Preparing for the Podium: High Performance Eventing Camp, UK

Last week the EA High Performance (HP) Program held an unmounted Eventing Camp in the UK focusing on preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

In attendance at the camp were riders who are based both in Australia and overseas. Amanda Ross, Shane Rose, Hazel Shannon and Stuart Tinney made the journey from Australia for the camp, while Chris Burton, Andrew Hoy, Sammi Birch and Kevin McNab travelled to Surrey from their bases in the United Kingdom. The UK based riders attended  the camp with their grooms, ensuring all key team members were across the detailed preparation material presented to the group.

The camp was specifically designed with a focus on High Performance strategies to inspire podium success at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. 

The camp utilised multiple sporting industry specialists, team-building exercises, technical advisers and veterinary information sessions to ensure the athletes are as prepared as possible as we move ever closer to Tokyo 2020. 

“The off–horse camp is an important part of our planning ahead of Tokyo 2020 to ensure our riders are well equipped moving into the selection period. 

We arranged a fantastic schedule of technical, practical, and specialised workshops throughout the week which reflected the holistic approach we have taken to our Olympic preparation”, said EA High Performance Director, Chris Webb.

As part of the Eventing Camp the team had the incredible opportunity to spend time with Rugby England Head Coach Eddie Jones to gain insights in to how the team looks at mindset, technical training and approaches success and pressure.

“You have to continually modernise what you do. Sport doesn’t stay the same, things change consistently and you have to keep evolving. Everything you do has to be connected to where you want to go and that is they key to assessing if you are having a successful and effective preparation. Are you doing things that have been traditionally important or are you doing things that are connected to winning?” opened Jones.

Jones also spoke to the group about the importance of building and harnessing belief in the team. “The way you talk to each other is so important. You have to keep building belief, the three months before your event is where you really want to up the ante in terms of belief and regarding what you have done to prepare for the event, making everyone feel like they are the best in world. If I was a horse and I felt my team was coming in and they believed I was the best in the world, I’d want to jump for them, and I am sure on some level horses know that” said Jones.

The HP Eventing Camp was held at Mercedes-Benz World which also allowed the athletes and grooms the incredible experience of getting behind the wheel, both on the track and in a Formula 1 simulator, and to spend time exploring problem solving techniques, functioning as a team, and testing precision and accuracy under pressure.

Amanda Ross relished the opportunity to make the most of the team exercises throughout the day. “The driving was awesome fun! It was all about mindset. It was interesting in the groups we were in, I found that it encouraged me to be more competitive but in a very careful and technical way. It pushed me, but it didn’t encourage me to go wild. 

Automatically as a team we all went to support each other and we could pick up the way each other wanted to be supported and we were able to read each other and see what we needed, or didn’t need, and how best we could support each other”, said Ross of the experience.

There was also a dedicated session to Veterinary preparation and equine management, as well as Tokyo climate management and anti-doping.

“We had a fantastic session workshopping with the riders and grooms regarding their preparation for Tokyo. We also reviewed all the climate data that came out of the Tokyo Test Event and spoke about how we can best prepare our horses for optimal performance at the Games”, said Team Vet Dr. Nathan Anthony.

“The last few days here at the High Performance camp have been really useful for me, the thing I have found most beneficial for me is to listen to the other riders. They are all a great group of people here who are happy to share their information with us” said Hazel Shannon. 

The camp was an astounding success leaving athletes, grooms and support staff feeling prepared, empowered, and ready to bring their best to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in July.

“What I have taken from this camp is that I really feel that we are now up with the twenty-first century. It is not that in past years people haven’t tried their best to get a good program going but I think what we have got in very good interaction with management, also from the athletes, plus also from the grooms and the people who are doing the hard yards behind the scenes. 

What I have taken away the most about this week is that you really need to prepare to have the performance. So much of it is about communication, which we now have” summarised seven time Olympian Andrew Hoy.