Eventing

During the last decade the sport of eventing has undergone a tremendous transformation in all of its 3 disciplines. The steeplechase phase and the roads and track phase have fallen out of favour due to a very high risk for horses to fatigue resulting in exertional rhabdomyolysis, tendon injuries and fatigue-related falls during the cross country phase. At the same time a stronger emphasis on the dressage performance, much higher and more technical showjumping courses and a huge increase in technically difficult questions in the cross country phase has led to a change in the type of horse for this sport. Whereas horses with a predominance of Thoroughbred breeding excelled in the past, the new demands of the sport have put the focus on an athletic horse that virtually combines the balance, suppleness and power required for an elite dressage horse and the strength, scope and precision of a top showjumper with the stamina and speed of a Thoroughbred racehorse. [...]