NutriRice Junior Start Squad Update

July 2010

The NutriRice Junior Star Squad is a new program run by NSW Eventing, sponsored by CopRice. The Junior Star Squad has been created to help young athletes established 1-star, and above, in negotiating the move up into the eventing ranks. Along with increased pressures on fitness and performance for both the athletes and their horses, the “Star” levels require a greater depth of understanding of the rules that govern the sport, and the roles and responsibilities of competitors, officials and organisers.

The Star levels are also the first opportunity for many athletes to compete as part of a representative Team, and the Junior Star Squad is designed to help athletes understand the processes of Team selection, what is expected of Team members at events, and the various resources available to Teams prior to and during an event.

The main training aim of the Junior Star Squad is to identify performance strengths and weaknesses and to provide targeted training for Star Squad and Junior Team Members. This program is intended to complement the training provided by an athlete’s regular coach, and will cover additional areas of knowledge required for successful competition at Three Day Event level. Personal development, fitness, nutrition of athlete and horse, managing soundness, goal-setting and budgeting, entering events, registration requirements, managing long-distance transport, in-depth knowledge of the Eventing Rulebook, competition protocols and long-term planning and analysis will be covered in clinics. Guest experts have been sourced who will be available to present these topics at an appropriately professional and in-depth level.

Beginning in February 2010 there were twelve riders from across NSW who were selected for the team. After five months of training and competition there have been two riders cut from the team and replaced with two new riders. All of the riders are feeding NutriRice products to their horses and are very happy with the improvements that they have seen, both in their horse and their results in competitions. The two new riders are in different locations to the current members – this should see the NutriRice products being pushed in new areas by these new sponsored riders. The squad has been incredibly enthusiastic about wearing the CopRice and NutriRice colours with pride and always look very well presented. 

Major winners to note so far:

• Four members of the NutriRice Star Squad represented NSW and won the CCI*J teams event at Melbourne 3 Day Event in June
• Andrew Cooper and Kirby Delamont also won best presented in Melbourne
• Emma Hindmarsh won the One Star competition at the Sydney ODE, followed by Andrew Cooper in 2nd, Jack McAnulty in 3rd, Eleanor Miller in 4th and Hayley Frielick in 5th place
• Andrew Cooper won the Open One Star at Berrima in March
• Eleanor Miller won the NSW Interschools Competition, followed by Hayley Frielick in 2nd place and Emma Hindmarsh in 3rd
• Jack McAnulty won the One Star at Nyngan
• Emma Hindmarsh has made it on to the Saddleworld Eventing Leaderboard for 2010

Andrew Cooper, winner, at the presentation of the Open One Star competition at Berrima

Andrew Cooper competing at Berrima

Emma Hindmarsh, Hayley Frielick, Andrew Cooper and Kirby Delamont were the winning team at Melbourne 3DE

The NutriRice Star Squad at the induction BBQ in February 2010

Also the NutriRice team has received some press on the NSW Eventing website after winning at Melbourne, plus each has their own interview in ‘The Eventer’ a bi-monthly magazine for members of NSW Eventing, see below. This is creating a great attitude in younger riders to try and aspire to be on the NutriRice Squad.