EQUESTRIAN SPORTS PERFORMANCE METRICS:

Because Efficiency is a form of Excellence. In a sport where opportunities vary greatly based on geography, time, and resources, PER provides an additional lens through which performance efficiency can be recognized and celebrated.

PER is about recognizing Excellence when opportunity is unequal. 

In the jumper ring: Rider and horse teams are ranked by performance efficiency!  Time and faults. The season's rankings should reflect performance efficiency in some capacity, NOT just unlimited accumulative/participation points inevitably favoring those privileged in being able to finance and attend unlimited amounts of shows, while not always performing in the most efficient manners. What are we seeking to reward?  Solely quantity over quality? We are not trying to take merit our of commitment but we would also like to equally highlight performance and excellence in this amazing sport. 

Performance Efficiency Ratings require a minimum amount of 8  shows participated in one season 

- within the same channel (A rated, B rated, local point systems, etc),

- per rider,

- per horse,

- per division,

in order to collect a solid baseline of metrics that can produce a telling average per show, this- while keeping the participation goal more financially obtainable to a much greater pool of riders.

All PER show averages collected before 8 shows can be seen as a provisional PER points to help evaluate the unfolding season's progress. All shows performed beyond the minimum required 8 are recorded as part of the PER ranking average.  These combined metrics will determine the season's performance efficiency, based on achievement- without being favored by volume of shows performed. 

PER can hereby highlight and celebrate it's own top 3 performing rider/horse teams in each division:

PER's Champion 🥇, PER's Reserve Champion 🥈 and PER's bronze medalist 🥉 for the season. 

All other competitive riders can calculate their season's PER to assess their own individual performance efficiency in order to better understand their progress, regardless of being able to keep up with the riders that can compete every weekend during the season. 

This rating system processes official USHJA/USEF show rankings per rider and horse combination, per division, per channel, per show season - providing a parallel ranking that offers an average per show points system that rewards maximizing performance opportunities (when unable to attend 20+ shows a year.) PER can even apply to local shows and their own points systems, in helping level the playing field on all levels, favoring performance over volume. The ultimate goal is for all official rating bodies to celebrate the PER rating average by create a coexisting column alongside the accumulated total points, equally recognizing performance and volume achievements. It's a BIG Goal. Until then, let's just keep celebrating our own and each other's Performance Efficiency Ratings! Post, share and tag us WHAT YOUR PER IS THIS SEASON!

- Tie-breaker #1  Fewest shows attended 

- Tie-breaker #2  Higher total ranking points 

- Tie-breaker #3  Greater number of wins 

- Tie-breaker #4  Greater number of top-3 finishes

As a family with a young competitive rider, that emerged from the USHJA OUTREACH program a high point rider; we noticed overtime that the established rankings measure one thing very well—accumulated achievement, inevitably favored by volume at the end of a season—and thereby do not represent performance efficiency. That is why we started calculating the per show averages over the years in order to better understand their performance. A rider accomplishing the same amount of points in double the amounts of shows- does NOT give a complete understanding of performance efficiency. We thought many other riders would love to gain this kind of perspective and recognition for their performance efficiency- when drowned by volume rider/horse teams.

True story: Consider 2 riders tied mid-season on total points in 17th place in their division, nationally (USEF). One has accumulated these points over 5 shows, the other rider- over 17 shows. Traditional rankings view them equally. PER recognizes that their performance efficiency differs. And this of course, is just one example of many... We believe this is a metric that would benefit MANY other competitive riders that want to better understand where they are at with regards to their performance and help them thrive.  

PER is a valuable added metric to existing rankings that sums up an average per show- in order to highlight Performance Efficiency aside from Accumulated Achievement. 

PER complements the existing rankings with extra fascinating data, as accumulated points do not necessarily reflect competitive performance efficiency, as illustrated above.