High Performance in Queensland

Last month Equestrian Queensland hosted the first of its two planned off-horse High Performance seminars for 2018.

The event was led by a number of specialists in athlete development, media and health & nutrition and involved riders from Queensland’s Dressage, Eventing and Jumping squads.

It kicked off with a very poignant and entertaining presentation from Channel 7’s Kay McGrath and Jillian Whiting. The riders were trained in the art of conducting media interviews and given some tips for shining in the spotlight. They were also reminded of the benefits and pitfalls of social media for high profile athletes and how to best manage their own brand.

Gina Haddad, High Performance Consultant to Equestrian Australia presented to the riders on Individual Performance Plans and promoted the benefits of performance tracking to determine strengths, weaknesses and trends.

Rebecca Disher, from Eat Smart Nutrition, presented to the riders on nutrition and hydration and highlighted the importance of this in relation to performance along with prehab and rehab.

Emma Mathlin talked about athlete injury prevention and management and shared techniques for pre-riding preparation to minimise injury.  She also highlighted that riding and niggling injuries should not go hand in hand and that Equestrian athletes should be as diligent about getting themselves regularly assessed by a musculoskeletal practitioner as they are with their own horses.

The final presentation was from ASADA’s Libby Salles who spoke about drugs in sport.

Equestrian Australia’s High Performance Director Chris Webb said the seminar provided Queensland’s elite riders with a prime opportunity to better understand what it takes to be a high performance athlete. 

“Development of the future High Performance Equestrian athlete for the ongoing Olympic quadrennials is a critical success factor for the future of our sport.  We congratulate Equestrian Queensland on the delivery of their programs.  The engagement from the State Branch, their athletes, coaches and officials from Queensland is a real testament to the content they have put in place,” said Webb.

Equestrian Queensland CEO Matt Helmers said;

“EQ is grateful for EA’s funding contribution which enhances the development of our squad riders performance both on and off the horse, including their important role as ambassadors of the sport.”

“The strong attendance of fifty squad riders across all Olympic disciplines highlights a strong commitment to continuous improvement which includes developing individual performance plans and attending a two day on-horse super clinic combining Eventing, Dressage and Jumping on March 17-18,” said Helmers.

HP_QLD_Feb2018_PresenterBooklet.pdf