Australian Dressage Committee welcomes EA Board review into London Olympic Games

Rozzie Ryan and GV Bullwinkle at the 2012 Saddleworld Dressage Festival 

ADC Chair Mary Seefried, said this report will help support the High Performance team now in place to move Australian Dressage teams forward.

“We now have the leadership team in place with our new National Performance Director, Julia Battams, Selection Panel (Richard King, Jacqui van Montfrans and Jan Smith) as well as a new EA Dressage Sport Consultant in the EA office who can make sure the recommendations presented in the report can be introduced. The ADC is very excited to be working closely with this team to bring about the changes we all want to see happen in our sport.

“The release of the EA Board report at the same time that the FEI is in the process of increasing numbers in the Dressage teams for the next Olympic Games, shows a groundswell of positive change happening which is good news for Australian Dressage riders.

“The ADC will be working closely with the Dressage High Performance team as they look to finalise their selection policies and squads soon,” said Ms Seefried.

National Performance Director Julia Battams, said the report highlighted areas that she and the Selectors will focus on with the riders.

“The report again reinforces the feedback we have received from riders and now that our team is in place we’re eager to get on with the job and implement the changes required.

“Working more collaboratively with the ADC will be key to the program as we want to draw on the experiences from within the sport but also make sure the High Performance Dressage Program is an extension of the broader Dressage community in Australia,” said Ms Battams.

National Riders Representative and ADC Member, Elizabeth Owens, also welcomed the review and recent changes in High Performance for Dressage. “The ADC has been particularly mindful of the need to improve communication between key stakeholders across all levels of dressage, but particularly within High Performance. The EA Board review also highlighted this need and the new appointees within the Dressage High Performance team will have plenty of opportunities at Riders Forums to outline how they will be implementing these recommendations. I look forward to working with each of them.”

Dressage riders will be able to get all the latest information on the High Performance Dressage program via the National Performance Director who’ll provide regular updates as well as through organised squad clinics and camps.

The Dressage squads for High Performance will be announced following the Sydney CDI.