29 #LoveOfTheHorse AnnuAl RePORT 2017 – 2018 QUEENSLAND The Year That Was Equestrian Queensland (EQ) delivered a year of significant growth across several key metrics to achieve new historical milestones in each of the following: • membership & horse registrations • event & sponsorship revenue • digital reach & engagement As an ongoing commitment to increase participation across all levels of the sport and to adapt to remain relevant to evolving stakeholder preferences, a recreational category was also introduced to the membership suite in 2018. Delivering value to existing members and raising the standard of excellence remains a priority, including supporting pathways for our aspiring riders and continuously improving rider safety and horse welfare. Queensland has been elevated as a more prominent event destination by hosting several national championships and many internationally sanctioned events. Our volunteer sport committees and more than three hundred and thirty affiliates collectively provided members with hundreds of official events on the calendar throughout Queensland, which included seven FEI events across three Olympic disciplines, three National Championships including the 2017 Marcus Oldham Australian Interschool Championships in Toowoomba, as well as various showcase events including: • July 2017- Charlotte Dujardin Masterclass- QSEC • April-May 2018- Aquis Champions Tour- Elysian Fields (including Express Eventing) There were many notable achievements celebrated at the EQ Annual Awards at Rydges Southbank presented by award winning journalist, Kay McGrath. It included acknowledging several sport committee awards, major category awards and a lifetime contribution with the inaugural EQ Hall of Fame Inductee- Guy Creighton. Maria Schwennesen was also awarded the Official of the Year in the 2017 Equestrian Australia Awards. EQ remains committed to advocating the collective interests of our growing membership under our core values of fairness, accountability, integrity and respect (FAIR) and above all, welfare of the horse. We look forward to another prosperous year in 2019, which includes maintaining focus on rider safety and horse welfare and developing a state-wide facility plan 2020-2030 to assist in identifying any gaps to cater for future growth. Matt Helmers CEO, Equestrian QLD World Class: Charlotte Dujardin with Leesa Murray