Tuesday, 15 April 2025
British Equestrian is pleased to welcome a new cohort of athletes to the Podium Potential Pathway level of its World Class Programme for 2025–2027.
The Podium Potential Pathway aims to identify, support and develop younger athletes who demonstrate the capability to be part of a senior championship team in the future. Funded by UK Sport and Sport England, the programme provides selected athletes with support and education designed to further develop the performance foundation skills required for them to take the next step towards the podium. Athletes are inducted onto the programme for a two-year cycle and can remain there, subject to re-selection, for a maximum of four years.
On Monday 14 April, the selected athletes were invited to an induction day at British Equestrian’s head office at Abbey Park near Kenilworth. The morning sessions provided an opportunity to congratulate them on having achieved a place on the programme, following a rigorous selection process, and to give them more information about what the programme can offer them in terms of performance services. British Elite Athlete Association support personnel also provided an overview of the support now available to them from the Association as a World Class Programme athlete.
The morning concluded with a keynote session from Olympic dressage athlete Becky Moody, who shared her experiences as a World Class Programme athlete. With her trademark humour and honesty, Becky detailed the highs and lows of her career, highlighting the key lessons she’s learned along the way and the advice she’d give to these young athletes as they take the next step in their sporting journey. She stressed the importance of building a trusted team around you, who understand your process and can rally around you when extra support is needed.
The afternoon sessions included the athletes meeting their discipline coach mentors and discussing the delivery schedule for the year, and being issued with their branded kit from British Equestrian team supplier Toggi. They also received a ‘goodie bag’ of British Equestrian items as a further welcome to the programme.
Following the event, David Hamer, Head of Performance Pathways at British Equestrian, commented: “Year on year, the performance standards of these younger riders continue to increase. As the only sport at Paris 2024 that had every Olympic and Paralympic competing athlete return from the Games with a medal, the standards of equestrian sport in this country are very high.
“We encourage the newly selected athletes to maximise their time on the World Class Programme and take full advantage of all the resource and expertise that are now available to them through the highly skilled team of coaches and human and equine sport science practitioners. We make a promise to them to remain honest and transparent in the way that we communicate with them and provide feedback to help their performance because, ultimately, we share the same aim, which is for them to achieve their ambitions, which in the near future will hopefully include senior championship success”.
Podium Potential Pathway athletes have access to top equestrian sport specialists and coaches during their time on the programme. Technical skills and knowledge are backed up by an elite sport science team, who deliver support in the areas of biomechanics, human and equine physiotherapy, sport psychology, strength and conditioning, human and equine nutrition, vet and farrier expertise, and saddle-fitting advice. Athletes also receive guidance on managing themselves and their careers, as well as their finances, through a Performance Lifestyle Advisor.
The athletes joining Podium Potential Pathway for 2025–2027 are: