t be allowed to remount and proceed their spherical. There are additionally a number of necessary adjustments to final 12 months’s fall guidelines that riders want to concentrate on for 2024, regarding what they need to do in the event that they take a tumble.

BTC undertook “an intensive assessment” of team-chasing falls, Authorities steering and the way different sports activities and disciplines deal with concussion, which has led to enhanced protocols for 2024.

Anybody who falls off should now be assessed by the onsite healthcare skilled earlier than leaving or getting on a horse once more. Any rider who falls twice in in the future won’t be allowed to experience once more.

If a rider falls off earlier than fence six, they’re eligible to be assessed by the onsite healthcare skilled and if deemed match to experience, can be part of one other staff with the identical horse. For riders of a number of horses, it doesn’t matter the place on the course they fall off – they need to nonetheless be deemed match by the healthcare skilled earlier than getting on their subsequent experience.

If a rider doesn’t adjust to these new head harm evaluation protocols, they are going to be stood down for 21 days.

BTC can be strongly recommending riders put on gumshields.

“We arrange a four-person rider security working group with a selected give attention to this rule,” stated a BTC assertion.

“We now have completed a major quantity of background analysis into falls with BTC, together with studying all accident types returned to BTC, Equireel falls video footage, liaison with medical professionals each inside equestrian sport and others resembling rugby, assessment of different equestrian sports activities insurance policies in addition to dialogue with riders and occasion organisers. We additionally attended the annual Medical Equestrian Affiliation convention.

“This allowed us to analyse the info relating to fence sort and lessons wherein falls happen in addition to severity of falls.”

The assertion added that it discovered “no different comparable equestrian sport which jumps fastened fences (or showjumping) that enables a competitor to remount following a fall”.

The working group thought of varied circumstances when contemplating if riders could possibly be allowed to proceed after a fall, however discounted these for various causes.

These included that it will be “very onerous to jot down a transparent and unambiguous rule” defining the distinction between a smooth and onerous fall “if there may be such a factor”. The potential for permitting a rider who landed on their toes to remount was additionally dismissed, as concussion is just not dominated out by such a fall.

Within the fall knowledge the group reviewed, solely 4 out of 76 riders undoubtedly remained on their toes, and a minimum of 5 of the 76 seemed to be unconscious.

“Given the time required to jot down, implement, decide a rule which might doubtless have very restricted profit and nonetheless some potential downsides the working group beneficial that no remounting ought to be allowed,” added the assertion.

“BTC can be the one comparable sport governing physique which permits remounting, which implies the argument that BTC has fulfilled its responsibility of care can be onerous to show.

“In consequence we really feel that the present no-remounting rule will stay in place with ongoing evaluation of falls knowledge from every occasion in an try to mitigate in opposition to the opportunity of a rider struggling a repeat concussive harm while they’re nonetheless extremely weak as a result of a previous potential concussive harm.

“Grassroots sport concussion tips had been revealed by the UK Authorities in April 2023 with the overarching tag line of ‘if doubtful, sit them out’.”

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H&H senior information author

Lucy is an skilled information journalist, reporter and presenter. Since becoming a member of the Horse & Hound staff in 2015, Lucy has reported from main world sporting occasions together with the Tokyo Paralympic Video games and a number of European Championships, in addition to Badminton, Burghley and London, to call just a few. She has lined present affairs and sports activities information throughout the complete spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, in addition to human and equine welfare, trade information and courtroom circumstances.