Preparing to f ly high

COULD fighter pilot technology help give Britain’s equestrian teams a competitive edge for Tokyo next year? What sounds like a comic teaser on Have I Got News For You, in fact is not: the British Equestrian Federation (BEF) and BAE Systems really have been working together to develop a “bespoke environmental monitoring unit” called Equus-Sense.

The unit builds on the sensors used to monitor cockpit conditions and air quality in Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft. Now our horses should benefit from technology developed for pilots, as the system will monitor sound, vibration, humidity, dust and more as they fly all the way to Tokyo.

Welcome to the diverse and often secretive world of performance analysis, whose tendrils extend to data and video analysis, nutrition, performance lifestyle coaching, strength and conditioning, sports psychology and mental readiness, and much more.

For many of us, the words “performance analysis” conjure up ideas