CEO Update: January 2023
I hope you all had a restful break and wishing all our members, industry organisations and community a prosperous start to the new year.
January has been full of activity since the team returned and looking ahead to 2023, we have much to be excited about in our sport.
Some of the highlights and milestones are outlined below.
The consultation for the strategy and structure continues and we start to work through further detail on the shared services to make our systems, process and resourcing more efficient. We are working with the states and NDC's on the latest structural recommendations and we are all working through the due diligence on the final components and models to set our sport up for the future.
From a High Performance perspective we have started the planning for our legacy for Brisbane 2032. This is a big opportunity for the sport.
Immediately on our doorstep we have the 2023 Oceania Championships, to be held in Hastings, NZL from the 9th – 12th March, 2023. Australia will field one Senior team and one Young Rider team.
Most recently, we were thrilled with the results from Australian Trans-Tasman Young Rider Team have come away with the win over Equestrian Sports NZ in the Larsen Sawmilling Gisborne Showjumping Championships. It’s the first time since 2017 that the Australians have taken the win over New Zealand.
The Pacific Fair Magic Millions Showjumping event in early January boasted the richest prizemoney in Australia. With 48 riders competing in teams for a stake in the $1.45 million prizepool it was a terrific opportunity for the sport to reach a broader audience and hope to see it continue, and more like it.
It's also great to see the establishment of the athlete commission, which I'm sure will play a key part in influencing future developments.
I'd like to acknowledge and congratulate Zoe Vorenas on being named an "AIS Mental Fitness Ambassador" for 2023. Supporting Athlete mental health very much fits with our Athlete Welfare philosophies.
For Integrity there are many ongoing process improvements that are being implemented to protect our members and the sport. We intend to establish an independent National Integrity Committee to oversee key issues and strategic direction. This will be formalised in February.
We have both our new Board members and Committee members that have recently stepped into their new roles and I look forward to working with each of them. It can be a thankless task, but is essential for our sport and I'm confident we have a great mix of skill-sets to deliver more value for our members.
Darren Gocher
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