Entrepreneurs have exceptional foresight combined with the drive to stay motivated for the long haul. The Tech Equestrian had the chance to speak with entrepreneur and founder of Competitor Tent, Dikran Yapoujian who has developed a smartphone app designed to harness the data from the show ring to improve overall performance. Dikran provided his perspective on how technology will become an indispensible aid for the equestrian sport along with giving us a glimpse on how the new app is designed to inform and become a ‘go to’ community for competitive equestrians.
August is an exciting month in the horse show world from top European Championships to the Pan American Games to Pony Finals and more - the spotlight shines on equestrians and their equine athletes. With that in mind, we posed two questions to our horsetech experts on how technology is either changing or will change the way we compete. This month’s questions included: 1) How will technology change the way horse shows are governed? Will technology be seen as a help or will it be scrutinized for giving horse/rider an 'advantage'? 2) If you were a horse show producer - how would you leverage technology to help in providing a better experience?
As we know horses are herd animals. In the wild they survive by forming bands to protect themselves from predators. This collective group forms a strong bond led by instinct and their dominate traits of hearing, sight, smell and of course, speed that allow the breed to reproduce and survive. When The Tech Equestrian recently spoke with Christie Schulte Kappert, Program Manager from My Right Horse, an online portal that specializes in horse adoption and is an extension of The Right Horse Initiative, the power of teamwork is apparent from the many partner organizations that help drive the mission forward.
What integrated ways (or disruptions) will technology change the horse world; please provide an example of what you are currently seeing, planning on offering with your product/service or hoping becomes available?
Middleburg, Virginia: Tori Sullivan grew up riding out west in Reno, Nevada – land of cowboys, slot machines and mountain vistas. The expansive countryside lent itself to breeding horses, coyote hunting and all types of western riding events recalled Tori. But soon her English grandmother instilled in her the need to ride a different way, “you will ride English,” she proclaimed. Along with that order and a reality boost from her parents saying, you really need a job, Tori packed up her things and moved East to start her first “real” job.
One of the beautiful aspects of horses is that they are our partners – whether you are riding competitively or caring and managing them for pleasure. So it seems a natural fit to have partnerships and collaborations when it comes to horse tech providers expanding their offerings. Let’s hear from The Tech Equestrian Advisory Board on how they feel about collaborations and what they are already doing or plan to do when it comes to partnerships.
After having The Tech Equestrian Advisory Board provide feedback on how they use customer data and their thoughts on the future of data in the April blog post, we thought it would be important to also have a legal perspective. Luckily I met Madison Wiles-Haffner, a lawyer at Finn Dixon & Herling LLP and fellow equestrian at this year’s Equestrian Businesswomen Summit (EQBW Summit) in West Palm Beach and discussed story ideas.
At The Tech Equestrian we know how important data is to any size business looking to advance their business with the aid of technology. Many of today’s tech enabled businesses are building a one-to-one relationship with their customers by customizing their offerings and experiences. And guess what? It’s getting easier for them to tailor their products & services because the digital footprint you leave every day is expansive and immediately brings to mind the sensitive topic of data privacy.
Let’s ask The Tech Equestrian Advisory Board their thoughts on the best way for tech savvy companies to value and respect their customer’s data and maximize it to expand their offerings – and you be the judge – do you think there is a data dilemma brewing or is it moving business solutions in the right direction?
When Alan Wielunski stepped into the wonderful world of horses it was his young sons who got him hooked. “My connection with horses started 20 years ago when both my sons started riding,” recalled Alan. At first it was a hobby and passion for them but then gradually the whole family became obsessed. This obsession led to a successful sport horse business they own in the south of Holland called EMW Sport Horses.
PARIS, France: There are many intelligent and sophisticated riders looking for new ways to measure their performance goals. As is the case with Zakaria Antar, CEO and co-founder of Seaver, a former semi-professional rider who used to train with Abdelkebir Ouaddar. “I realized that aside from trusting my coach, there was no precise and scientific way for me to measure my progress,” explained Zakaria. Luckily with technology becoming more accessible and part of our culture, he found a way to monitor progress, performance, and most importantly his horses’ well-being through a product he co-founded called Seaver. After three years in development, Seaver’s first product was launched in April 2018.
As equestrians, we tend to have many unanswered questions about our equines – from their fitness level to nutrition to recovery time after an ailment or injury. But thanks to Hoofstep, a horse tech startup based in Sweden, their new wearable is designed to be your virtual veterinarian to bring you answers you never thought possible.
