The HSI Coaching Programme provides competition based coaching qualifications for coaches wishing to work with riders from grass roots to the highest levels of competition in dressage, show jumping and eventing. It is currently run across 4 levels from the one day Introduction to Coaching course to the 9 day discipline specific Level 3 National coach course.
The event was compered by Liam Moggan of Coaching Ireland and well-known sports psychologist Brendan Hackett was on hand to present the certificates and inspire coaches in attendance with anecdotes from his vast and varied coaching and team management career. 84 coaches achieved their Level 1 Apprentice coach accreditation in 2016 as well as 21 Level 2 coaches. Two Level 3 Coaches achieved their qualification in 2016; Marion Hughes in show jumping and Sally Corscadden in eventing.
The Irish Pony Club (IPC) Instructor of the Year award was presented by Tony Ennis, Chair of the IPC Training Committee. This went to Agnes Gibbons White.
The Coach of the Year award was presented in two categories in 2016; ‘Development’ and ‘Performance’. The Development category is awarded in recognition of a coach who has made an outstanding contribution to the early development of sport for young people under the age of 25. Anne Marie Dunphy was the worthy recipient in this category. Anne Marie works with riders at all levels and across all disciplines and is also an HSI Level 2 Coach. She has done outstanding work with the Pony High Performance Dressage squad, who have for the first time, fielded an Irish dressage team for the European Championships three years in a row. She had this to say following the presentation:
“As a coach involved at all levels of the sport, to see the progression of our motivated and talented athletes from regional training all the way through to High Performance international participation is very rewarding. The development of our youth riders is the future of the sport and I am very honoured to receive this award.”
Performance Coach of the Year went to Comdt. John Ledingham for the second year in a row. The Performance category is coach working with athletes and teams at the highest level of sport leading to successful performance at the most senior level nationally or internationally. Comdt. Ledingham is Chef d’Equipe to the Young Rider Show Jumping Team who took home Team Gold at this year’s European Championships at Millstreet. He is also Chef d’Equipe to the Irish Sport Horse (ISH) Studbook Team who won 3 medals at the FEI World Jumping Championships for Young Horses at Lanaken in 2016. John also coached Modern Pentathlon athletes Natalya Coyle and Arthur Lanigan-O’Keefe in the build up to, and at the Rio Olympics where they both produced clear rounds in show jumping. John had this to say on winning the award:
“I love what I do, teaching, mentoring, coaching. The reward of preparing and executing a plan is winning and this award is the result of a very successful year for Irish young horses at Lanaken, Pentathletes at the Rio Olympics and the young riders at the European Championships at Millstreet. Congratulations to the athletes, home coaches, families and sponsors and all who made these outstanding achievements happen.”