Equestrian Australia High Performance Weekly Update – 5th October, 2020

We hope you have all been keeping safe, well and healthy. 

As the world remains focussed on controlling the spread of Covid-19 and curbing the resurgence of the pandemic we see many countries enforcing restrictions on movement, quarantine and in some instances lockdown. In this time of uncertainty we must remain diligent and amend our well laid plans in order to move forward, and so too must our sport.

Internationally our High Performance riders continue to produce impressive results across all disciplines as FEI competition continues, albeit under strict health and safety protocols. Domestically we are yet to see the imminent return of FEI events in Australia however national competitions have commenced in various locations, dependent on government restrictions and advice. This past weekend many of our High Performance Eventing Squad athletes competed at Canberra One Day event which hosted CNC2/3/4*S classes. This was a welcomed opportunity for our riders to recommence competition and to supplement their current training programs as they remain focused on the postponed Olympic Games and the road to Tokyo 2020.  

Unfortunately over the weekend it was announced that the FEI Driving World Championships Four In Hand, due to be held behind closed doors in Valkenswaard (NED) from 7-11 October, were cancelled due to the increase in case numbers of Covid-19 reported in the Netherlands. The decision to cancel the event at the last minute was incredibly disappointing for all involved, however we understand the need to protect the community from the spread of the virus and heath considerations must take priority. We would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication shown by all of the Australian Team members who were due to take part in the event. Australia was one of only eight Nations who were able to field a full Team for the Championship event. It has been a considerable effort and a commendable commitment to simply be selected to represent Australia on the world stage during these challenging times. We look forward to seeing our Drivers out competing again in the future when it is safe to resume the sport and we remain in contact with our athletes and team currently in the Netherlands regarding the situation.

With the postponed Tokyo 2020 Games less than a year away there remains much work ahead to ensure our Team is delivered safely to the Games and in the best position possible to allow them to pursue podium success. We remain focussed on the journey ahead and optimistically look forward to the Games as we continue to work closely with the FEI, Tokyo Organising Committee, Australian Olympic Committee (AOC), and Paralympics Australia (PA) to ensure we are at the forefront of any developments as they occur.

The AOC has also created a dedicate project team, ‘Project Wagasa’ which means umbrella in Japanese, under which the safe arrival and departure of the Australian team will be managed. Project Wagasa will oversee pre-Games and post-Games and is dedicated to working with sports to meet the many challenges athletes face in attending qualifying events, competing in events globally and attending pre-Games training. This Project Wagasa team is liaising with Federal Government agencies including the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Border Force and Home Affairs – as well as state governments and bio-security experts.

Equally, EA High Performance continues to review and amended our operational plans and the logistics involved in our preparation for the Games. We remain committed to ensuring every possible element is reviewed and all necessary measures and precautions are taken to ensure the safety of our athletes, horses and support staff.

Additionally, due to the disruption caused by the global pandemic and the postponement of the Tokyo Games, the 2020 Nomination Criteria for all equestrian disciplines is required to be reviewed by the AOC and PA. These polices are unable to be re-released to our athletes and stakeholders until this process is compete. All policies currently remain under review by the AOC and PA and we are hopeful these will be available in the near future.

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.