The Helsinki International Horse Show is well known among riders for its excellent conditions. This promise was also something the organizers wanted to deliver at the new venue, the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre.
To ensure the functionality of the arena surfaces, several alternative solutions were tested last summer. During the testing and design days, an interesting discovery was made. This led to Finnfoam becoming involved with the Helsinki Horse Show and initiated product development specifically for equestrian sports. The Finnish family-owned company Finnfoam is now involved in the horse event through a significant five-year cooperation agreement.
“We knew that high-quality frost insulation in arena structures always guarantees their longevity by preventing frost damage, such as surface undulation. After hearing the latest research results, we decided to support the Helsinki Horse Show to help raise awareness of the importance of Finnfoam insulation in base structures,” summarizes CEO Asso Erävuoma.
Two competition arenas and a warm-up area will be built at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre. As the base conditions changed due to the change of venue, the goal was to find the best possible solution for the new environment. In testing, the base structure with Finnfoam FL-300/50 mm HORSE insulation as the bottom layer proved to be the best option.
A total of 6,800 square meters of reusable Finnfoam boards will be used at the Horse Show. On top of these, surface expert Oliver Hoberg will build a grippy yet flexible fiber-sand surface suitable for elite-level sport. The surface will also be tested over four days using a mechanical measuring device by Professor Lars Roepstorff, an expert in functional anatomy of horses and a veterinarian.
As a result of the cooperation, product development benefiting the entire equestrian sector has been launched, with Finnfoam expanding its sports-oriented product range from areas such as skiing and ice sports into equestrian sports.
Learn more about Finnfoam: https://finnfoam.fi/
