Equestrian Australia High Performance Weekly Update – 2nd November, 2020

As Australia continues to track positively towards a steady recovery from the impact of Covid-19 we are starting to see the resurgence of competition across all States with an increased number of events being tentatively added to the Australian competition calendar. This anticipated return is welcomed by our domestic High Performance athletes who amid the chaos of 2020 have been forced to revise their performance plans on multiple occasions in order remain focussed on their Tokyo 2020 campaign.

Internationally we have seen an increase in the cancellation of key events as a direct result of the growing number of Covid-19 cases. Each country is working hard to curb the spread of the virus and in doing so are taking measures to ensure any events that do run are done so while adhering to strict health and safety protocols and observing all social distancing regulations. Some parts of Europe announced reconfinement measures last week and we continue to monitor the situation closely.  The EA High Performance (HP) staff maintain regular contact with our European based riders in order to provide them with the most up to date and relevant information to ensure they are able to make informed decisions in the best interest of the their team and their Tokyo 2020 preparations.

Last week the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) announced the Federal Government’s commitment to provide high-performance sport and its athletes greater certainty of ongoing support by pledging more than $115 million to Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games sports for the 2021-22 financial year. This funding commitment includes significant ongoing investment in the EA High Performance Program demonstrating the AIS’s continued belief and confidence in the world-class program we deliver. As the HP Program is solely funded by the AIS, with no EA membership contribution, we welcome the Federal Government’s commitment to support the advancement of our athletes. In addition the AIS also announced they will increase direct investment into Paralympic sport in 2021-22, with thirteen Paralympic Sports receiving an additional increase to their funding. We are pleased to confirm that Para-equestrian is one of the sports selected to receive increased funding and has been identified as a sport with strong potential to deliver medal outcomes. We look forward to providing all of our HP athletes with continued support in order to assist them in achieving podium success on the world stage at the Olympics, Paralympics and World Equestrian Games.

Identifying and developing emerging talent is a key component of the HP Program to ensure we can sustain longevity and success at the highest level. In order to support our athletes through the high-performance pathway coaches with the necessary skillset are needed to cultivate the next generation of riders. Through AIS funding, which has been identified specifically for Eventing, we have developed a National Program that incorporates coaching philosophy and off-horse material and will be known as ‘Competitive Edge’. This new program is structured within in EA High Performance Program and will deliver educational content developed by industry experts in order to increase and feed our growing pool of talented athletes. We are currently seeking expressions of interest from skilled and committed Eventing coaches who would like to join the ‘Competitive Edge’ Program and drive the syllabus alongside the State branches. Eventing coaches interested in applying can find more information including a full position description, eligibility requirements and an application form by clicking here

Equestrian Australia’s Voluntary Administrators, KordaMentha, have now announced the new EA Board as appointed by the Nominations Committee in accordance with the Deed of Company Agreement. We would like to welcome the members of the new EA Board and we look forward to working with them in the near future for the betterment of equestrian sport.

As the postponed Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games draw closer we continue to work hard to make sure our athletes, horses and support team are prepared and focussed on the road ahead. The uncertainty of the global situation, and the unknown variables at this point in time, mean our logistical and operational planning continues to evolve as we work with Australian Olympic Committee (AOC), Paralympics Australia (PA) and the FEI to ensure we are across all developments concerning our athletes. In addition, our team continue to prepare within their individual areas of expertise, as well as a collaborative group, making certain all scenario planning and preparation material is executed to the highest possible standard.

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

We thank you all for your understanding and continued support and please feel free to contact the High Performance team directly if you have any questions or queries.