New Year Message from the Chair

Dear Members,

Welcome back to what promises to be a busy and exciting year ahead for equestrian sport in Australia.

As we commence 2026, I want to share with you our key priorities and invite you to be part of shaping our future direction.

Independent Review and Our Commitment to Progress

The Independent Review, commissioned by the Australian Sports Commission (ASC), has been provided to the Board. This includes important recommendations across three critical areas: Governance, Risk Management, and Integrity and Complaints Management. While this report remains confidential, the recommendations will form part of the Board's annual work plan. The Board is fully committed to ensuring these recommendations are our primary focus throughout this year. I'm pleased to advise that a number of the recommendations are already in progress or have been completed, and we will provide a comprehensive progress update to all members at our 2026 Annual General Meeting.

The ASC has welcomed the Board’s commitment to delivering the recommendations of the Review and both parties feel it provides a compelling roadmap across a number of critical areas to improve equestrian.

The ASC strongly encourages all EA members and stakeholders to support the Board and management of EA to implement these recommendations. By engaging collaboratively, the equestrian community has the opportunity to ensure a safe, inclusive and enjoyable environment exists for everyone involved in our sport.

Governance: Working Together

The first theme we're addressing is Governance, and we recognise that strong governance means working collaboratively. The Board is committed to strengthening our partnerships with State Branches and National Discipline Committees. We are scheduling our next strategic workshop for February, which will be an important opportunity to align our efforts and chart our course forward.

To ensure we truly hear from you and understand what you would like to see from equestrian sport in Australia, we ask that you complete the relevant survey - individual members survey here or clubs/associations survey here. Your feedback will directly inform our strategic planning and help us build the sport you want to be part of.

The Board also has appointed director vacancies that we will be looking to fill in Q1 of 2026. This will strengthen our Board's capacity and ensure we have the right skills and expertise to support our strategic priorities.

Enhanced Member Services

The Board is committed to the continued implementation of the JustGo platform. We acknowledge that challenges have occurred during the ongoing implementation, which is why senior management from EA and State Branches are working closely together to address these and progress this important initiative. This represents a significant step forward in providing you with the best possible platform - a truly member-centric system that will improve your membership experience and make it easier for you to engage with our sport.

Protecting Your Data

Equestrian Australia is committed to protecting the personal information and privacy of its valued members. Members raised serious concerns with Equestrian Australia that confidential information provided during the membership registration process had been accessed inappropriately by the former IT vendor Nominate. The organisation received multiple complaints from members about potential breaches of their privacy and requests to protect their member data.

Over the past few months, Equestrian Australia made repeated attempts to retrieve and secure member data from Nominate to protect members and their data, but these efforts were unsuccessful.

The privacy and security of member data is Equestrian Australia's highest priority. The organisation takes these matters with the utmost seriousness and has a fundamental responsibility to protect the personal information of every member. After exhausting all other avenues to resolve this matter and secure member data, the organisation has taken steps to fulfil its duty to protect members and their data through formal avenues.

Integrity: Strengthening Our Community

Our second theme is Integrity. A number of member policies are currently under review to reflect best practice and support a positive environment for all. We will advise members once the Board has approved these policies.

Recently, we have seen a number of negative comments across social media platforms. While we value open dialogue and feedback, we must maintain respectful communication within our community. The first membership policy we have updated is our Social Media Policy, which sets clear expectations for how we engage with each other online. You can view the policy here, and we encourage all members to familiarise themselves with these important guidelines.

Looking Forward

This year presents us with tremendous opportunities to strengthen our sport and our community. Your voice, your participation, and your commitment to our shared values will be essential to our success.

Thank you for your ongoing support, and I look forward to working with you throughout 2026.

Warm regards,

Nicholas Ballard
Chair
Equestrian Australia