What influence does the footing have upon performance?

ue to developments in sports and veterinary medicine, the influence of different footing upon performance and injury level has been measured and monitored.  For example, horses tend to trip most frequently when ridden on sand and rubber, whilst tripping is least on prepared turf or a wax coated surface.

Other factors such as genetic potential, exercise duration/intensity, limb conformation and age, are also factors but are difficult to quantify.  However research does identify the importance of training on the footing that will be used in competition, this is because horses develop “muscle memory” which reduces the likelihood of injury when performing at their maximum.

Laura Bectolsheimer, winner of the Dressage World Cup Qualifier at Olympia last December, has two different surfaces at her Gloucestershire yard.  The indoor surface is wax coated (Ecotrack) and the outdoor arena is a blend of quality silica sand which is stabilised with CLOPF® fibres, both of which were supplied by Martin Collins.  (Visit www.mceltd.com for informed advice and individual quotation.)

Brief Company Background and entry in to new overseas markets.
Martin Collins is a pioneer of the Surface industry and invented the worlds’ first synthetic surface over 35 years ago.  Today the Martin Collins Group has offices in mainland Europe, North America, South Africa and Japan and their surfaces are available all around the world.  

Special considerations regarding “temporary Surfaces”

Martin Collins has spent many years perfecting a surface suitable for use in temporary installations at events such as the London International Horse Show, Olympia.  A surface such as this needs to provide energy return and superb stability under hoof so horses are not at risk of are concussion and jarring of limbs. 

Martin Collins surfaces have been used at countless equestrian events both in the UK and abroad, and are proven to provide a safe, durable footing. In addition they can be groomed to suit the specific requirements of the venue/activity.

Organisers are aware that riders will vote with their feet if a surface is not suitable, therefore a top quality surface is of paramount importance. Martin Collins Enterprises has extensive experience of providing surface for many temporary installations, including for events run consecutively, as was the case over a six week period at the end of 2011, when Martin Collins surfaces were installed at five separate venues:
•    Your Horse Live, Stoneleigh, Warwickshire. November 2011
•    Spanish Riding School of Vienna Tour, Wembley Arena, London.  November 2011
•    British Military Tournament, Earls Court, London.  December 2011
•    The Christmas Equine Event, West Point, Devon.   December 2011
•    London International Horse Show, Olympia, London.  December 2011

Martin Collins will also install surface at the O2 Arena on 21st March 2012 for the second running of the Gaucho International Polo event (for tickets/information www.gauchopolo.com).   In 2011 Martin Collins supplied surface for a mounted display for an event on Regents Street, as well as for a television documentary featuring Lee Pearson (Team GBR Para Olympic Rider) who rode a dressage test in the Albert Hall.  Incidentally this was believed to be the first time a horse has been in the world-famous Hall.  

Martin Collins enjoyed a landmark autumn, with concurrent Polytrack™ projects in two continents. In September 2011, a 2,000 metre Polytrack™ training track opened at Randjesfontein, North Rand, South Africa, together with the installation of a new Polytrack™ racecourse installed in Chantilly, France. 

South Africa
Randjesfontein is the first of four major South African training centres and racecourses to commit to installing Polytrack in the next 12 months – the next to follow will be Fairview, Port Elizabeth – the 18th Martin Collins racecourse worldwide** (more than all installations by competitor suppliers combined).
**Martin Collins Racetrack installations
1.    Lingfield Park,
2.    Wolverhampton,
3.    Kempton Park Racecourse,
4.    Great Leighs,
5.    Dundalk Racecourse,
6.    Hippodrome de la Cote D’Azur(Cagnes-sur-Mer)
7.    Hippodrome de Chantilly
8.    Hippodrome Marseille Vivaux
9.    Hippodrome de Pau
10.    Kranji Racetrack
11.    Hippodrome Costa Del Sol (Mijas Racecourse)
12.    Istanbul Veliefendi Racetrack
13.    Turfway Park Racecourse Kentucky
14.     Woodbine Racetrack, Toronto
15.    Keeneland Racecourse, Kentucky
16.     Del Mar Racecourse, California,
17.    Arlington Park Racecourse, Chicago

