Equestrian High Performance Weekly Update – 24th August, 2020

We hope you have all been keeping safe, well and healthy.  

This past week has brought with it many mixed emotions for our contingent of riders across the globe. From the increased optimism for the return of events overseas; the disappointment of our domestic athletes who are facing various stages of lockdown and travel restrictions; to the pensive reflection of our Para-athletes who would have this week been in Tokyo preparing for the Paralympic competition. In these times of uncertainty we are reminded of the resilience of our riders as they once again regroup, revise their performance plan, and focus on the path to Olympic and Paralympic selection.

We continue to monitor the ever-evolving Covid-19 situation closely and the far-reaching impact it continues to have on the global equestrian community. Our dedicated High Performance staff remain in regular contact with our athletes offering support and assistance during these unprecedented times, ensuring their health and safety is uncompromised, and to keep them updated on the latest developments within our sport. 

Last week it was confirmed that a further two key Australian events were unfortunately cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Dressage and Jumping with the Stars and the Australian National Jumping Championships were scheduled to be held in October and November, respectively, which has proved to no longer be viable in the current climate. Both were key events within the High Performance Program and important competitions for our riders as part of their Tokyo preparation. We understand and share in the disappointment of our riders, however the health and safety of all involved is paramount and we sympathise with the unavoidable decision made by the organising committees.

This week our Para-Equestrian athletes would have been in Japan preparing to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, this goal now lies a further year away. However, the group of Tokyo 2020 shortlisted riders, grooms and High Performance staff came together virtually via Zoom last week to share a team dinner, catch up and check-in with each other, reflect on what could have been and to look ahead to the future of a postponed Games with optimism. With such a positive outlook in this unique situation we are very proud of our athletes and support staff and look forward to once again seeing them on the world stage.

The Australian long lists for both the FEI Driving World Championships Four In Hand and the FEI World Championships for Singles have now been released and we would like to congratulate all athletes named on the lists. We received an unprecedented number of applications for the Four In Hand Championships this year and we look forward to fielding an Australian Team at Valkenswaard (NED) in October.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Selection Policies are currently still under review with the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) and Paralympics Australia (PA). This review process is required to take place before the policies can be released to our athletes and stakeholders. We remain committed to working with both the AOC and PA to ensure these policies are available to our riders in the near future. In addition we continue to engage in open and regular communication with the FEI and the Australian Institute of Sport to further ensure we remain at the forefront of any development affecting equestrian sport both domestically and internationally.

As always the health and safety of our people and horses remain our highest priority as we work together as a united high performance community to navigate these unprecedented times.  We encourage all of our riders, staff and the wider equestrian community to diligently adhere to their government’s protocols regarding Covid-19 in order to minimise the risk of exposure and to limit the spread of the virus.

We thank you all for your understanding and continued support and please feel free to contact the High Performance team directly if you have any questions or queries.