New Rule for Sloping Shoulders on Spread Fences

Since late 2017, Equestrian Australia and FEI XC guidelines have recommended that new spread fences, with vertical leading edges, be built with a sloping front shoulder and that existing fences be modified to provide a sloping front shoulder by January 1 2019. 

Eventing officials throughout Australia were trained on these guidelines, (along with frangible device requirements), in 2018 at a series of seminars funded by the Terry Snow “Making Eventing Safer Fund”.

At the meeting of senior Australian course designers in December 2018, it was proposed that the guideline be made a rule for CCN2* and above.

The EAEC (Equestrian Australia Eventing Committee) supported this proposal and it was approved by the EA board at its recent meeting to take effect from July 1 2019.

The rule will read:

EA547.2.6 Front Shoulders of Spread Fences

In 2*/3*/4*/5* courses whether for national or FEI competition in Australia Spread fences must not have an upright or vertical leading edge. The top of the front of the fence must be sloped at approximately 45 degrees to a point approximately 20cms or more below the top of the leading edge or rounded to similar dimensions. 

Brush fences are excluded provided there is at least 20cms of brush above the solid part of the fence, as are open spread fences fitted with frangible devices as required by rule EA547.2.4.

All other fences, including gates and fences using square and/or sawn materials, must not have any sharp or square edges.