Para-Dressage Performance Manager appointment confirmed

Sarah said;

“I’m absolutely thrilled and delighted to be back working with the team through to Tokyo. We are fortunate in the UK to have an excellent structure in place, with British Dressage working in conjunction with Riding for the Disabled Association, which ensures the continued development and progression of the sport. 

The Tokyo cycle will present a massive challenge to the squad; not least the proposed changes to the squad team size but also the environmental challenges at both the 2018 World Championships and the Paralympic Games. With the support of a fantastic group of team practitioners and a talented group of athletes, I am confident that we will deliver our best performances at both next year’s qualifying event and, when the time comes, in Tokyo.”

Great Britain’s para-dressage team are world-leaders in their sport and have achieved unparalleled success on the international stage, maintaining an undefeated team record at Paralympic, European and World championships since its introduction in 1996.

British Dressage Chief Executive, Jason Brautigam commented;

“Sarah took on the Performance Manager role for the para-dressage team on an interim basis at a challenging time with less than twelve months to go before the Paralympics, but in that short period she did an outstanding job to help deliver a record-breaking medal haul in Rio. Along with the riders and support staff, we are delighted to welcome Sarah on board on a permanent basis, providing us with the continuity and stability needed to build on this success and enable our para athletes go from strength to strength.”

Chief Executive of the BEF, Clare Salmon added;

“I am delighted that Sarah has accepted the position of Performance Manager, a role that she has been overseeing since the end of 2015 to great effect. She has been a key voice in helping us to shape the future direction of the World Class Programme in her position as Acting Performance Director, and I know she will relish the challenge of identifying the marginal gains that will keep us at the top of the sport. The environment she has created within the para-dressage Podium squad to date has been superb and her experience within the sport and the World Class Programme will help to ensure we are best prepared for Tokyo.

“Following the Rio review, we recognised that we needed to enhance our operational support structure within the World Class team, and we will shortly be looking to begin recruitment for an Operational Manager to support Sarah in this area in the build-up to next year’s World Championships and the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

The World Class Programme will, in the next week, also begin the process of advertising for the new position of Head of Pathways, and will be re-advertising with the EIS for the Head of Performance Support role.