Frangible Fence Technology Research 2010

Frangible Jump Technology Research -- 2010

New Spring Farm is very interested in furthering the research and development of ideal frangible fences and other obstacles for use on Three-Day Eventing cross country courses, as an obvious way to increase safety in the sport. This seems to be the one area where investing money and effort is MOST likely to bear fruit in saved horses and riders. We are pleased to join Tom Spalding of Spalding Labs in urging all USEA members and all eventing supporters to make immediate contributions, of any size, to the USEF’s fund to support this work, which is currently in progress at the University of Kentucky College of Engineering.

Here is a news release describing the situation:

The USEA has committed to making a grant to the USEF to cover the first phase of the study into frangible fence technology being conducted by the University of Kentucky College of Engineering. Eric Grulke, Suzanne Weaver Smith, Katie Kahmann, Michelle Tucker, Ben Matar and John Greenwell are members of the University of Kentucky Engineering Team who will conduct the study which will cover the evaluation of jump designs for improved horse and rider safety with a focus on in-field mechanical testing, analysis and design, materials evaluation and construction cost estimation divided into the following tasks.

1. Field Testing of Prototype Breakaway Safety Features
This task will provide immediate results for a hinged gate concept to demonstrate the process and value of the overall project, including the presentation of results. Throughout the project, field testing will be conducted to demonstrate and verify safety features of new concepts and designs. Standard video, high-speed video and/or motion tracking of horse/rider dynamics at local events will also be conducted in order to support design and verification efforts.

2. Design and Analysis of New Concepts
New concepts such as the strap-and-snap breakaway concept and fundamental questions such as the effect of deformable or sliding/breakaway contact points, develop designs, perform Monte Carlo and finite-element analyses to evaluate performance.

3. Materials Evaluation
Laboratory and field testing of materials contributing to design and to evaluation of concepts constructed with standard materials, foam (Prolog) and other novel materials will be undertaken. Standard testing methods will be used where applicable, but it is anticipated that novel materials may require non-standard testing approaches.

For more information, please contact Joanie Morris, USEF High Performance Communications Manager at jmorris@usef.org

Now it is necessary to ask you to please take action right now in supporting this effort. We can make this happen, and we can do it with small, reasonable contributions, if we all join in.

To make an immediate donation go to: https://www.usef.org/_AUAIFrames/DisasterRelief/Frangible/Frangible.aspx (press “continue”)

Thanks from all of us!

Tim and Cheryl Holekamp
New Spring Farm
7901 Highway 63 South
Columbia, MO 65201
Sales horses: newspringt@aol.com
Breeding to Windfall: holekamp@aol.com