DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

Independent Research Program

 

Product Abstract Proposal

Each student in the Independent Research Program must carry out an authentic advanced research project or creative production and present this to a professional audience, which is capable of evaluating the quality, authenticity, and novelty of the project. The following information, provided by the student, provides an overview of the proposed project as it is currently planned.

Date: March 24, 2010

Student: Kathy Smith

 

Research Title: Equestrian Sports: How We Can Make the Sport of Eventing Safer

 

Purpose: To provide insight into how the sport of Eventing, comprised of dressage, stadium jumping, and cross country, safer for all competitors. The rate of serious or fatal injuries is on the rise, even with the new implementation of frangible pin jumps. My objective is to discover how the pins, as well as other safety precautions, function and put them into action in my final product.

 

Method: In the past several months, I have researched not only the sport of Eventing and how the rules apply to competitors, but also how the rules affect the competitors. To find this out, I have read scholarly articles written by journalists, international federations, cross country course designers, and top level riders. There is an abundance of information on the rules and safety measures of the sport of Eventing, however there is not as much on the frangible pin system, making it difficult to find information on the system. Fortunately I did find a source on the Barriers International website, the corporation that produces frangible pins for cross country obstacle. The source included directions for how to install the pins as well as what types of wood and materials work best for construction and the appropriate dimensions needed to correctly assemble the obstacle. I have searched national and international databases discovering statistics about injuries (fatal and nonfatal), frangible pins that have been used effectively to prevent falls, and the different types of horse and rider falls that cause the most injury.

 

Product: My product is a Cross Country Obstacle that I, with the help of my mentor Mr. Tim Ryan, will construct using the frangible pin system. This jump will be donated to Waredaca Farm in Montgomery County, and will be used in high level competitions that the farm holds several times a year. To construct this, I will use specific kinds of wood, shaped into precise dimensions, the pins that will attach to the underside of a rail, and other materials to give the obstacle an aesthetic appeal.

 

Audience: My product will be available to all competitors and riders that participate at events at Waredaca Farm. From the jump being there, I hope that people will gain and spread awareness about the seriousness of cross country safety and the frangible pin system.

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.