Untacked

CO T H . CO M | S E P T E M B E R /O C T O B E R 2 0 2 0    83 "If you look at riders in a back gate situation, that's simply a task," says Conlan. "There is a list with the order of go, and as a rider goes into the ring, the back gate moves them to 'on course' and then 'done.' " BackGate users can see in real time who is in the ring and who is on deck in any class. When back gate staff move riders to "done," the order of go automatically updates, and the rider's card will show up for judges to include in their pinning of the class. When a class is pinned, the app shares the results with competitors. The card will also appear to the show office, confirming who competed. Each BackGate user—whether show manager, judge, back gate staff, trainer or rider—has a specific view, and depending on their role, different permissions within the app. trainer and their horses. Trainers have a "barn view," listing all of their riders entered at a given show; with a few taps, they can identify when and where each of their clients will compete. Show management functionality is extensive and includes features to set up the show, view rider/trainer info, place classes, assign staff roles and more. BackGate is linked to horseshowtime.com, with live show updates sent to all registered users. BackGate is based on a Kanban board, a visual task management system in which critical duties are grouped according to their status— for example: in line, in progress, completed. Each rider's info is stored on a digital "card" that in-gate staff can tap and move to update a rider's status. Dave Conlan wanted to solve the issue of riders—and their support teams— spending long days waiting for uncertain show times at hunter/jumper competitions, and the end result was the BackGate app. When COVID-19 forced horse shows to embrace digitization in order to resume, several other critical features were added, particularly to the trainer role. Trainers can now register for a show, request stabling, and add or scratch riders, all via the app. BackGate includes a digital map of the showgrounds, and ultimately, a horse show linked to BackGate will have a Trip Advisor-style landing page with ratings, pricing and registration information and will also provide a sign-up system for order of go within a class. The Evergreen Classic Horse Show (Washington) used BackGate in late July to convince county leadership that they could safely maintain social distancing during the competition. "With this technology, people are staying in the barn until they know MOLLIE BAILEY PHOTO

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