ESJ and I had a very interesting talk this afternoon with Lee at Point Two Air Vests. They are continually striving to improve and innovate their incredibly popular vests. The Point Two Air Vests are the only ones that are approved in Europe, which means that any other similar vests that you can buy here in the US for less money really aren’t as safe or effective.
Point Two have submitted their vests to independent, extensive testing, and are now venturing into the steeplechase market. Ruby Walsh will be wearing one in Ireland soon, and testing will start in England so that they can be worn in jump racing in Britain, pretty much one of the most dangerous sports there is and the most safety-conscious. The big difference will be that at the moment the vest is too loose for jockeys, so Point Two are exploring ways to combine the inflatable aspect with a traditional foam vest, so that essentially you’ll be able to have an all-in-one vest.
Enough data for now, let’s blow ESJ up!
Point Two are also tackling the problem of falls similar to Oli Townend’s at Rolex where the horse falls and the rider is not thrown clear of the horse, but that’s quite a way off yet, with months of testing degrees and angles of rotation of the horse’s spine, and where the point of no return is, but I believe it will happen. In the short time we were at the tent there was a steady stream of customers bringing their vests in for servicing or customising for a small fee. I’ve done a pretty bad job para-phrasing everything Lee told us, so if you’re interested in learning more, I urge you to contact Point Two directly, either in person – they’re extremely helpful and willing to talk about their product, or via their website. Thanks for reading, we’re excited about cross-country tomorrow, Go eventing safely, John!
