Galway Downs Will Not Host the Olympic Equestrian Events

[poltroon]

@M1ssmouse

London held xc and dressage/sj on a municipal park, it wasn’t built years before and was an incredible success. I think the Olympics should always be held where riders never normally compete, what would be special about xc at an existing venue? Just my opinion

The Olympics don’t need a purpose-built venue to feel special - the music, the decorations, the atmosphere, the ceremony - they transform the event. The Olympics at Santa Anita in 1984 were not at all diminished by the existence of the Santa Anita Horse Show the year before, I promise. If anything, having a well-worn venue made it a much better experience than something temporary and ephemeral.

The amazing buildout at the Kentucky Horse Park for the 2010 World Equestrian Games is still paying dividends.

[MHM]

@Willesdon

A temporary grandstand to hold 80,000 was built around a temporary arena that was suspended above the ground surface so as to protect the heritage site.

Wow, I don’t remember hearing about that part. That must have been quite a project.

[quietann]

Was it the Tokyo Olympics that had XC on a golf course? Or Seoul? Beijing? I remember watching and hearing that the course had been put in on just a few months, and teardown would be a month or two.

[TWilson]

@RAyers

What everybody keeps forgetting/missing is the Olympic Agenda 2020+5 document that states the equestrian events should be held at a single site to maintain sustainability of the games. This is followed up in the FEI documentation of venue requirements.

I don’t see where there is a requirement to have all equestrian events on a single site, and you even say here that they should be held at a single site. “Should” is not the same as “required”, so which is it?

According to google, the Olympic Agenda 2020+5 document does not explicitly state that equestrian events must be held at a single site. It allows for flexibility in venue planning, including multiple venues if needed. Apparently the host city has the autonomy to determine the best venue setup for each sport, including equestrian.

ETA:
According to the FEI’s Olympic and Paralympic Venue and Operational Requirements, all equestrian competitions, including dressage, jumping, and eventing, should ideally be conducted at the same venue unless otherwise agreed with the IOC and FEI.

[RAyers]

The single site requirement is in the FEI documents. If you read through the progression of Agenda 2020 under the sustainability section you will see a statement about using single venues for equestrian. I think it’s the 3rd or 4th one page seventy something. I’m walking to a meeting so I can’t get it.

[nutmeg]

I’m guessing it was Hong Kong because there’s an urban legend that Lee McKeever and Clark Shipley, grooms of Sapphire and Authentic respectively, were sneaking about the fairways in the wee hours to intercept the German showjumpers on their way to school cross-country. Allegedly.

[Willesdon]

The temporary build at Greenwich in 2012 was quite a technical challenge. In the test event, the year before, the dressage and eventing riders were happy with the artifical surface but the showjumpers weren’t so a specific new mixture was developed.

The stands had to be enormous because it was anticipated that the equestrian events would draw some of the biggest crowds. Which they did. A couple of weeks later, the stands were filled again for the paradressage as people who failed to get tickets for the Olympics grabbed them for the Paras. I found the paradressage really inspirational and the atmosphere was even better than the main games. The crowd was asked not to clap when a competitor finished but instead to wave - and tens of thousands of people enthusiastically waving in silence was quite a sight. A happy memory.

[quietann]

Yes, Hong Kong! Thanks for reminding me.

[MHM]

I’d like to think Clark and Authentic are together again now.

[173north]

@Peggy

Also absent has been who was behind the Santa Anita bid; my suspicion is a combo of the track people and Split Rock.

I’ve been thinking the same. The group that owns the track has much more funding to throw behind a bid or hosting than Galway Downs, and Split Rock runs a ton of FEI dates a year, including World Cup qualifiers, and is actively expanding. Seems clear that the FEI supported the Santa Anita bid, they do tend to follow the money…

[poltroon]

@quietann

Was it the Tokyo Olympics that had XC on a golf course? Or Seoul? Beijing? I remember watching and hearing that the course had been put in on just a few months, and teardown would be a month or two.

Multiple Olympics have used golf courses, or golf-courses-to-be.