The British Equestrian Federation (BEF) has appointed Caroline Griffith and Georgina Sharples for its UK Sport National Lottery funded World Class Programme team. Griffith takes up the role of World Class Dressage Performance Manager.
Caroline Griffith, current lead co-ordinator for the equestrian World Class Podium Potential Programme, becomes World Class Dressage Performance Manager, and in a change to the structure of the dressage Programme for the Tokyo cycle, will oversee both Podium and Podium Potential squads.
Caroline has worked with the dressage Podium Potential squad since 2003, becoming lead co-ordinator for the Programme in 2013, and has also overseen the dressage Equine Pathway since 2010. She takes over the role at an exciting time for the sport, having enjoyed huge success, with team and individual Olympic medals returned from the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Caroline says; “I am absolutely thrilled with this appointment; it’s a huge honour and privilege to be working alongside such talented athletes and their teams. It’s particularly exciting to be able to work with both Podium and Podium Potential athletes, to provide consistency across the pathway. The levels of experience across the Programme are very different, and it’s very important to me to be able to personalise the support and structure for each athlete, owner and their home teams. This opportunity won’t be without its challenges as we look to build on our previous success, but it’s an incredibly exciting time for the sport and the athletes.”
Clare Salmon, Chief Executive of the BEF adds; “Georgina’s appointment supports our vision to gain inspiration and insight from other sporting disciplines, to drive our sport’s future success. Her knowledge of elite sport, combined with a passion for equestrian sport and her sports science background will ensure our squads receive the best support. Caroline’s transition to a new role within the Programme highlights our commitment to building greater continuity across our talent pathway. Her work to date with the World Class Programme and British Dressage will provide a fantastic support mechanism for our athletes, as we look to build-on the teams’ success. We are now in the final stages of confirming the World Class Programme management team, with the final major role, Head of Pathways, currently being recruited.”
Jason Brautigam, Chief Executive for British Dressage said; “We are delighted that Caroline will be taking over the reins from Dickie as the Performance Manager for the senior dressage team. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this position, having already worked closely with our Podium Potential squad for many years – and in this newly combined role we can ensure that there is a joined up approach as we continue to develop our international team riders of the future. In many ways it’s the start of a new era for British Dressage, following the retirement of Valegro, but there are plenty of reasons to be excited about our prospects over the next cycle as we aim for further medal success.”
Georgina Sharples, who is currently Head of Performance with the British Paralympic Association (BPA) will take up the role of Head of Performance Support. This is a newly created position, supported by the English Institute of Sport (EIS), with the specific remit of ensuring we give our equestrian athletes, both human and equine, access to the best vets, medical support and leading-edge scientific developments to give them the best chance of winning.
Both Georgina and Caroline will take up their roles later this month.
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