A new independent Eventing Horse and Rider Safety Commission is to undertake a comprehensive review of safety across the sport, British Eventing (BE) has announced. In collaboration with the British Eventing Support Trust, the FEI and British Equestrian, BE is establishing The Commission, which will have a majority of independent members. The Commission will bring together expertise from within eventing alongside specialists from other sports, safety, welfare, medicine, research and risk management.This is bigger than any one organisation, said BE Chair Julia Mulligan. Eventing is delivered by a wide community of people and organisations, and we want this review to draw on that collective knowledge while also bringing in independent expertise and learning from outside the sport.The Commission must be prepared to ask difficult questions, follow the evidence and identify where meaningful change can be made.Reducing avoidable riskThe Commission will be chaired by Dame Caroline Spelman, former Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and a recent board member of the British Horse Society. Dame Caroline brings experience in senior leadership, governance, agriculture and the equestrian sector and will lead the Commission as it examines what more can be done to reduce avoidable risk to horses and riders.With over two decades of knowledge since the Hartington Report in April 2000 and in light of several recent serious incidents, the British Eventing Board said now is the right time for a broad, independent examination of safety and risk management across the sport.The review will take a sport-wide approach, looking at the systems, practices and culture that influence safety and identifying where progress can be made.I am pleased to have been asked to chair this important work, said Dame Caroline Spelman. My starting point will be to listen to those who know and understand eventing, to those responsible for delivering the sport and, crucially, to the evidence.The purpose of an independent review is to be prepared to ask difficult questions and test existing assumptions, while also recognising the considerable work that has already been undertaken to improve safety.No outcome has been predetermined. We will look carefully at the data, research and experience available to us, both within eventing and beyond it, and consider where further practical and proportionate improvements may be possible. Our focus throughout will be on learning and identifying what more can be done to reduce avoidable risk to horses and riders.Working for a safer futureEstablished in collaboration with the FEI, BEF and British Eventing Support Trust, the independent Commission will undertake an evidence-led examination of the systems, policies, practices and culture influencing safety across the sport.The review will also seek engagement and input from organisations across the wider eventing and equestrian community, including the British Horse Society, British Riding Clubs, The Pony Club and providers of unaffiliated eventing.Its purpose is not to reinvestigate individual incidents, determine liability or attribute blame, but to identify learning and opportunities for further improvement.Making eventing safer is a shared purpose, and the strongest progress will come from stakeholders working together across the whole sport, said Jim Eyre, Chief Executive of British Equestrian. British Equestrian fully supports this independent Commission and the ambition to bring organisations, experts and participants together around this critical goal.Significant work has already been undertaken to improve safety, including investment in research, course design and construction standards, frangible technology, education, medical and veterinary provision, ground preparation and rider education. The review provides an opportunity to examine that work objectively, understand where it is delivering positive results and challenge the whole sport to consider what more can be done.Our role is to support an open and thorough review, respecting the Commissions independence and freedom to reach its own conclusions, added Mr Eyre.By sharing evidence, listening to experiences from across the sport and evaluating current practice, recommendations will come that benefit horses and riders at every level for the generations to come.Lead image by ShutterstockRelated contentWhat to do if you fall off on a hackHow to care for your riding hat so that it offers maximum protection for your headBody protector or air jacket or both together? Expert explains the differencesCross-country fences most often associated with falls revealedThe post New eventing safety review must be prepared to ask difficult questions appeared first on Your Horse.