I have often wondered why the U.S.A. is lagging behind in covering horse shows online? Live scores, live streaming of horse shows seems non-existent across the Atlantic. In Europe you have instant score services with results popping online even before the rider has left the arena. In America one has to wait until after the weekend for news websites to bring scores as most show websites test your patience by not posting the results until its midweek after the show.
I don't want to underestimate the work a show secretary has, but all it takes to post scores online is one person, one internet connection, and one minute of your time to send the results to your server and post a link on a website. It is not difficult to upload an excel or pdf file with the scores. Aren't we the year 2009 instead of the pre-internet year of 1989?
What is even more striking is the evolution of live streaming of horse shows in Europe. Equestrian streaming sites are popping up in every country, providing live coverage of entire competitions or even stallion shows FREE OF CHARGE!! Professionals are hired as guest speakers and every viewer gets fantastic commentary on each dressage test. The German websites Clip My Horse and CP Medien and the Dutch Filmloop are the initiators of this free service and have virtually circumvented the tiring battle to get horse sport on television. Why should care any longer for horse sport to make it on television? Everyone interested in horses can now watch full show coverage online the day itself without being interrupted by annoying commercials.
Fortunately in the U.S.A. first attempts have been made to broadcast equestrian shows live on the internet. HorseTV, for instance, obtained the rights to video the CSIO Palm Beach. Though the company successfully broadcast the Grand Prix, they were refused the filming rights of the nation's cup last minute, because of (commercial) politics.
Bernard Uechtritz, Chairman of HorseTV, said: "we were disappointed that HorseTV was blindsided at the 11th hour, as certain forces conspired against us. We were forced to sit on the sidelines, out of being able to host broadcast the Cup and provide the viewing public, competing nations and everyone's sponsors, families and fans the certainty of being able to view the event live with a trouble free experience. We were even shut out of being able to provide a co-host broadcast and back up alternative. [...] We had proved our excellent capabilities to Wellington the week prior with the successful broadcast of last Saturday's Grand Prix event enjoyed by thousands in HD, free, worldwide."
Some American companies are trying to penetrate the market by charging a fee to view the streaming, but this is not the way it should work! I truly hope more efforts will be made in the U.S.A. to provide this fantastic free service as well as instant scoring. With a country as big as a continent, it is harder for people to travel to shows. Live streaming is an ideal solution for people to experience a horse show from their home sofa.
But to add injury to insult, the FEI has launched its own FEI TV.org in which it aims to stream international shows and bring behind the scene interviews, but you have to subscribe and they are charging a staggering annual fee of 60 euro (80$) for it. So much for global access to the sport. FEI Tv completely counters the its own aim to make the sport MORE accessible. Instead only those who are willing to pay up big can see what the sport is all about!
But let us not be naive, behind-the-scene politics about streaming rights are also a hard fought battle here in Europe. Following the great success of the initating streaming websites, new companies are sprouting like mushrooms and they are applying back-stabbing policies in order to secure the rights to film a show. They lobby with the show organization to obtain the streaming rights ahead of other companies, usually by paying them or by sponsoring classes. We tried contacting Markus Detering (ClipMyHorse), Willem Braak (Filmloop) and Joyce Heuitink (Horsus.nl) to ask about their strategies in obtaining the rights to stream. The first did not answer at all, Braak only wanted to disclose info off the record and Heuitink did not know how it was done as other people involved with Horsus.nl decided on this matter. We also contacted Unicem (Dutch, handles tv coverage for Dutch Equestrian Federation) and SportFive (Germany company), two companies which manage TV and media rights and are closely involved with the equestrian sport, but neither of them replied. Surprise, surprise!