FRANGIBLE TECHNOLOGY
The USEA Foundation began it’s support for Frangible Technology on cross country courses in 2016. More history can be found below. The recent big news is that the USEA Foundation began a matching campaign on September 1, 2025, to raise additional funds to support frangible technology. The campaign was sparked by a $250,000 gift from the Manton Foundation. In just 4 months, the USEA Community raised an additional $250,000 to match that generous donation! A huge thank you to all who donated both funds and time to help us achieve this goal. Eventing is a risky sport and we know that frangible technology has made a direct and positive impact on cross country safety in the last 10 years. The use of frangible technology, along with course design changes, has reduce the rate of horse falls by 65%. Funding this program will help keep that trajectory moving in the right direction.
In 2016, the Foundation supported the USEA Collapsible Fence Technology Study, which was conducted through the University of Kentucky by Dr. Suzanne Weaver Smith and Shannon Wood. The study has concluded, a summary of the study’s work can be viewed here.
The Frangible Technology Fund was established following the conclusion of the Collapsible Fence Technology Study to continue to raise funds to support research into frangible technologies that will continue to build on the work of the Collapsible Fence Technology Study. The Frangible Technology Fund increased the scope of the study and expanded to include additional research projects on the USEA Cross-Country Safety Committee's agenda.
Then, in March 2020, a group of event organizers launched a fundraising campaign in response to Katharine Morel and Kerry On’s devastating accident at the Rocking Horse Winter III Horse Trials on February 29 in Altoona, Florida. In partnership with the USEA Foundation Frangible Technology Fund, an initiative was created to raise $500,000 for the construction of frangible fences on cross-country courses at the Preliminary level and above around the country. With the support of the eventing community and a matching donation from the Manton Foundation, that goal was reached in less than 12 months.
The initial program supported by the Frangible Fund provided kits to organizers to build frangible fences. The program has gone through several changes, and in its current evolution, organizers may apply for up to four grants per year to build frangible fences.
In 2023, the USEA Foundation Trustees committed an additional $150,000 towards the installation of frangible devices at recognized competitions, and they have committed to expand that investment in subsequent years. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that every fence at eventing competitions that is able to be frangible will be.
Grants applications for the Frangible Technology Fund can be found HERE.
