Equestrian Australia High Performance Weekly Update – 9th November, 2020

As the international competition season begins to draw to a close, domestically we are seeing an increased number of events lining the Australian calendar. Organising committees, athletes and staff continue to work together in a collaborative effort to make sure our Australian based riders are given the opportunity to continue their Tokyo 2020 preparations despite the setbacks created by Covid-19.

We remain committed to supporting all of our athletes regardless of their geographical location as we work with each individual in line with their customised performance plan, as well as providing access to additional High Performance (HP) resources. The holistic development of our athletes remains a key component of the HP Program and with a focus on performance outcomes we continue to assist our athletes in identifying and tracking their progress, both on and off the horse.

Last week the Eventing NEXT Squad riders took part in their latest virtual workshop focussing on anti-doping. Dr Alison Alcock conducted the workshop and spoke with the riders about the importance of understanding the rules, regulations and consequences surrounding anti-doping in sport. Dr Alcock’s use of real life case studies specific to equestrian sport, along with additional reference material, provided an engaging and informative session that was met with positive feedback from the riders. Some Squad members have yet to experience a drug test in competition and to help those riders better understand the process, which can appear daunting at first, Dr Alcock explained the testing procedure with some Squad athletes also offering to share their own experiences. This is the first anti-doping workshop in a series that will be conducted for our High Performance athletes. The next session will be held in December for our Para-equestrian athletes and will look at the new anti-doping code in order to prepare the riders ahead of the 2021 competition season.

We were deeply saddened to learn of the recent passing of Shane Rose’s Olympic partner ‘All Luck’, known at home as Lucky. Shane and Lucky represented Australia at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games helping the Australian Eventing Team secure a silver medal. Together Shane and Lucky travelled the world representing Australia at some of the biggest events on the international calendar. Lucky was retired from Eventing in 2009 and went on to enjoy a second career as a Dressage horse; he was laid to rest last week at the age of 26. Our thoughts are with the Rose family, everyone at Bimbadeen Park (Lucky’s home) and all those connected to Lucky.

We continue to engage in open communication with the FEI, Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) and Paralympics Australia (PA) as we confidently prepare for the postponed Games next year. The AOC’s ‘Project Wagasa’, which is dedicated to ensuring the safe arrival and departure of the Australian Team in Tokyo, continues to work with National Federations to gain a clear picture of the relevant requirements for each sport. The unique nature of equestrian sport means we have the added component of our equine athletes to consider in our logistical and operational planning. We continue to work tirelessly with the necessary agencies to make sure all requirements are met to the highest standard for both our human and equine athletes, guaranteeing that each combination selected to represent Australia will be best placed to reach their podium potential in Tokyo next year.

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.