Stanny Van Paesschen, who represented Belgium at the Olympics and managed medal-winning showjumping teams internationally, will take on the technical expert role for British Equestrian and British Showjumping.
Several new roles have been developed following a full program review and feedback from stakeholders to enhance the support team headed by Performance Manager Di Lampard to take showjumping through to Paris in 2024 and beyond.
In his new role,, Stanny will provide support for the Performance Manager around selection and preparation, as well as helping riders work toward key performances. The Nations Cup Chef d’Equipe, whose primary responsibility will be for teams contesting the European Equestrian Federation Nations Cup series with Di Lampard overseeing the FEI Nations Cup teams, has been named as Tony Newbery, an Olympic rider who has worked with Britain’s prolific youth championship teams.
Performance Director Richard Waygood explained; “The spectacular individual gold medal winning performance of Ben Maher riding Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright’s Explosion W captivated many at Tokyo last year and kept Britain amongst the world’s leading showjumping nations.
“However, our showjumping teams haven’t featured on the top of the podium in recent championships, and we want to redress this. Within the World Class Program, we took time to reflect on the Tokyo cycle, considering input from a wide range of stakeholders. These new appointments reflect our philosophy of continuous improvement, always seeking to evolve.
“We have a great deal of talent in our showjumping ranks and are committed to developing a support network and structure which nurtures and develops those combinations. Di Lampard has done a sterling job managing a complex showjumping program and calendar, and now with the support of Stanny as Technical Expert and Tony’s role as Nations Cup Chef d’Equipe, she can lead the teams much more effectively.
“For our showjumping team, this year is about securing Olympic qualification at the World Championships in August, earning a place at the FEI Nations Cup Final in Barcelona and keeping our place in Europe Division 1 of the FEI Nations Cup. I firmly believe that this new structure, with these key appointments in place, gives us a real chance of achieving those aims to put us on a positive pathway to Paris.”
Stanny is based near Brussels at Hof ten Bos, which he’s called home with his wife Béatrice for over 20 years and where they run a successful training and breeding establishment. His son, Constant, is the fifth generation of the Van Paesschen dynasty to ride at the top level as a regular rider in the Global Champions League. Stanny’s CV as a rider is remarkable, having ridden at the top level from 1975 before retiring in 2005, having amassed 300 international victories and represented Belgium in three Olympics, including a bronze medal in Montreal.
His attention then turned to training and he has had medal success with teams at Olympic Games, World and European Championships, Asian Games and South American Games. He helped the Belgian senior squad to eight championship medals, before then supporting the Saudi Arabian teams, including a historic team bronze at London 2012. More recently, he’s worked with the riders from Mexico to claim two team gold medals and a number Nations Cup victories.
Stanny’s initial focus will be around building relationships with the riders and team support staff, while being introduced to their owners and grooms. May will be his first opportunity to be at competitions, and he’ll attend Windsor CSI5* and be on duty in Rome CSIO5*.
As a rider, Tony Newbery was competing in the elite ranks from the age of 19, going on to be a member of many victorious Nations Cup teams and earning a place on the Olympic squad for Montreal in 1976.
He was also non-travellng reserve for Los Angeles in 1984. Through the mid-1980s, Tony’s focus turned to training and he has made a name as an internationally renowned coach and manager. Time in the Middle East and Asia saw him help a number of riders develop to compete on the world stage, before focusing closer to home in his current role of Chef d’Equipe for the British Showjumping Junior and Young Rider squads, which he’ll continue with alongside this new role, as well as coaching the riders on the World Class Programme Showjumping Performance Pathway.
Tony’s role focuses mainly on the European Equestrian Federation Nations Cup series (previously the FEI Europe Division 2) while Performance Manager Di Lampard will continue to have oversight of the teams in the FEI Nations Cup series. The EEF Series is an ideal opportunity for combinations to gain the experience needed to bridge the gap from the youth ranks into senior competition at three- and four-star level, then to five-star and championship teams. He’ll oversee the teams at Lisbon in May, then on to Madrid.