Notational analysis ofelite riders in show jumping

[P. Ž. Ilić]

253 str.

Biografija autora: str. 251. Bibliografija: str. 210-240.

Scientific Disciplines in Sport and Physical Education

Introduction: Success in show jumping depends on multiple factors, with theoretical insights obtained through notational analysis providing a foundation for achieving advanced athletic performance. A limited number of authors have investigated and published studies related to performance analysis in show jumping, emphasizing its importance and the need for broader integration into competitive practice. The results of such analyses may offer predictive value in enhancing performance outcomes. The available literature on show jumping lacks research aimed at examining outcomes across different obstacle types and competition categories, particularly in relation to errors (as performance indicators) and their predictive influence on final results during the main phase of competition. The aim of this study was to determine the differences in notational analysis parameters among elite riders and their association with performance outcomes at the “2022 Balkan Equestrian Championship” in show jumping. Method: The necessary data were collected during the “2022 Balkan Equestrian Championship” in show jumping, held in Romania from September 7 to 11, 2022, with participation from the national teams of Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Turkey, and Croatia. A total of 7285 jumping actions were analyzed across 512 competition starts, performed by male and female athletes across five competitive categories: children, juniors, young riders, female riders (amazons), and seniors. The selected performance indicators for this study included: successful jump over an obstacle, knockdown of an obstacle, water jump fault, first and second refusal, first and second closed circle between two consecutive jumps, rider and/or horse fall, time penalties for each commenced second exceeding the allowed time, exceeding the maximum allowed time, incorrectly jumped obstacle, and elimination or withdrawal from the competition. The categorical variables considered were: type of obstacle, type of competition, obstacle height, obstacle width, competitor category, rider’s gender, event number, phase of the competition, curved approach to the obstacle, type of distance, round timing, and horse-related data. Notational recording of performance indicators was conducted in real-time during each competitor's performance. All collected data were processed using the statistical software package SPSS version 19. Descriptive parameters were calculated through the application of descriptive statistics, while the distribution of values was examined using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. The Wilcoxon signedrank test was used to assess differences in values of the same samples measured at two time points. The Friedman test was used to examine differences within the same samples measured on three or more occasions. When statistically significant differences were identified, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was additionally applied to further analyze the differences. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to determine differences in parameter values between two independent groups. The Kruskal– Wallis test was applied to examine differences in parameter values across three or more independent groups, and in cases of statistically significant results, post hoc analysis using the Mann–Whitney U test was conducted to explore differences between group pairs. The χ² test was used to examine the proportions of cases belonging to different categories. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the relationships between variables. Standard multiple regression analysis was employed to assess the predictive power of each independent variable on the dependent variable. The confidence interval was set at 95% (95% CI), and the threshold for statistical significance was p< 0,05. Results: Knockdowns occurred with varying average frequency depending on the type of obstacle, with the results confirming that flat oxers and verticals were, on average, significantly more frequently knocked down compared to light oxers, triple bars, and obedience jumps. First refusals were more frequently recorded at flat oxers and verticals, although without a statistically significant difference between them (Sig=0,194). Falls of the rider and/or horse were extremely rare and showed no significant differences among obstacle types (Sig≥0,180); they were recorded only at verticals, flat oxers, large open water jumps (Mean=0,00; SD=0,062), and liverpools, while no falls were observed at light oxers, triple bars, or obedience jumps. When comparing parameter values between competitions judged under Table A and Table C formats, significantly higher success in faultless obstacle clearance was observed in Table A events (Sig=0,000), along with significantly fewer incidents of incorrectly jumped obstacles (Sig=0,020). The results of this study revealed statistically significant differences between age categories in the parameters of successfully cleared obstacles (Sig=0,003), water jump faults (Sig=0,000), and time penalties (Sig=0,017). Furthermore, female riders, in comparison to male riders, recorded significantly higher values in the parameters of first refusal (Sig=0,001), time penalties (Sig=0,030), and eliminations or withdrawals from the competition (Sig=0,049). The results from the first, second, and third competitions indicated statistically significant differences (Sig<0,05) in the parameters of successfully cleared obstacles (Sig=0,010), water jump faults (Sig=0,000), and time penalties (Sig=0,000). Significant differences were also calculated between the thirds of the competition rounds in terms of successfully cleared obstacles (Sig=0,000), knockdowns (Sig=0,001), and water jump faults (Sig=0,000). A significantly higher incidence of water jump faults, as well as first and second refusals, was recorded when the approach was made from a left turn compared to a right turn (p≤0,024). In this study, straight-line distances, as compared to curved-line approaches, resulted in a significantly higher average of successfully cleared obstacles (Sig=0,000), along with significantly fewer faults in the parameters of water jump refusals (Sig=0,000), first refusals (Sig=0,041), and second refusals (Sig=0,002). On average, water jump refusals and first refusals occurred significantly more often (Sig=0,000) in rounds where the allowed time was exceeded. Knockdowns at each individual obstacle type were found to be statistically significant predictors (Sig≤0,017), with varying impacts on the total number of penalty points. First refusals at different types of obstacles showed a strong overall correlation with total penalty points (R=0,580ᵃ), explaining 33,6% of the total variance in penalties recorded during the main phase of competition. Within this model, the most dominant predictors were first refusals occurring at verticals and flat oxers, with moderate influence, accounting for 10,63% and 11,83% of the total variance in penalty points, respectively. Conclusion: Different competition formats, rider gender, obstacle heights, rider categories, and approach trajectories induce significant differences across certain performance parameters. In general, it can be concluded that different obstacle constructions impose varying psychophysical demands, resulting in differences in the frequency of errors depending on the type of obstacle. Consequently, these obstacles exhibit varying degrees of influence and predictive power on the final outcome, specifically in terms of total penalty points accumulated during the main phase of the competition. The most frequent errors observed were knockdowns, first refusals, water jump faults, and time penalties. Verticals and flat oxers were identified as the most challenging obstacles. It can also be concluded that left-sided and curved approaches present greater difficulty for riders.

konjički sport, performans analiza, preskakanje prepona, greške, pol jahača, prepone, visina prepona, putanja, vreme

equestrian sport, performance analysis, show jumping, фaults, rider gender, obstacles, obstacle height, trajectory / path, time

798.26(043.3)

S 273

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