ESNZ’s High Performance Eventing programme is going to look a little different after a funding cut from HPSNZ but the focus remains on winning medals.
Eventing has been classified as an Aspirational sport under HPSNZ’s new investment framework. The programme has also seen a decrease in core funding from $1.3 million to $750,000 annually.
“The reduction is significant and now we have to work hard to find revenue to support the programme shortfall. It certainly makes things more challenging,” said ESNZ Chief Executive Julian Bowden.
The new classification comes when the eventing programme has made significant strategic shifts post Tokyo. With a short cycle through to Paris, the strategic direction is still being embedded and showing great progress. In 2022, eventing won two medals at the World Championships after a 10-year drought and a number of great wins at 4* and 5* level.
ESNZ HP General Manager Jock Paget said there remains a strong commitment to winning medals.
“We just need to work through how to do this under the new funding structure,” he said. “We will be taking some time to look at how we can best deliver the HP Eventing programme over the next four years.”
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