EA Withering on the Vine
By Robert McKay (Chairman, EQ Life)
As we begin to emerge from the Covid-19 shutdown relatively unscathed, this dormant period has given us all plenty of time to reflect on what our sport needs to maximise its potential.
If every cloud has a silver lining, ours is to grasp the historical opportunity that this moment presents, and that is to rebuild afresh our national approach to equestrian sports. This begins with a fresh start for the national body, Equestrian Australia, which was recently placed in Voluntary Administration.
In 2015 Equestrian Life published an editorial with reform proposals initiated from a discussion paper by Paul Biancardi entitled Topics for Discussion, in an effort to encourage change. The top 5 topics were:
1. Consider how individual members engage with our sport with a view to structuring
2. Establishment of a high performance company which could be owned by EA with a separate board
3. Equestrian Sports Australia
4. Nominations Committee
5. Closer working arrangements with EA and the states
This resulted in the Governance Review Committee of the EA Board making 5 recommendations:
1. Establish an External Nomination Committee
2. Establish a task force to implement Shared Support Services
3. The EA Constitution should be amended to permit half the Board to be elected by the general membership
4. EA may be structured along discipline lines
5. Equestrian Sports Australia’s constitution will permit the inclusion of other equestrian bodies and their members
Those recommendations fell on stony ground and the legacy of EA over the past 5 years has been disappointing.
• Adult membership numbers have halved over the past 10 years.
• Members and other stakeholders lament the lack of initiative and progressive thinking to lead the sport in these times of rapid change. Members passion and commitment to their sport remains unembraced and untapped.
• Ask yourself, ‘What new services of value and support have members received this decade?’
• EA and the branches are under resourced and face perilous times in 2020.
• The revolving door of chairman and directors of EA exacerbates leadership and credibility at the top level of the sport. No wonder public perception and media coverage is negative. Talk of appointments now being ‘a poisoned chalice’ are difficult to refute.
• Why has EA ignored the sports grass routes and not taken a leadership role in the growth of adult riders, para riders, pony clubs and online competitions?
• Multi-media options that could raise the profile of the sport and help build audiences nationwide lie fallow — why? Current fall-back use of social media is a poor default choice for a national sport.
• Where are the team building pathways for young riders and coaches — every other successful Australian sport takes pride in building and nurturing a strong base of participants. There are lots of talented riders, horses and coaches eager for this.
In a nutshell the current structure is not working, it has failed us and it needs to be changed urgently before members start voting with their feet – EA needs to act swiftly to avoid a potentially irretrievable situation. Don’t listen to the naysayers anymore.
- There are paths forward and as Bernard Salt articulates, a crucial legacy from our Covid-19 experience shows that Australians can act in the national interest, we adapted, endured and survived as “we placed faith and trust in others, in our neighbours…. and in our leadership at a state and federal level…. the time to build trust is at the time of greatest need. When all seems hopeless; when we fear the future.” (Weekend Australian Magazine 30.5.20)
If collectively we can defeat Covid-19 then surely we can take national action to improve the sport we love.
- That time is now and we urge all members to tell EA and its branches to quickly form a National Cabinet with the urgent brief to reform the strategic and structural operations of the sport. Bury parochialism, think nationally, think boldly and create a new independent national body that can attract the most talented people and offer rewarding pathways for riders and all stakeholders. Encourage members to speak out and declare their support for a new team, which takes a whole of nation view.
- Each equestrian discipline has its own requirements; recognise this by running disciplines nationally, free up resources by removing wasteful replicated services and use them to build on the strengths of each area. Mandate the National body to be responsible for the overarching issues of accreditation, coaching, disease, safety, FEI, media strategy and government funding. Start recruiting talented staff now as Covid-19 has expanded the pool of executives seeking new horizons.
- Have your say: speak out direct to your branch, official or coach or send you views to info@eqlife.com.au
The sport needs to hear your voice — now!
References:
• Weekend Australian Magazine 30.5.20
• Equestrian Life Magazine Issue 29 July/August 2015
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