Applications for British Equestrian’s Young Professionals Programme to open on 1 August 2024

British Equestrian will soon be looking to receive applications for the 2024/2025 cohort of its Sport England-funded Young Professionals Programme. The application process for the 12-month programme, which has been running since 2017, will begin on 1 August 2024. 

The Young Professionals Programme is designed to support the personal and career development of young people in the equestrian sector. Delivered in collaboration with British Dressage, British Eventing and British Showjumping, the programme is built around a series of 12 interactive workshops, delivered as a mix of in-person and online sessions. 

Those inducted onto the programme will have the opportunity to create a career development plan and gain the skills and confidence they need to handle different situations that can occur in the workplace. Specialist speakers will cover a broad range of topics essential to running a business, ranging from contract-writing, employment law, insurance and finances, to conflict management, communication skills and building a personal brand. 

“Since joining the programme, I’ve welcomed three new owners into a syndicate, signed a financial sponsor on a two-year contract and sold 50% of a horse to a new owner that I would have otherwise had to sell due to finances, which has enabled me to keep the ride,” said eventer Cerys Macaulay, who’s currently on the programme.  
 
“This last year has been ridiculously tough, including losing my top CCI4* horse and also my grandad, who backed my eventing completely. Thanks to the things I’ve learned on the course, I’ve managed to secure a future in eventing, rather than having to accept being a one-horse amateur rider doing it as a hobby. I still want to keep growing and getting more support, but this feels like a huge leap forward in my career. 

“The Young Professionals Programme workshops have been really helpful and engaging, including managing finances, relationships with sponsors and employment law. I feel more prepared and better educated for my management role at work now and look forward to the remaining workshops.  
 
“I think the changes in my eventing life since joining the programme really highlight how beneficial the sessions have been so far.” 

David Hamer, Head of Performance Pathways at British Equestrian added, “The Programme has been designed to help the transition for riders leaving the youth pathway structures and going into the equestrian workplace. This can sometimes be a challenging and lonely period as they set up a business to support their sport or start to forge a career in the industry.  

“We’ve enhanced and adapted the Young Professionals Programme over the years to support the personal development and wellbeing of these younger riders, while giving them knowledge and understanding of important requirements to manage a business. This is the final year of this programme in its current format – in the future, with the continued support from Sport England funding for which we are very grateful to receive, we’ll continue to deliver the right balance of support and education to a broader group of athletes as they transition into the Senior Competition and Performance Pathways with a more flexible delivery model.”  

Applicants must be already working within the industry in a professional or supporting capacity and will need to provide references from professionals as part of their application. 

Further details of the application process and criteria can be found here. Applications will open on Thursday 1 August 2024 and close on Saturday 31 August 2024. If you have any questions about the programme or application process, please contact British Dressage Development Pathways Supervisor Hannah James or David Hamer.