'Talking and tech improve the sport'

Philip Surl on officials’ roles, how the sport has changed and more

EVENTING is far more collaborative than 20 years ago. My involvement as a technical advisor (TA) for British Eventing (BE) came about partly because as a rider, I felt frustrations around certain aspects of events. It was a natural progression to become a technical delegate (TD) at international (FEI) events.

There was a time when if riders didn't like a fence, they would be told that's what it is and it's the same for everyone. Now, discussion between riders and officials is hopefully more collaborative.

There will always be complaints why was an event abandoned so late, why did a fence ride badly? But there are ways to feed back now, by speaking directly to officials or through the rider rep system.

The use of video is the other big change. I have a good relationship with Equireel and An Eventful Life, who cover nearly all the national events and are helpful about pulling clips for us when needed. Last year at Burghley, we used 36 static cameras to help with decisions, particularly around the 15 penalties for missing a flag.