Award presentation in the Main Arena: The seven winners of the EQUITANA Innovation Award 2013

19 March 2013

EQUITANA Innovation Award 2013 | The seven winners of the EQUITANA Innovation Award together with Hans-Joachim Erbel, Christina Uetz, Georg Fink and Guido Krisam.

The seven winners of the EQUITANA Innovation Award together with Hans-Joachim Erbel, Christina Uetz, Georg Fink and Guido Krisam.

It was an award of superlatives: 108 nominations, 77 participating exhibitors, six categories for the first time, and a grand award presentation ceremony in the Main Arena in Hall 6 with some 2,500 spectators - that was the EQUITANA Innovation Award 2013. On the EQUITANA Thursday, the products that made the race for the title of most innovative idea were announced. Six of the nominees carried the day in the individual categories; one product received the special award.

Rampelmann & Spliethoff: Platz-Max Multi

Among the winners are Rampelmann & Spliethoff. They were victorious in the "Stable, hall and arena construction, training technology" category, prevailing over 16 competitor products. Rampelmann & Spliethoff presented the "Platz-Max Multi". This is a multi-purpose arena leveller for a variety of riding arenas which saves working time in equestrian businesses. The "Platz-Max Multi" can alternate hydraulically between the leveller and a Farmflex roller. The product therefore is an obvious choice for businesses with different surfaces in the halls or the outside arena.

Hau Stallsysteme: Korn-Max mit Anwesenheitsüberwachung The winner in the "Stable technology and equipment, pasture and agricultural equipment" is Hau Stallsysteme with its "Corn Max with attendance monitor". Thanks to a light sensor, the automatic feeder recognises if the horse has eaten his daily ration and automatically stops dispensing feed if the horse did not retrieve it because he was absent. This is an easy way to avoid the horse finding a full trough on returning, for instance, from grazing. Instead, the automatic feeder dispenses many small portions over the entire day.

In 2013, the "Health, care and nutrition" category was subdivided into "Nutrition" and "Health and care" for the first time to do justice to the large variety of entries. In the new "Health and care" category, iHr-Medizingeräte und Vertrieb impressed the expert jury with its "Flexineb Inhalator". Extremely flexible and adaptable, this mobile inhalator can nebulise a large variety of medicines. With its wireless design, the product offers improved safety compared to conventional inhalators and is also suitable for mobile use.

Agrobs: AlpenGrün Mash In the "Nutrition" category the jury agreed on "AlpenGrün Mash" by Agrobs as the winner. In choosing this product, they did not merely reward an innovative type of feed but also a positive approach which is becoming a growing trend. "AlpenGrün Mash" contains no minerals or grains and thus relies on feeding raw fibre rather than concentrated starchy feeds. The Mash is Agrobs' response to the high demand from riders for uncomplicated and low-additive feeds.

Weidemann: Fahrerassistenzsystem VLS The award in the "Vehicles" category went to the "VLS Driver Assistance System" by Weidemann. The product improves safety and stability particularly for vehicles under heavy loads, which results in optimised industrial safety. This driver assistance system prevents accidents during the transport of heavy loads from A to B.

Waldhausen: Davis Spezialanbinder Waldhausen was the winner in the "Riding and work fashions, safety products" with its "Davis Special Tie Rope" presented at EQUITANA 2013. The jury agreed that this very sturdy product improves safety in equestrian businesses and makes tying-up and leading horses easier, since the tie rope can be loosened quickly and easily. The result is a product that noticeably improves safety in horse handling.

HIT: Abrufstation mit Gesichtserkennung Once more, the jury awarded a special jury award this year. The prize goes to a product with an extremely promising concept. In 2013, HIT succeeded in convincing the jury with its "Automated individual feeder with face recognition". In this product, HIT uses biometrical parameters to identify individual horses at the automated feeder, rendering the controversial use of microchips unnecessary. Since the product, which is still in the design stage, uses a very positive approach the jury considered it worthy of a special award and named it "Best Product in Construction" at EQUITANA 2013.

About the EQUITANA Innovation Award

In 2013, EQUITANA in cooperation with the PFERDEBETRIEB magazine presented the Innovation Award for the fourth time. The prize is intended to reward new, creative and useful product developments which make day-to-day work easier for horsekeepers, riders and breeders. The nomination and selection of the winners was the task of an expert jury made up of representatives from the practical, the scientific and the media field. The jury members were Prof. Dr. Dirk Winter (Hochschule Nürtingen-Geislingen), Georg Fink (Fink Planung), Uwe Karow (consulting for riding stable), Dr. Christa Finkler-Schade (Schade & Partner - specialist consulting for equestrian businesses), Christian Schacht (veterinary surgeon), Karolin Leszinski (editor, Reiter Revue/ Landwirtschaftsverlag), Christine Felsinger (editor-in-chief, Cavallo) and Ilja van de Kasteele (editor-in-chief, Mein Pferd).