Everyone is talking about helmets. When we posted Luhmuhlen dressage results, the first question everyone asked was “did Allison wear her helmet?” Courtney King’s fall was a tragedy but it has blessed our sport by raising awareness and discussion about the helmet issue.
Whether a rider decides to wear a helmet or not these days, everyone at least thinks about the decision before getting on their horse.
Governing organizations have noticed the attention and are starting to get involved. Patricia from Ecogold was at a dressage show over the weekend and sent me this photo of a bulletin board posting encouraging all riders at all levels to wear helmets:
Patricia and I think this might be a first from a governing organization at a dressage show. The FEI chimed in to the helmet issue with a press release yesterday:
“Following the accident in which Courtney King-Dye (USA) sustained serious head injuries in a schooling fall in Florida earlier this year…
The FEI Dressage Committee strongly recommends that all riders should wear properly fastened safety helmets when training and in pre-competition warm-ups at all international Dressage shows.
Riders still have the choice of wearing protective headgear in the competition arena.”
I suppose later is better than never, but Courtney was injured three and a half months ago. Furthermore, the question is raised why doesn’t the Dressage Committee recommend wearing helmets in the competition arena?
One issue that governing organizations need to consider is liability. I have watched Law and Order for many years, which practically makes me a lawyer, and I just don’t think the FEI wants to send one of their people into a courtroom to answer a question like “why didn’t you ensure that Mary was wearing a piece of safety equipment that is a proven, obvious, and industry standard method of protection with zero downside?“
This helmet issue started with Courtney’s fall in the dressage world, but the show jumping community is asking for a similar or worse incident. From what I have seen and heard, it is commonplace for some show jumpers to jump at home without a helmet. Eventers might be crazier than show jumpers in general, but I only know of a couple eventers who jump without helmets and those are on rare occasions.
This debate has a long way to go, and there are a lot of eventers out there who don’t think helmets should be required in competitions. Understandably, this group is less vocal, but I have heard several exasperated eventers remark at how many other more important safety issues are being ignored.
Which side of the helmet debate fence are you on? Will governing organizations make helmets mandatory in dressage?
The winning comment, picked arbitrarily, will win a winning supplement from Omega Alpha. Go eventing.
