UKCC update from BD

The UK Coaching Certificate (UKCC) has been at the heart of equestrian qualifications for the past 15 years and has proved hugely successful for the coaches involved and in turn their pupils.

The UKCC is an endorsement, provided by UK Coaching, of a sport’s own externally awarded qualifications used to ensure the levels and standards of coaches across sports conform to common levels. Sport England and UK Coaching recently conducted a routine review on the coaching pathway, which is used by many different sports, and as a result have indicated that may be some changes and improvements introduced from September 2020.

British Dressage has this year completed an extensive refresh to the coaching qualifications, with a new partnership with 1st4sport providing the framework for the latest UKCC qualifications. In addition, the Coaching Development Action Team (CDAT), which British Dressage is a very active member of, has commissioned research into how we can build upon the important foundations that UKCC provides, by introducing specific bolt-on courses for our senior, youth and para programmes.

BD remains totally committed to further progressing these training and education pathways, which will continue to have the Coaching Certificates at its core as a valuable coach development tool. We will shortly be looking to expand our coaching workforce to help us to meet the demand for the UKCC, which is greater than ever, and are currently developing additional CPD opportunities for our BD coaches to complement the excellent grounding that the Coaching Certificates provide. 

While we do anticipate some changes to UKCC over the next two years, this will not affect the validity of the qualification, which is externally regulated in its own right. Through CDAT, we are already working closely with the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sports and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) on any input into the development of the future of the professional standards and qualification.

These future changes will not impact on any current UKCC qualifications, or those gained in the coming years, and they will remain an essential part of our coaching pathway. The current levels of 1 to 4 will continue to be offered and recognised through the industry in the UK and internationally for discipline competition coaches through the International Group for Equestrian Qualifications (IGEQ) passport.

BD Training Director Paul Hayler commented; “The UKCC has grown and developed over the last decade, but it’s now time to be thinking ahead to the future and to see what improvements can be made. I would like to reassure all of our UKCC coaches, both current certificate holders and those studying, that this qualification will continue to be recognised and valued within the industry – there is no question of that. Have come so far with UKCC, we are now working with the other BEF member bodies to build on these strong and well-established foundations. Any changes will reflect modern practices, thinking and techniques which will only benefit the standards of horsemanship and riding in the sport.”