One of Australia’s most successful horsemen, Matt Ryan, is heading to NEGS this weekend with the hope to inspire the school’s potential Olympians in a two-day clinic.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Ryan competed at the top level for more than 20 years and has three Olympic gold medals – an individual and a team eventing medal from the 1992 Barcelona Games and a team gold from Sydney 2000.
The school’s head equestrian coach Imtiaz Anees competed against Ryan in his own progression up the eventing ranks, including at the Sydney Olympics.
“He had just won his Olympic gold medal at Atlanta and then he came to Australia and competed at a 1*,” Anees said.
“I was at college and also competed at the 1* and I won it and he came second.
“It was my first 1* and I thought ‘oh my God. If I can beat the gold medalist this is my sport.’
“Little did I know how far away I was from him as a rider.”
While Anees took up opportunities in the United States and Ryan in the United Kingdom, the pair kept connected through their love of the sport which led to organising this weekend’s clinic.
“He [Ryan] was touring Australia and that's how we connected again and we thought it would be a great thing for him to do for the girls.
“The girls are very, very excited.
“We have a full group, I haven't even been able to open it to the outside community because it is booked out with NEGS girls.”
Having clinicians such as Ryan teach at the school is an initiative Anees has aimed to implement with the intention of providing a platform and creating a pathway for students to reach the elite level.
“I really want to reiterate with these girls what it takes to be an Olympian so they understand the hard work, the time they have to put in, fitness, the nutrition, the dedication that goes in.
“Everybody can give a good lesson but for him to actually have lived, won and done it for so many years.
“The high performance team is at it's highest peak - we have 13 girls in the high performance team and 12 girls in the developing squad - and these things we never had before.
“I want it to be an equestrian training centre, put more programs in.”