Dressage squad athletes meet in Sydney

The second High Performance (HP) squad meeting for Australian based dressage athletes was held in Sydney on Tuesday 4th August.  In attendance were Sue Hearn, Heath and Rozzie Ryan, Tor van Der Berge, David Shoobridge, Maree Tomkinson and Denise Rogan as Riders Representative.  Julia Battams and Chris Webb attended from HP and there were apologies from athletes Kate Farrell, Brett Parbery and Judy Dierks.

Similar to the European meeting in Dortmund last month, the athletes participated in a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) and interestingly came up with a number of similar themes, but also many which were different to the European group and reflect the obvious variances between the two landscapes. One of the intended discussion areas for this meeting was around developing strategies to ensure the team can work effectively when they come together regardless of where athletes are based during the lead in. 

Distance, cost and access to competitions were of course high on the list for discussion about issues faced, but some very positive ideas were raised regarding adjusting the calendar, potentially implementing an indoor and outdoor competition circuit, and developing a working group made up of members of Organising Committees, HP, athletes and the Australian Dressage Committee to ensure that planning includes input from each of the groups impacted by any potential changes. Strengths noted include access to well bred Australian horses, work ethic and resilience, level of experience in international travel, just to name a few.

Developing the unity of the wider Australian team spread across three continents has its difficulties as the athletes so rarely get together, however meetings of this type can begin to go a long way towards drawing the team together.  Having athletes who are so willing and enthusiastic to share and develop this unity is vital.  It is hoped that more opportunities for discussions and input from riders in all regions will assist in laying the foundations for a best possible performance in Rio.