World Class development squad: who’s in and who’s out
Forty-nine talented young riders have been selected for support from the British Equestrian Federation (BEF).
The riders named on the 2014-2016 UK Sport National Lottery funding World Class development programme were revealed yesterday (1 December) — and include the top young athletes from each discipline.
Dressage rider Alice Oppenheimer from Hampshire is on the programme for the first time.
“We are really looking forward to having the additional support of the World Class programme to help Alice achieve her goal of Rio,” said her mother, Sarah.
Other World Class newcomers in the discipline include Rebecca Edwards, Emily Harris, Maisie Scruton and Hayley Watson-Greaves.
They are joined for the 2015 season by Hannah Biggs, Maria Eilberg, Lara Griffith, Alex Hardwick, Olivia Oakley and Ryan Todd who have all held a place before.
In eventing the riders re-selected were: Jodie Amos, Laura Collett, David Doel, Millie Dumas, Tom McEwen and World Equestrian Games rider Harry Meade.
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New faces are Sophie Beaty, Rosalind Canter, Emilie Chandler, Harry Dzenis, Sam Ecroyd, William Furlong, Flora Harris, Yasmin Ingham, Tom Jackson, Wills Oakden and Holly Woodhead.
In showjumping World Equestrian Games rider Spencer Roe, Pippa Allen, Joe Clayton, Jesscia Mendoza, Dan Neilson, Jake and Louse Saywell, George and William Whitaker remain on the programme.
Millie Allen, Holly Gillott, Emma O’Dwyer, Beth Vernon, Emily Ward and Chloe Winchester are newcomers.
In para-equestrian dressage there were six riders chosen: three newcomers Heather Bennett, Emma Douglas and Isobelle Palmer. Natasha Adkinson, Ashleigh Jones, Erin Orford remain.
“This year’s applicants raised the bar yet again and we saw some exceptional talent coming forward during our selection trials,” said Gordon Burton, the BEF’s head of performance.
“It is great to see such a depth and breadth of ability coming up through the ranks and bodes well for the future of equestrian sport in the UK.”
Riders will receive coaching and support through human and equine sports science, nutrition and sports psychology on the training pathway.
Those no longer on the development programme are: Nikki Crisp (who has progressed to the performance programme), Bobby Hayler, Gaby Lucas, Anne-Marie Perry, Zoe Sleigh, Amy Stovold, Sam Thurman-Baker, Charlotte Agnew, Dani Evans, Talia Laghzaoui, Emily Llewellyn, Willa Newton, Chloe Aston, Simon Crippen, Jessie Drea, Sam Hutton, Abigail Newbery, Tim Wilks, Katherine Cooksley, Nicky Greenhill, Natalie Povey, Annastasia Neale and Alex Sutton.
“It is important to note that if an athlete has not been selected, it does not preclude them from applying in the future, or their future selection onto the programme,” a spokesman for BEF told H&H.
“These riders may not be on the programme for a variety of reasons, they may have progressed to the performance programme, come off before the latest selection, be lacking current horse power, or personal situations changed.”
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A graduate of Exeter University, Amy joined our news team from Redpin Publishing in 2008 as news writer. She was promoted to deputy news editor in May 2013 and became news editor in April 2015. She left Horse & Hound in March 2016 to take up an editorial position in Dubai.