South Africa has been experiencing prolonged spells of heavy rain which has made the management of turf and dirt tracks more difficult.  Martin Collins has blended the surface for the Highveld’s (a high plateau region of inland South Africa) extreme conditions.   Phumelela racing executive Patrick Davis said: “To demonstrate the effectiveness of the porous tarmac base [at Randjesfontein], we took a 4,000 litre water tanker onto the track a few weeks ago and released the water. It was an absolute deluge, but the water exited the drains within minutes. It was mind-blowing. This is why Polytrack has been the success it is worldwide.”
A large contingent of South African track managers attended a Martin Collins-organised instructional course at Newmarket last summer, during which they visited Lingfield Park whose Polytrack™ surface was 10 years old in November 2011.  Delegates were impressed to hear from Clerk of the Course Neil Mackenzie-Ross that Lingfield has required only minor refurbishment in that time. 

France

Chantilly New Polytrack
A new Polytrack™ racecourse was installed in Chantilly, France, during December 2011. This is the first Grade 1 racecourse in Europe to install a synthetic surface. 
The project was overseen by France Galop, the French racing authority.  The first race meeting on the Polytrack™ surface is scheduled for early March this year.    The Polytrack™ is expected to increase Chantilly’s calendar by 24 fixtures a year initially, to approximately 40 meetings, with France Galop aiming to “perpetuate the economic and social activity tied to racing.”    Martin Collins has already installed training tracks at Chantilly, and has other operational Polytrack racecourses in France at Marseilles Vivaux and Cagnes sur Mer.
France is a keen racing nation and has two training centres - at Deauville and Pau - which also have Martin Collins surfaces.  Pau, in southern France hosts important meetings for both codes (sprint handicaps and graded steeplechases).  The racetrack surface was upgraded in December by the addition of specialist structural fibres called CLOPF®, which create a root structure and retain moisture.  CLOPF® is sold worldwide – in fact it has been added to most types of existing arena surface, where it allows the horse to work more “on top of the surface” and replicates how a horse works on a good going turf.
Polytrack™ is perhaps the best known surface from Martin Collins, however, the company manufactures a number of alternative products, enabling the client to install the most suitable surface for their chosen activity.    For example, Activ-track™ was recently installed by Senonnes, near Nantes, which is the training base for some 600 horses.

TURKEY
Martin Collins is currently shipping 900 tonnes of surface to Turkey for the S International Equestrian Center, Istinye, Istanbul.   This amazing facility belongs to Mrs. Sabanci and it is the Turkish base of her show jumping team.  

People’s Republic of China
Martin Collins is currently shipping 3,000 tonnes of Ecotrack™ surface to the Metropolitan Polo Club in Tianjin, China, where a Martin Collins team is also carrying out construction works (installing three arenas and two exercise tracks).   This is believed to be the first time a waxed coated surface has been used in China. 

The Royal Warrant and the Diamond Jubilee Pageant”
Martin Collins Enterprises have been awarded the Royal Warrant to Her Majesty The Queen for a second consecutive time (it was first awarded to the company in 2007).  Martin Collins surfaces have been installed at a number of locations for Her Majesty, the largest being at Windsor Castle, which is the venue of the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May each year.  This year, to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee, each evening of the show will host the “Diamond Jubilee Pageant” which will be performed under spotlights on the Ecotrack™ surface.

The King’s Troop
The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery are due to move out of St John’s Wood Barracks this month to a purpose built site at Woolwich.   The facilities for the teams that pull the 1 ½ tonne gun limbers include a large training area, an indoor school, an exercise track and an outdoor arena.  The Ecotrack™ surface was chosen due to its excellent performance for the world famous musical drive at the London International Horse Show (Olympia), the Royal Windsor Horse Show and British Military Tournament (Earls Court).  Ecotrack™ was also inspected at the Knightsbridge Barracks of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment; and Imber Court - base of the Mounted Division of the Metropolitan Police.