Cheesy chips could be banned from competition venues, H&H can reveal, as research has found they can have a performance-enhancing effect on riders and horses.
The equestrian centre cafe staple has been found to improve concentration and memory in riders, owing to the effect of the combination of ingredients on the hypothalamus area of the brain. But there are also indications they can increase stride length and flexion in horses.
Lead researcher Cee Solte, from the Applied Potato Research Initiative Laboratory, told H&H the findings are “unprecedented”.
“Riders everywhere had been telling us they feel boosted after a tray of cheesy chips, and less confident had they not eaten any, but to find this explicit proof is very exciting,” she said.
The professor and her co-author Vinnie Garre applied tiny sensors to riders’ skulls to record the strengths of various signals communicated by their brains before, during and after dressage tests and showjumping rounds. Each rider did this at three shows – on the same horse and competing at the same level – having eaten cheesy chips, plain chips or a “superfood” quinoa-based salad bowl.
“In this sort of study, you hope to find a statistically significant difference but these results were off the scale,” Dr Garre told H&H. “When they’d had the cheesy chips, the riders were unstoppable.”
The researchers said one interesting finding was that although the plan chips had a neutral or very slightly positive effect, the quinoa actually seemed to decrease performance.
Sharing cheesy chips
Professor Solte added that the second stage of the project, which is yet to be published, came about by chance as some riders were seen sharing their cheesy chips with their horses.
“We noticed that these horses were scoring even more highly, and clocking up faster jump-off times, so we looked into that too,” she said. “We can’t share the full data yet but by using biomechanical markers, we’re confident the horses experienced a similar benefit, just physically rather than mentally.”
The researchers’ working hypothesis is that the combination of potato, medium Cheddar and tomato ketchup fuses together to create a chemical reaction in the human hypothalamus. It is thought the similarity in human and equine physiology explains the effect on horses.
The International Equestrian Federation has confirmed to H&H it has seen and is processing the results, and warned that a ban on the sale of cheesy chips at show centres looks likely.
“Our rules have to ensure a level playing field,” a spokesperson said. The British Horse Federation told H&H any ban would be duplicated at national level.
Potato campaign group Fries of Our Lives told H&H it will appeal against any ban; chief executive Tommy Kay said: “Without show centre sales, the chip – and indeed cheese – industries could fall apart.”
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