https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/galway-downs-will-not-host-la28-equestrian-events/
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Wow, that’s pretty cold of the IOC.
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Talk is it’s Santa Anita. I can understand the choice for showjumping and dressage since the racetrack probably has better infrastructure for the crowd and parking, but they must be planning to run the cross country somewhere else… unless they are planning on ripping up the golf course 
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And if one looks at the layout of Santa Anita, the only place where XC could be is the golf course which is maybe 3/4 of a mile from the barns, across parking lots, 2 city streets, and the Arcadia city building.
Yes, if they made XC a showcase type it could be done in the track footprint.
There was clearly a bribe paid. That is the only plausible explanation for the choice of such a horrendous decision for all equestrian disciplines.
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In '84 the cross country was held miles away from the jumping and dressage. It worked but would have been nicer to have it all at one facility.
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Per the IOC dictates Agenda 2020+5, followed up in the FEI, all equestrian events are supposed to be at a single facility.
Is the IOC and FEI about to again openly prove they are corrupt hypocrites, not to be trusted with our sport?
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I can’t believe they even considered Galway. Not at all suprised they didn’t choose it.
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Could someone please refresh my memory? Where did they hold the horse activities in ‘84?
Santa Anita and a golf course some distance away?
Fairbanks Ranch in San Diego Co. I don’t know how many miles from Santa Anita track that is but, time wise it took us forever! Traffic was a nightmare.
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Why do you feel this way? Galway has run competition at the Olympic level for eventing (4* short) for several years so the course is already in place. An Olympic XC course runs about $1 million to build. Additionally, they have the vet clinic on site as well as the rest of the infrastructure, other than the stadium (which was scheduled to be built). Santa Anita can’t run eventing, violating both IOC and FEI requirements that all disciplines are to be run at the same facility.
And if it distance, why aren’t folks raising a stink about softball and river sports to he held in Oklahoma?
The putative knowledge is a back room deal was done with no input from anybody. This is likely to be the death of horses in the Olympics as they will have almost no time to built the parts needed in 3 years. (E.g. it takes years to build a proper upper level XC course that won’t kill horses or riders). I believe it took almost 2 years to build the course in Paris and that was on land not being commercially used.
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Oklahoma?!? I had not heard that part.
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Canoe slalom and softball.
Which adheres to Agenda 2020+5 dictates of sustainability (no new major infrastructure to be built - 26 of the 86 or so permanent facilities built for Olympics in the past 40/50 years stand unused today).
Yes, Santa Anita has grandstands that seat the required 20,000 spectators, all stretched along a 1/4 mile front stretch. I wonder how folks at the ends will feel about trying to see dressage in a 200’ long ring at the center? Santa Anita will have to do a lot or modifications. Like it or not.
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Actually the dressage and jumping was very easy to watch. We didn’t have tickets in the main stands, we were across the arena in portable stand seating. There were seats all around the arena. It was great.
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And now that infield is full of buildings and such. What was there in 84 is long changed/gone.
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Not saying a bribe was not involved, but I’m wondering if you have ever been to Galway Downs? It can’t handle the traffic of a soccer tournament on a regular weekend. Try booking a hotel room anywhere near Galway during a normal weekend. Try driving there (because there are NO other transportation options) from LA or San Diego any day of the week. The nearest level one trauma center is over an hour away, without traffic.
The facility, and the surrounding area would have needed tremendous financial investment to create the infrastructure required. Of course, there would be many long term benefits to that sort of investment but I’m not sure who was willing/able to foot the bill for that. Tremendous potential for sure, but perhaps the potential and the reality were just too far apart.
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I concur. I live 30 minutes south of Galway Downs and have been showing there since 2007 in all three disciplines. The upgrades and improvements and vision since then have been absolutely amazing to witness and experience. It’s a far superior facility to anything Santa Anita will be able to produce, but the supporting infrastructure is just challenging.
I’m assuming the majority of traffic would be coming from the 15 through Temecula Parkway and there’s no widening that Parkway or removing all the lights and then it funnels down to a 2 lane rd. I guess they could add an extra lane on each side past that tractor supply and up to Los Caballos, But then, where do you park all the competitors, support staff, and spectators. And house them.
It’s seriously disappointing because that venue has just become world class. I find it puzzling they are moving the baseball and softball across the country when LA has its own professional baseball stadium. But I guess there is precedence for this with the surfing at Paris. I think they should consider Kentucky or Maryland for the horse sports.
Very disappointing for the Temecula team.
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Proof noted 
But the infrastructure challenges remain 
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Softball and canoe slalom are slated to be in OK. Baseball is supposed to be at the Dodger or Angel stadium. I don’t know enough about baseball vs softball fields to have an opinion.
The only way they could get people in and out of Galway would be shuttle lots, like they had for the equestrian park in Conyers for Atlanta in 1996. And some of those shuttle lots were pretty distant. Made for some very long (and hot) days. My sense is that the access into Conyers wasn’t all that great, but I only shuttled. Shuttles might be doable for Temecula but you’d have to figure out how to restrict access for the roads that feed into it.Or just make people realize that they’ll get stuck or massively delayed if they try. But I guess that’s a moot point now.
And, yes, I have shown at Galway numerous times and had a horse down the road for several months so know the area.
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