Amanda Ross: My Experiences at the World Championships in Herning

After years of attending championship events as a competitor, it was quite a different experience going to go to the 2022 FEI World Championships in Herning, Denmark, in a High Performance role for Equestrian Australia (EA).

An event like the world championships requires a well-managed group of people so every facet runs smoothly. I’m sure everyone watched the competition on television, but very few get to experience the event behind the scenes. I feel privileged to have experienced it from both an athlete and staff support role, even those two experiences differ significantly.

As an introduction to what I do for EA High Performance, I have transitioned from being a High Performance athlete to working in Athlete Wellbeing and Engagement. This area has been recognized as a highly influential part of an athlete’s ability to perform at the highest level. By supporting athletes in their life behind the scenes (mental wellbeing, transitioning into a career both during and after sport, navigating family life, work-life balance, financial management, and internal/external expectations whilst training and competing), we can positively assist athletes in both their performances and their ongoing lives.

My second role at this championships was an entirely new one: to support the vaulters as part of our Australian High Performance team. The vaulting world offers a very different dynamic than the Olympic disciplines and provided an interesting learning opportunity for me.

I’ve never been to Denmark, but it didn’t take long to warm to the ever-friendly and helpful locals, who switched from Danish to English in an instant, lived the healthy outdoor life, and seemed to recycle everything for the good of the planet. This vibe filtered through the Herning venue, creating a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere for the horses.

The event ran over two weeks—the first week was dressage and vaulting, and the second week was jumping and para-equestrian dressage. Australia fielded a team in each discipline. Behind the scenes, our High Performance staff arrived before the riders and horses, and got to work sorting team cars (including learning to drive on the other side of the road!), navigating the routes from hotels to the venue, finding the closest Bunnings alternative, assigning team kit to everyone, putting shavings down in the stables, decorating the barns and aisles with Australian flags, handing out accreditation, and setting up the team storage area, which was “Australia House,” our headquarters for the event. The accommodation was arranged in disciplines, which enabled riders and staff to get to and from the venue together.

Organizing accommodation for a large group always adds a curveball of some sort. For example, ensuring wheelchair access for para-equestrian athletes, booking enough rooms for the correct dates and spare rooms in case of COVID outbreak, plus not losing keys to groom caravans.

The stables were portables, constructed within existing cow barns. Although they smelled a little “agricultural” at the start, they had excellent ventilation, a high roof, well-placed muck heaps, and each horse felt at ease because other horses were visible. There was a tack stable for every three to four athletes, as the aisleways were a little too narrow to accommodate everyone’s giant tack boxes on both sides of the aisle.

The venue had a huge indoor stadium used for the vaulting, an outdoor stadium for the dressage and jumping, and two pop-up outdoor arenas used for the para dressage. There were two warm-up sites, a casual area behind the stables and a pre-competition area with two outdoor arenas, a covered arena, and a casual seating area with coffee vans, a bar, a big screen, and a mobile tack shop.

One of my favorite things to do is watch the training and warm-up areas. This provides an amazing opportunity to watch the riders school, compare horses all in one arena, see the different warm-up processes before competition, and look at everyone’s tack. I did make the mistake of telling a fellow work colleague, “I’ll be there in a second. I’m just looking at everyone’s bits.”

Once competition began, the atmosphere in the main stadium is just incredible. I’ve never heard anything like it: the cheering after a clear round, the clapping in time during the last centerline of a thrilling dressage test. And without a doubt, the best part for me was the opportunity to walk the jumping courses. After doing World Cup here in Australia, this is just next level! We definitely need to compete overseas to get a feel for this standard of competition.

With Europe being the hub of dressage, jumping, and vaulting, our Australian teams are not quite at medal stage; however, this year’s team camaraderie and professionalism was palpable, with everyone supporting their teammates. This is a big focus for High Performance, with much work done behind the scenes to create a unified cohort. These events are the culmination of just so much effort over a long time, and inevitably things don’t always go to plan. There are highs and lows, but irrespective of the results, the team attitude behind this leads to future growth and improved performance.

By increasing our exposure to major events, functioning at a professional level in unfamiliar environments, working with different personalities (human and horse!), building on strengths, and growing from our weaknesses, and sharing our information and training, our team will develop and evolve. I am excited to follow our progression towards Brisbane 2032!