Alain Broft did not grow up among the horses. But as an industrial engineer and partner of dressage rider Jenny Schreven, his enthusiasm is reflected when he talks about developments in the horse world. His regular job is managing the equestrian innovation company EquInnoLab, but this weekend the Horse & Technology event is also on the calendar. This year, with a completely new set-up with a packed program full of quality, with more than 35 exhibitors and a children’s village.

This article is translated from Dutch from EquNews.nl.

31-year-old Alain Broft rode horses while studying technical business administration, worked for the World Bank in Africa, among other things, as a consultant and met his partner Jenny Schreven, who has her well-known dressage stable in Weert, almost three years ago: “Then I started going interfere with the combination of my profession and horse riding. In industrial engineering we are very much predicting, measuring, monitoring and automating. I soon wondered why you can’t measure certain things in equestrian sports. There was always a standard answer: this is not possible in the horses because you are dealing with a living person and a living horse. But that only triggered me more, because we also have to deal with uncertain factors in industry as well. ”

Alain went did some background research, spoke to athletes of all levels, searched for scientific articles: “It is very disappointing what has been researched. If anything, it is almost always unrepresentative. In equestrian sports it all boils down to everything being assessed visually and that you actually pay to the person who explains something to you. The performance is hardly objectified and much from tradition. In swimming, for example, they measure everything that can be measured at the start of the starting block until you come a little further above the water. You will then focus on training. There is no such thing in the judge sport dressage. My mission is to objectify and formalize equestrian sport. Don’t get me wrong: we love the sport as it is, we don’t want to change the sport. We want to make the sport easier to understand and to make parts more trainable. ”

To that end, Alain quit his job and started EquInnoLab. two years ago in Weert in the offices above Jenny’s stable – intended as an innovation center aimed at all branches of equestrian sports. In a quite traditional world, adding terms such as video analyzes, sensor development, product development: “Our goal is to build up a lot of data as an independent body. One of the means is a 3D motion analysis: horse and rider are covered with markers, a high-speed camera captures everything, which comes in as 3D data and can be processed by the computer. That is technically not very challenging to develop, the only question is whether you can afford it, because those developments are expensive. And it is exciting to work with it: a coach needs to know what he wants to see, which performance indicators. For example, take the classic thought of line from your shoulder to your hip to your knees to your heel. It is very likely that this will lead to different conclusions than was always assumed in the search for improvement of the rider’s technique. ”

Ten people now work in Weert. Software people, but also a few mechanical engineers from their studies, and always some biometrics graduates, naturally selected for their interest in horses: “We started with small measurements, we did rider fit analyzes, rein pressure analysis, technical plans for the camera- written analyzes. To be able to pay it, we apply for subsidies, we already have an award in our pocket and we are active in the market with paid services. We don’t pay ourselves. It is important at this stage that we build up and that requires all kinds of activities. For example, our Horse & Technology event, with which we try to bridge the gap between innovation and our equestrian sport. That is quite a challenge that we have been working on for eight months. There are only pagoda tents that already a value of EUR 15.000, and the clinics are of super quality and not cheap. We have invested a lot in promotion via the well-known platforms which looks promising. The most difficult thing is to make it clear to people that it is a big event in terms of quality of set-up and clinics. We want to distinguish ourselves with that. And that it is just as much focused on jumping and eventing, although the location has a dressage background. ”

Alain Broft has redesigned Horse & Technology. The first time last year was a free event, now entrance is requested with a new packed program, with shows and clinics aimed at the equestrian from all disciplines. On Friday morning, May 18, there is an FNRS innovation meeting in the presentation pavilion of 8 X 15 meters plus an outdoor show, and on Friday afternoon a symposium from Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences. Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 May are the public days with top players such as Sönke Rothenberger (currently No. 5 in the world), Morgan Barbancon, Robbert Ehrens, but also with Paardenpraat TV and a Bixie program: “This year cannot be compared to last year. We want to bridge the gap between innovative products and equestrian sports. The existing meetings and events always offer the same speakers, we want to distinguish ourselves. We want to try to make innovative products hip. Fortunately, we have nearly forty exhibitors and sponsors such as Adams music center and Vitelia, companies that are very supportive of us. And now we are hoping for good weather, because the crowds at the checkout would of course be nice! ”