Britain has a new performance management plan, utilizing a partnership with an emphasis on sports science and tailored coaching, while “building on excellence” in the existing coaching program.
Richard Waygood will become the world class eventing performance manager, an announcement that follows news of former German coach and British citizen Christopher Bartle being appointed to the newly created role of performance coach.
The new program for the eventing squad is part of a greater plan to continue improving performance for the next Olympic cycle. This concept will be “more individually tailored,” putting a greater focus on human and equine sports science, “as well as examining opportunities to improve the collective horsepower in Great Britain” and seeking to build on success.
Richard, who has been the performance manager for dressage, commented that holding his new position has been “ a lifelong ambition.”
Chris commented, “It’s exciting and yet daunting to be offered the opportunity to train the British team. On the other hand, it’s with sadness that I leave behind the German team and all those at the DOKR and the German Federation with whom I have worked over the last 16 years. I am equally delighted that Richard Waygood has agreed to come on board as performance manager for eventing. I can’t imagine a more suitably qualified person for this position.
Eventing Chief Executive David Holmes noted, “Following 17 successful years under Yogi Breisner, we are thrilled to have found such an experienced team in Richard and Chris to take the British eventing squad forward. This combination will not only help us advance our elite level athletes but also to use their knowledge and skills to enable us to develop pathways throughout our sport so that we can produce a stronger performance culture from ponies to podium.
“As we look towards Tokyo 2020, Richard and Chris will be key for eventing to ensure the World Class team has the skills, tools and support to reach its full potential.”
Clare Salmon, chief executive of the BEF, stated: “Other sports will also be a great source of inspiration as we strive for a winning culture across the disciplines with the quest for a new performance director being key in our new approach within the World Class Program.”
The World Class Program will begin recruiting a new performance director, who will be responsible for driving the process of change across the entire program. This role will be joined by a new position as they also seek a head of performance support.
Richard and Chris will take over in January, succeeding Yogi, who has been eventing performance manager since 2000.
Valegro, the greatest dressage horse ever, retires Dec. 14 at the Olympia show in London. You can see the ceremony and the freestyle that precedes it beginning at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on FEI TV. The show ends at 5:35 p.m. EST. Go to www.feitv.org to learn the details.
Click on the arrow to see a wonderful video paying tribute to this magnificent horse.
They’re coming back! The Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping and FEI World Cup™ Dressage Finals are heading to Las Vegas April 15-19 2020.
The venue will be a new one, the MGM Grand hotel, as the Thomas & Mack Center, the venue where finals in 2000,2003,2005,2007,2009 and 2015 finals were held, was no longer deemed up to the demands of the indoor championship competition in this era.
While it seems far in the future, 2020 isn’t that long away. And to make the waiting go faster, don’t forget the CenturyLink Center in Omaha will be hosting both finals March 29-April 2 2017.
There has been a lot of good news about venues for major championships in the last few weeks. First, we had word the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games will be in Tryon, N.C., next September. Then in May, the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Grand Prix, Intermediaire I and Brentina Cup dressage championships are coming to U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation headquarters in Gladstone (see article to the right for details.)
Bridget Love Meehan has resigned as executive director of the Washington International Horse Show after six and one-half years in the position.
She wants “to pursue new professional and personal challenges,” but is confident that the show is “in solid standing and in good hands.”
Bridget said she was honored “to help lead this incredible organization successfully through a period of significant development, including moving up to the 4-star FEI competition level, joining the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping North American League, consistently maintaining positive income as an organization and annually generating more than $10 million in economic impact for Washington, D.C.”
Victoria Lowell remains as president of the show at the Verizon Center.
HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, N.Y., will hold the dressage, show jumping and para-dressage disciplines for the 2017 FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships July 18-23.
The eventing portion of the championships is set for Rebecca Farm in Kalispell, Montana, July 20-23.
Although all the disciplines traditionally have been held together in one place (this year they were staged at the Colorado Horse Park), that didn’t work out for 2017. As a result, the endurance competition will not be offered as part of NAJYRC. “Alternative possibilities,” are being looked considered.
Mark Coley, the USEF’s director of membership and events, explained the situation this way: “Over the course of the past several years, due to the changes in the competition and developing environments within each of the disciplines that compete at NAJYRC, the relevance and viability of the event to the goals of each discipline, competitors and coaches has changed.
“Additionally, it has become increasingly difficult to find a location and date that fits the calendar of all the disciplines and a venue and organizer that can take on the event in its entirety. The opportunity for individual disciplines to embed their portion of the event into an existing competition creates an alternative approach that could very well increase participation and support the varied goals of each discipline.
“At this point, the decision as to how and where the event will run in the future has not been completed. We will be having discussions with those directly involved in the event, focusing on NAJYRC in the current competition landscape and the role it serves within each of the disciplines. Once we all have a clear understanding of what is best for each discipline individually we can determine what the guidelines will be for organizers so that maximum opportunity to the sport can be provided.”
Trainer Kip Rosenthal, who has worked with Bertalan de Nemethy, George Morris and Victor Hugo-Vidal, is giving a clinic at the Grand Augean Stable in Stockton Dec. 3.
In her youth, Kip placed in the top three at the American Horse Shows Association Medal and ASPCA Maclay finals. She also rode Goodboy Dee to the American Horse Shows Association Horse of the Year Junior Hunter Championship.
An R-rated judge in both Hunter and Hunter Seat Equitation, she has judged at such shows as the Hampton Classic, Lake Placid and the Capital Challenge.
In addition, Kip holds a PhD in clinical counseling psychology and conducts sports psychology seminars.
Registration forms for the clinic, which offers sessions at $200 for work over fences at 2’6”, 3’, and 3’6”, are available via email from KipRClinic@gmail.com, or by calling 917-640-6133. Auditors are welcome to register at $30 per person.
