United States Eventing Association

Beyond the Obvious: Social changes, marketing, training methods and a generation of urban living. Where is it taking us?

G10 Presentation Audio (MP3)
PowerPoint Slide Handout (PDF)

Perhaps one of the most insightful speakers during the Summit was Irish Olympic rider, trainer, and eventing guru Eric Smiley who, through years of experience, has seen riding and training trends developing world wide. “There’s no simple solution, no straightforward answer. We need to look beyond the obvious, look deeper.” Smiley pointed out that in Ireland, the public is considered to be two generations removed from country life. In England it is five generations removed from the country which means people are no longer familiar with country ways, terrain, animal behavior and riding in the open among other things. “We’re quick to blame a variety of things—urban versus rural upbringing, the speed of change, education, and authority—people are much more likely to be free thinkers and not as willing to accept authority and responsibility. We blame the changes in the sport: long format to short format [which alters riders’ mindsets], technical fences, and endurance elements.”

Photo by J Walker Photography