Penny Pearce, the woman who has made such a huge impact on the development and roll out of ESNZ high performance programmes has resigned from her role as dressage high performance manager.

It is the latest in a long line of roles she has held with ESNZ, in a relationship spanning back to the 1990s which also included eventing high performance manager and eventing dressage coach.

High performance general manager Jock Paget, with whom she has worked with since 2008, says Penny’s work as a specialist coach, mentor and leader in the high performance programme over the years is hugely valued.

“She is a hero of our high performance system,” says Jock. “She has been this amazing coach and leader in so many different areas of the HP system through different disciplines and has impacted so many lives and performances.”

He felt Penny had done an excellent job laying the required foundation to establish the HP programme for future success. It was now ready for the next person to continue that great work. “We are extremely grateful Penny took on this challenging task,” said Jock.

“Many of the people she has trained over the years have gone on to do amazing things including at the Olympic Games, World Champs and won Eventing 5*s. She did an amazing job establishing the end-to-end onshore eventing pathway also which continues to produce so many riders.” The blueprint of that programme is successfully being rolled out across other disciplines.

Penny had mentored Jock as a rider, coach and leader. “She has been an integral part of our wider hp programme in so many ways. Her passion and generosity helping athletes and coaches develop is so unique. She is such an incredible person.”

Penny, a very accomplished dressage rider and the first in New Zealand to crack the magical 70% in Grand Prix. For many years she successfully juggled top competition with coaching, pushing others to reach new heights.

“I love the coaching and working within sports and helping riders to achieve their dreams,” she says. “It is quite special being part of a team – a wider team that keeps these pathways and programmes in place to help New Zealand to succeed on the world stage. I wish them all the best of luck.”

The search will soon begin for a new dressage high performance manager.

By Diana Dobson – HP Media Liaison