Rosie Williams

The new head of British Eventing acknowledges the tough realities faced by all in the sport, but believes its strengths will prevail as participants work together. Eleanor Jones meets her

ROSIE WILLIAMS is aiming to “turn the ship”. The new British Eventing (BE) chief executive has taken the helm of what is, it is fair to say, a very big ship, which has had to navigate choppy waters of late, and the forecast is by no means plain sailing.

But Rosie, who rode in her childhood and has years of experience in leading sports, is well aware of the complexities of such a job, and the challenges she faces, and is determined to tackle them head-on.

“I want to make eventing a more friendly environment to be involved in,” she says. “I could say something glib about getting it back to the success it’s been, but I want to take back some space in the sport market, which it’s probably lost, which will benefit everyone. It’s the circle of life: more events and venues, more members, people having more fun, and those who do make money from it making more.”

Rosie grew up in New South Wales, Australia, competing in a variety of equestrian disciplines. She was national sports manager for Equestrian Australia, but most of her career has been in rugby. She spent 10 years as CEO of the Rugby Football Union for Women in England, during which time her “outstanding success in the development of the sport” meant she was appointed OBE for her contribution to rugby. She was tournament director of the women’s Rugby World Cup in 2010.