Dressage High Performance Programme

About Dressage High Performance

The High Performance Program has been designed to deliver an end to end pathway and programme to support riders from pre development through to Elite. The goal is to establish a sustainable programme which can ensure our athletes are well prepared with the required skillset to compete internationally. By using a programme to bring athletes through the pathway, we can manufacture opportunities and environments to accelerate development and ensure readiness for pinnacle events. The programme is split into two parts:

Pathway – Exploring and Developing phases of the programme, all about the athlete
Campaign – The business end, established and now focusing on Championships, very much about combinations

Pathway Programme
Talent Identification Squad (TID): This is the identification and exploration space. Athletes can be on this squad from six months to three years
Talent Development Squad (TD): Athletes have now been exposed to a HP setting and have chosen to commit to it. Athletes are essentially doing an apprenticeship at this stage.
High Performance Potential (HPP): This is a bridging squad from development to HP and can act as a holding pen for athletes lacking horsepower. It is also an entrance point for athletes that skip the development stage.

Campaign Programme
The Campaign Programme is focused on the next Championship Event, working with identified combinations to be best prepared to compete and achieve at the next Championship, focusing on achieving qualifications and building performance.

High Performance Futures (HPF): The experience for these athletes is much more bespoke and individualised. The criteria is results focused and athletes are selected as a combination (Horse and rider). In most cases, athletes in this squad are tracking towards the following championship

High Performance (HP): This is our elite squad, as per HPF, it is designed to deliver on each athlete’s individual needs. Athletes are chosen in combination and selection is results focused and athletes have typically achieved at a Championship Event.

One of the main criteria of these squads is a Athletes ability to prepare for a target event and execute the result at that event, its not necessarily about winning or achieving at every event. The driver for the Campaign programme are the performance targets and what the minimum standard is that combinations need to be aiming to achieve success at the Championship

Selection

Selection will take place annually  June) at the discretion of the selection panel, with a 6 monthly review (December). Combinations may be added or removed at any time in between those selection dates.

Talent ID, Talent Development, HP Potential
Whilst there are various performance requirements depending on the squad level, the criteria is predominately values based.

The Talent Identification Squad will follow an application process which includes providing applicants with an opportunity to display their talent and show they have the desired attributes through an assessment process.

Talent Development and HP Potential squad members are selected from the current TID squad, or will be new squad athletes, entering the pathway at these stages, no application is required. The HP Manager (in conjunction with a technical expert where needed) would recommend athletes for selection (or deselection) to the panel, who would then check, challenge and vote against the selection criteria.

HP, HP Futures
Selection onto HP and HP Futures will be made against an objective performance criteria plus other factors as per General Regulations.

Combinations that meet the performance criteria will be put forward for selection (or deselection) to the panel by the HP Manager, who would then check, challenge and vote against the selection criteria.

Teams
Team selections would follow the same process, though with a defined criteria that is targeted to the outcomes of the Team competition.

The selection process and overall responsibility is managed by High Performance, any selection concerns please contact the HP Team.

High Performance Dressage Selection Panel

• To Be Appointed April 2025

Current High Performance Squads

View current Dressage High Performance Squad Athletes and Horses.