Dressage High Performance Update

After the completion of the Hartpury CPEDI in the UK, High Performance (HP) management took the opportunity to meet with a group of our European based Dressage athletes.  Hayley Beresford, Kristy Oatley, Lyndal Oatley and Briana Burgess, plus Mary Hanna and Maree Tomkinson who were both in Germany at the time, met in Dortmund with Julia Battams and Chris Webb to develop some themes for the Dressage Culture heading to Rio and beyond.  The discussions centred around a SWOT analysis of our sport, plus topics including team cohesion, social media, marketing opportunities and a variety of other areas. 

This is part of the positive team cultural work that HP Squads have been participating in at National squad clinics over the past couple of years, and it was a great opportunity for these athletes to be part of the bigger picture. This meeting will now be followed up with another get-together of some of the Aussie based athletes to ensure athletes on either side of the globe have unity and agreement on our culture and behaviours to portray a positive and united image internationally and domestically. An information session will be held in October 2015 in conjunction with the National HP Squad clinic to share our team cultural values and plans, and propose future activities in this space.

This element of the program has been implemented previously in Para-Equestrian and is an ongoing part of the Para-Equestrian High Performance program. Eventing has undertaken this process whilst management has been working with the core Jumping group available for the Regional Qualifier with a sole focus of securing Olympic Qualification.