British Equestrian marks the end of an era with final Young Professionals Programme workshop

Thursday 24 July 2025

On 21 July, British Equestrian hosted the final workshop of its acclaimed Young Professionals Programme, drawing to a close an initiative that has supported over 150 young riders since its inception in 2017.

Funded by Sport England and delivered in collaboration with British Dressage, British Eventing, and British Showjumping, the Young Professionals Programme has played a pivotal role in helping young athletes to transition from youth pathways into professional careers within the equestrian industry. Through a series of interactive workshops, participants gained essential business and personal development skills, from contract writing and employment law to branding, finance, and conflict management.

“It’s hard to believe it’s already been eight years since we launched this programme,” said David Hamer, Head of Performance Pathways at British Equestrian. “The feedback from the different cohorts over the years has been incredibly positive.

“That’s a testament to the dedication of Georgie Allen, who shaped and delivered the programme in recent years, and Jenny McLaren, who has managed the programme over the past 12 months.”

At the last session, participants were asked two questions about their experience of being on the programme. In response to what they would be taking with them from the programme, the most common responses were ‘knowledge’, ‘confidence’ and ‘motivation. When asked to describe their experience on the programme, participants most commonly answered ‘informative’, welcoming’ and ‘interesting/helpful’.

Emma Horgan, who is part of the final cohort, commented: “The Young Professionals Programme has been a fantastic programme with lots of informative sessions that have helped massively towards my personal and professional development. Getting to know so many different young riders across all the disciplines has been great and I look forward to seeing what we can all achieve.”

This sentiment was matched by another member of the cohort, Freddie Carden, who: “On this programme, there was so much to learn and all of it has been super-informative. It made me investigate the finer details of setting up a business, leaving ‘no stone unturned’. Personally, it has provided me with skills to take forward and ones that have been highlighted to improve on.”

This most recent session marked the final time that the Young Professionals Programme will be delivered in its current format. Looking ahead, British Equestrian will evolve the programme into a more flexible model, continuing to receive support from Sport England. The new format will broaden access to include athletes on the World Class Programme and others who are balancing international competition alongside business ventures, allowing more participants to benefit from the programme.

The updated programme aims to provide tailored support at key transition points in an athlete’s career, ensuring they receive the right guidance when it’s most impactful.

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