According to Horse and Hound, 52 riders across the disciplines of Dressage, Show Jumping, Eventing, and Para-equestrian, have just been named to the British World Class Squad. The squad was selected by Yogi Breisner, Clare Whitaker, and Stephen Clarke, with the intention of furthering the riders education for a full two-years, with evaluations taking place every six months.
According to Will Connell, the program’s performance director, “The selection process was carried on over a longer period of time, allowing applicants to be viewed ‘in competition’. The standard of rider applying was higher than ever this year and the selectors had a difficult job.”The riders named to the program will receive coaching, competition grants, and extra support from top farriers, vets, and nutritionists.”
It is interesting to note that even though the program is targeted towards developing young talent, the age of the riders named to the squad varies drastically, with the youngest being 17 year old David Doel, and the oldest being the 31 year old Hannah Biggs.
How does this program compare to the US Developing Riders Program? For starters, the British squad unites several disciplines in one program, with a common goal of furthering education. In the US, there are programs within each discipline’s governing body that target young riders, like Eventing’s Developing Riders, or Show Jumping’s Emerging Athletes Program, but their isn’t an umbrella program that is dedicated to developing the talent in all Olympic disciplines.
What are your opinions? Would a program like this be beneficial to the United States?
