The Point Two P2-RS
In March I met Lee Middleton, the developer of the Point Two Air Jacket, at Red Hills. Lee was very generous with his time and we had a great in depth conversation about the air jacket and the future of the Point Two.
One of the most exciting parts of our conversation is now a reality. The Point Two P2-RS has just been launched and it combines an air jacket with a European Standard EN 13158:2009 Level 3 Racesafe vest.
This jacket is a partnership between Point Two and Racesafe. It has been tested and used on the racetrack. When I met with Lee in March they had just begun testing of the jacket on the racetrack in Ireland.
The P2-RS has been developed with input from Eventers including Oli Townend. It strips away a big impediment to a wider take up of the air vest in the Eventing community–the need to wear two vests.
As you know I am a bit of a safety nut. I can honestly say that I would not be Eventing at any level without wearing an air vest. When my boys decide they want to Event, I will be buying them one.
This is me in the Point Two at Red Hills in March
I am well aware that Point Two is a sponsor on EN. Today, I can honestly say I have my EventingSafety hat on rather than my EN hat on. I asked John if I could write this story instead of him, why? Because I believe the Point Two Air Jacket is the best product on the market. Today it just got better. Here is a copy of the Press Release.
I have seen the results from the Point Two and it’s main competitor. Personally I would only buy the Point Two for myself or my boys. Check them out and make the decision for yourself.
The P2-RS is available for $875 in the US for adult sizes (slightly cheaper for kids sizes). Pricing for Australia is yet to be finalized. I am really excited about the future of our sport. I have also heard that Catrin Norinder (FEI) and Giuseppe Della Chiesa (FEI Eventing Committee Chairman) have approved the P2-RS for use in competition on it’s own.
For our UK readers, last week the British Equestrian Trade Association gave level 3 approval to the P2-RS chassis, that is the vest without the airbag fitted. There is currently no recognised official standard for an air jacket, so that cannot be approved by BETA without a standard. However, this means that the jacket is a BETA approved body protector, so yes in many cases, as of now, you can wear a a single item with both forms of protection in competition.
Yours in Eventing,
ESJ
