Equestrianism: Lottery funds provide boost

THE British Equestrian Federation is to receive a grant of more than pounds 762,000 from the Lottery Sports Fund in the initial year of its world class performance plan. A similar amount - or possibly more - is expected to be made available for subsequent years leading up to the Athens Olympics in 2004.

The successful bid will provide funds for horse trials and dressage (both Olympic disciplines) and disabled dressage, which is included in the Paralympic Games. A bid on behalf of show jumping has been submitted to the Sports Council and a decision is expected within a few weeks.

The present grant has been made available for specific items: subsistence for the riders (pounds 298,000), horse trials (pounds 105,000), dressage (pounds 92,000), disabled dressage (pounds 107,000) and the British Equestrian Federation (pounds 160,000).

The BEF will use most of its slice of the cake to appoint a world class performance director and secretary. The director's job, which will be advertised shortly, will involve administering the whole programme and monitoring performance.

About 34 riders are expected to benefit from the subsistence portion of the grant "depending on their personal circumstances". According to a BEF consultant, David Robinson, there is "a system to measure" the amounts which individual riders are paid.