"After such a fantastic 2012 which saw our equestrian athletes perform magnificently in London at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, it is great to start 2013 with the announcement of the development programme which identifies our most up and coming athletes," said equestrian World Class Performance Director, Will Connell.
The aim of the Programme is to be a sustainable system that can deliver more medals on the international stage now and in the future, and it is structured in such a way to encourage progression from World Class Start through to World Class Potential and then onto the Performance Programme.
Established in 2002, the programme underpins the World Class Performance Programme, and is divided into two parts; World Class Start and World Class Potential. Selection for the squads take place every two years, and during this time performance is continually assessed with formal reviews for riders every six months.
The Development Programme, which is funded by UK Sport, works with talented riders to maximise their potential and deliver success on the international stage. All riders on the programme have access to the same World Class benefits including; mentoring, coaching, human and equine sports science & medicine (which includes fitness and nutrition programmes, equine management advice and access to world class farriery).
The riders selected for the Development Squads are:
Dressage
Hannah Biggs, Dorset
Nikki Crisp, Buckinghamshire
Maria Eilberg, Worcestershire
Alex Hardwick, Hertfordshire
Bobby Hayler, Essex
Gabrielle Lucas, Essex
Olivia Oakeley, Hampshire
Annie Perry, County Durham
Zoe Sleigh, Worcestershire
Amy Stovold, West Sussex
Samantha Thurman-Baker, Oxfordshire
Ryan Todd, West Yorkshire
Para-equestrian dressage
Natasha Adkinson, South Yorkshire
Katherine Cooksley, Berkshire
Ashleigh Jones, West Midlands
Ruth MacCarthy, West Midlands
Annastasia Neale, Staffordshire
Erin Orford, Buckinghamshire
Natalie Povey, North Wales
Alex Sutton, Wiltshire
Nicky Thompson, Surrey
Georgia Wilson, Conwy
