Anyone privileged to watch live cross-country TV coverage from the “riders’ tent” at major events knows how often shouts of “stop that horse” go unheeded. But in future, reaction in the tent to “bad pictures” could directly influence decisions to stop struggling horses on course.

There are plans to station a judge in the competitor’s tent throughout cross-country day, enabling them to take additional soundings on horses in difficulty from the many knowledgeable stakeholders present.

FEI eventing rules already allow ground jury members to go where they like on cross-country day (excepting the president, who remains in the control box) and to co-opt additional advisors or “spotters”, but positioning one of them amidst the riders tent is untried till now.

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