Could you join the BEF’s regional foundations squads?

Riders aged between 16 and 24, who are competing at national level within their discipline, are invited to apply for the British Equestrian Federation’s (BEF) regional foundation squads.

Applications for the East Midlands, West Midlands, South East and South West teams open on the 1 August.

The squads, set up through funding from Sport England and coordinated by the BEF, have been set up to identify and produce a pool of up and coming, talented riders within the four Olympic disciplines of dressage, eventing, show jumping and para-equestrian dressage.

Maggie Still, head of regional development of the BEF, said: “These squads give talented riders extra support to nurture their skills with the aim of them progressing onto the next level — the World Class Programme”.

Following the success of the first pilot squad in the North, eight riders from each of the disciplines will be chosen from each region.

Selected riders will be provided with top-level coaching and have access to top equestrian specialists, including physiotherapists, vets and nutritionists via a series of clinics that run throughout the year.

Further information, details of the selection criteria and application forms can be found on the BEF website, www.bef.co.uk.

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