Clayton Fredericks will be one of the attendees at the Australian training camp in the UK Credit PSV J Morel
Australia’s leading eventing riders based in the United Kingdom will attend a squad training camp 25-28 February. Close to 28 horse and rider combinations will attend the four-day clinic. Eight Olympic team front-runners from the “National Elite Squad” including 2008 Olympic silver medallists Clayton and Lucinda Fredericks will be in attendance. “We are all looking forward to the training with just five months until the Olympics. I believe it's the first time we have had the chance this early before a major championship to work with the whole coaching staff and officials as a unit. I hope it will be a chance for our team to gel producing clear plans for each combination to enable us to perform to our optimum level which should mean winning medals for Australia,” said Clayton Fredericks. Riders will benefit from dressage and jumping training from the Australian team coaches as well as sessions on Sports Science/Sports Medicine. as well as work with team Veterinarians. Alec Lochore, the Equestrian Section Manager from the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) will give a presentation to the riders and the horse owners on what to expect at the London Games. The training clinic will be held at the same venue as the pre-Olympic staging camp which gives the riders and Coaching Team the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the venue. “This is a great opportunity to bring the UK-based riders together and focus their preparations at the beginning of the new season. Like many sports Equestrian has the challenge of athletes being based across different continents and it is important to keep a systematic approach to athlete development,” commented Prue Barrett, National Eventing Performance Director. “The UK riders are surrounded by the home ground hype of the Games and this it is a great opportunity to harness that positive energy. This training camp will incorporate the owners of the horses, which we see as being very important. The owners form the immediate support network for our riders and are an integral part of our team,” added Barrett. The competition focus for the majority of the UK-based elite riders will be the exclusive Badminton Horse Trials 3-6 May whilst the riders based in Australia are gearing-up to impress selectors at the Sydney International Three-Day Event 26-29 April.
