Equestrian Australia High Performance Weekly Update – 21st June 2021

This week brings anticipation and excitement for our riders, stakeholders and the Australian equestrian community as we await the formal announcement of the Australian equestrian teams for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The Australian Olympic Committee will name our official teams on Friday 25^th June as the hard work of our riders comes to fruition. The calibre of our talent pool is exceptional, and each of our identified riders has demonstrated an outstanding level of skill, dedication and determination in the face of adversity to drive forward throughout the global pandemic and secure their qualifications and confirmation results in order to be considered in contention for team selection.

Our riders continued to shine in the international arena over the weekend achieving impressive results, and podium placings, in all three Olympic disciplines. Andrew Hoy and Vassily de Lassos, owned by Paula and David Evans, finished third in the CCI4*-S Meßmer Trophy class at Luhmühlen International Horse Trials (GER) on their dressage score of 27.6, a personal best for the combination. In the showjumping arena Edwina Tops-Alexander stood on the podium as she claimed individual second place, and a Global Champions Tour team first place, at the Longines Global Champions Tour in Stockholm, Sweden. Edwina rode Fellow Castlefield flawlessly in the CSI5* Grand Prix competition which is the latest in a string of notable performances for the combination.

Simone Pearce secured victory on all fronts over the weekend in Budapest (HUN) winning all four of the international classes she rode in. Simone, and the black stallion Destano, also set a new Australian Grand Prix Freestyle record with a score of 81.385%, becoming only the second Australian rider ever to score above 80% in the Freestyle. The previous Australian Grand Prix Freestyle record was 80.145% and was achieved by Olympian Mary Hanna and Calanta at Willinga Park Dressage by the Sea in 2020. This latest result means that 29-year-old Simone and the stallion Destano, who is owned by Gestüt Sprehe, hold all three Australian Grand Prix records – Grand Prix, Grand Prix Special, and now the Grand Prix Freestyle.

Over the weekend EA High Performance (HP) hosted the latest in a series of virtual Para-equestrian forums. The forums are open to all Para-equestrian athletes, coaches, and supporters and provide an opportunity for those involved in our current cycle, and those hoping to enter our future cycles, to benefit from exposure to the HP program and our world-class industry specialists. This latest forum also featured a session with the Chair of Para-equestrian Selectors as well as special guest, Beijing 2008 Paralympic dual bronze medallist, Georgia Bruce who shared with the attendees her experiences representing Australia on the world stage. The forum was well attended and received positive feedback from all involved. 

Last week the Tokyo 2020 organising committee, and International Olympic Committee, revealed the final Tokyo 2020 Playbooks for the postponed Games. These Playbooks have provided our team with further information and a clearer understanding surrounding the protocols and guidelines that will be in place at the Games. Our already meticulous preparations are undergoing further review to incorporate this latest information and to ensure we are as prepared as possible. We also continue to collaborate with the Australian Olympic Committee and Paralympics Australia on our pre-Games operational planning to ensure the safety of our team, support crew and staff on the ground in Tokyo, and to make sure our athletes are provided with the support they require to pursue podium outcomes in Tokyo next month.

As always the health and safety of our people and horses remain our priority as we work together as a high-performance community to navigate these unprecedented times.