The final stage of the comprehensive selection process has been completed. The procedure of screening 450 applicants, short listing 106 riders, and then selecting less than 40 finalists, over the past 2 months has been an awesome task.

The finalists will be offered extra assistance in the form of individually tailored plans to assist in their competitive careers. A number of riders that did not make it on to the core programmes will also be offered extra assistance to ensure that WCS&P is able to monitor their progress, offer guidance and provide extra support.

This objective selection process was the first of its kind in the equestrian world and has been received with great encouragement. Victoria Kind, WCS&P
Manager, said;
"The consensus is that the most appropriate riders have been selected - many are the household names that you would expect to be part of a World Class scheme, but excitingly, some new faces have appeared indicating that the process was a great success. Those riders that were not fortunate to get onto the programmes this year should not feel disheartened, but feel proud they made it this far and rise to the challenge of making it on next year. The depth and quality of the young talent within the UK is staggering, and we surely have a bright future ahead."

The first full squad session is planned for the end of March.

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