Novel digital platforms, fan engagement activations and data pooling softwares are the trend in sports and entertainment across the board nowadays. The influence has stretched globally, integrating itself in professional leagues, teams, premier concerts and now horse racing and equestrian competitions.
In early October, U.K. betting firm, William Hills and technology production company Unit9 launched a virtual reality prototype, enabling horse race fans to saddle up and experience the track as a simulated jockey. A month later, a French startup, Equisense launched Balios, a real time data collecting generated not by the rider, but the horse.