Safety Innovation with BEDE Events
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GROUND BREAKING INNOVATION
Together with his team at BEDE Events, Stuart Buntine, has a long seated passion for innovation within the sport of eventing. Now head of the FEI’s Safety Committee, Stuart is leading a movement on ground breaking safety developments, whilst maintaining eventing’s USP.
Together with the course-building team of Chris Eaton and Will Seely, they worked with Mats Bjornetun in Sweden to push the boundaries of what could be achieved. Using Mats’ MIMSafe technology, the team created new concepts in cross-country fence design, that utilised the MIM technology to create traditional, yet frangible, designs.
A huge turning point, and only just the beginning
The frangible log, the first of its kind globally, was launched at Osberton International (October 2024), a feat previously unproven due to the weight of the logs. Following the time spent with Mats, the team were able to hollow out the log to reduce the weight and incorporate this into a trakhner design.
Over the winter of 2024/2025, the team continued their development work, building new concepts never before seen by the eventing community.
During this time, US Olympian Philip Dutton, had opened up on social media about the benefits of the frangible technology, and how as a sport we need to start embracing the changes.
“As riders, we have to make split-second decisions, and it is not always going to be the right decision. That is sport and life. However, embracing improvements to jump design, frangible devices in future courses and riders who have a good grasp, understanding and the skills needed to ride safely at each jump will hopefully keep a bright future for our sport.”
Phillip Dutton (7x US Olympian)
As with any new development, a significant cost was involved. Both in the technology innovation and development, the man hours and the materials used to create the new concepts. Thanks to the support and investment from Aspen Cooling and NIS Limited the team have been able to continue their work and push towards a 100% frangible cross-country course, bringing with it huge safety benefits for the wider sport.
The Eventing Spring Carnival 2025
Stuart had the vision he wanted to create a nearly 100% frangible course at Thoresby in 2025, to showcase what can be achieved and provide increased understanding that this is the the future of our sport.
Ahead of Thoresby’s Eventing Spring Carnival, Mats joined Stuart and the BEDE team, and welcomed fellow event organisers, course designers and builders, and officials from British Eventing and the FEI to witness the launch of the new fence designs.
A huge step forward for the sport
The 2025 Eventing Spring Carnival saw the launch of 6 courses which were all either frangible or had a significant brush top (which is statistically proven to reduce heavy falls).
Greeted with a round of applause from riders and owners in attendance at the rider’s briefing, Stuart and the team were praised for pushing the boundaries to ensure the safety of both horses and riders.
The brief of “fences which don’t look frangible that are frangible” had been achieved.
Saturday dawned, the the competition started. After an exciting 4* class and watching some of the best combinations in the world head out across the country, we were greeted with a great top 3 in both 4* classes.
As people started to head home, social media posts started rolling in and the praise for what had been achieved was apparent.
Rider Comments post Thoresby
Tom McEwen
Despite knowing certain fences were frangible, this did not change the way in which he rode the course.
“None of us aim to have an incident, but if it’s there, it’s brilliant!”
Laura Collett
“I had a pin on the mare and didn’t feel she really did anything wrong but thats the way it’s going to go – one day it will be that it does save a fall, and you’ll be grateful. It is saves a life, it’s worth it”
Gemma Stevens
Gemma picked up 11 penulties at Thoresby, which cost her the win in the 4* section, however Gemma was unequivocal in her support
“It’s brilliant. We need to be safe. Although it’s annoying to have a pin, it is what it is, and it might have saved a fall for me, so I am grateful”
Whats Next?
With the overwhelming positivity from Thoresby, from both riders and owners, all involved are keen to keep the momentum moving forward with this project.
Stuart has been asked to run workshops around the world, to impart the knowledge gained to other builders and designers. The first workshops are planned for Australia and New Zealand, later this year, with US workshops following on.
The FEI has now endorsed the development of a fund to raise £1M to subsidise over 1,000 frangible fences for use around the world.
This is pivotal point in our sport’s future. We’re quite literally building a safer future for the sport, and all involved.
