I don't know why The Fred is attempting to spread such unwarranted fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) about the proposed FEI Timing Rules. Maybe he's trying to get people to buy his stock of TDC8001s?
A few facts:
1) If Fred would simply READ the proposed rules, he would see that timers ARE NOT REQUIRED to operate in TOD mode for SJ classes. They are only required to be CAPABLE of operating in TOD mode. A timer like the S4, which can operate in TOD (Program 3) and can also take TODs and calculate its own NETs (Showjumping firmware Program 2), will be fine even under the strictest standards at the highest levels.
2) One of the things which WILL change, as it should, is that timing data must be verifyable in TOD. A parallel system spewing out raw TODs will take care of this requirement nicely. The object here is simply to have transparency and verifiable documentation in the timing data, since so many athletes & Federations are suing over results these days, and taking decisions to the CAS. A set of Timys paired up to the same photocells as the primary system, spewing out TOD, will provide a verifyable set of TOD tapes, like in ski racing.
Furthermore, the current system of hand-time backup in showjumping is scandalous. It is currently within the rules for a ground jury to give a competitor basically whatever time they please, derived out of thin air. And that is wrong. The new rules will require adequate, documentable, verifyable hand-timing along the lines of that found in ski racing, which is badly needed (and will sell still more timing devices).
3) The S4 meets or exceeds any standards for TOD timing that the FEI could conceivably require for the forseeable future.
4) ALGE's announcement regarding no further SJ support for the S4 has more to do with rule CALCULATION changes than the forthcoming timing requirements. Two years ago, the FEI passed a really, REALLY stupid new SJ rule changing fault calculation from 0.25 per second to 1 fault per 4 seconds. It was such a dumb and ill-conceived rule change that most federations ignored it. ALGE had to basically re-chip every S4 in the world used for SJ, since most events continued to use the "old" rule but some used the "new" rule. So I don't blame ALGE at all for dropping support S4 for SJ, although the S4 will work fine for SJ until FEI passes some sort of additional, dumb new calculation requirement.
5) Cross-Country is timed in TOD anyway, which is a perfect application for the S4 (in HP mode).
6) The FEI has a lot of dumb rules, so many in fact, that compliance for most events outside Europe is impossibly expensive. Most FEI events outside of Europe operate under multiple rule waivers anyway, so as the new timing rules are phased in, this will probably result in just another waiver for many events, rather than compliance.
I could go on and on, but suffice it to say that the S4 is a terrific device, and will be of great use in equestrian sports for years to come. If you own one, don't plan on trading it in or using it as a wheel chock any time soon.
The proposed FEI timing rules aren't a bad thing. They are, in my opinion, WAY overdue. I go to SJ events at the highest level and I see a "primary system" (which is sometimes of dubious quality, frequently an unverifyable and non-homologated "black box") and ONE GUY with a stopwatch. THAT constitutes the "timing system" for some Grands Prix, Olympic Trials, National Championships. PATHETIC!
Go to a ski race at a comparable level, and you see AT A BARE MINIMUM two completely separate, homologated, soup-to-nuts TOD timing systems running on separate sensors and wiring, plus multiple hand timers, also using homologated devices. At World-level ski events you see redundancy to 5 levels. It is LONG OVERDUE for FEI events to be brought up to this standard.
There are a few timing contractors in North America who already provide this level of service to Grands Prix. Those who do not need to be educated and need to upgrade their equipment, or else get out of the business and leave it to professionals with proper equipment and training.
