Equestrian Australia unveils new look squad structure

Equestrian Australia (EA) has unveiled a new look squad structure for its Olympic and Paralympic disciplines, aligning them more closely with Australia’s Winning Edge – the high performance strategy of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS).

Winning Edge prioritises funding to those sports which have the potential to achieve podium success at Olympic/Paralympic Games and/or World Championships. The immediate goal for equestrian is to achieve a medal at both the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the new squad structure has been designed to align with these outcomes.

The overhaul will see the squad structures for eventing, jumping, dressage and Para-Equestrian reduced to two overarching tiers – High Performance and Recognition – with categories and specific selection criteria for each. 

High Performance Squads will include combinations identified as having the potential to represent Australia at a major championships (Olympic/Paralympic Games and/or World Equestrian Games) between 2016-2020.

High Performance Squads for each Olympic/Paralympic discipline will be categorised as follows:

• Gold – athletes and/or combinations who have achieved proven success in the past and have been identified as being a medal prospect at the Rio 2016 Olympic/Paralympic Games.
• Green – athletes and/or combinations identified as capable of gaining selection to the Australian team for the Rio Olympic/Paralympic Games and/or 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games and may also have the potential to progress to Gold.
• Next Generation – riders who have been identified as having the potential to develop into international team members for the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games and/or Tokyo 2020 Olympic/Paralympic Games. 

Recognition Squads for each discipline will have categories throughout the senior and developmental stages including youth, whilst acknowledging combinations that have demonstrated performances at competition level worthy of recognition during the previous 12 months.

Each Olympic/Paralympic discipline has developed its own selection criteria and this will be announced in the coming weeks in conjunction with the squad lists and the new High Performance Selection Panels.   

EA is currently working with each of the FEI disciplines (vaulting, endurance, driving) to develop squad structures targeted towards WEG 2018.