Sam Griffiths and Paulank Brockagh at Rio Olympics 2016
Equestrian Sport New Zealand has announced the latest additions to the ESNZ Eventing High Performance Programme with Fiona Tibone appointed as the new High Performance Manager and Australia’s Olympic medallist Sam Griffiths as the new Head Coach.
Sam Griffiths, the 2014 Badminton winner who won a team bronze and finished fourth individually at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, is stepping back from top level competition as he steps into the new role. He will continue to be based in Dorset, UK but his Antipodean links and background gives him a unique insight into the role
Fiona Tibone also has strong New Zealand connections, including her role as groom for Blyth Tait in 1990 when he became world champion in Stockholm, and with the New Zealand team at the Olympic Games at Barcelona in 1992 and Atlanta in 1996
ESNZ high performance general manager Jock Paget says that these appointments mark another big step forwards for the eventing programme and that Sam brings such an understanding of all the layers of the sport
“He knows how to prepare different types of horses, how to transition them from the Southern to Northern Hemisphere, which is a big part of us. He has a great way with people so will fit well into the team. It is exciting to have someone with his experience on board.”
Read the full Press Release on the ESNZ website here
