Olympic Equestrian Events

Counting the days to Games

OLYMPIC fever is ramping up as we have just passed the one-year countdown to the London Games.

The London Games  will mark 110 years of equestrian involvement in the Olympics. 

The opening ceremony on July 27 will be followed by 12 days of equestrian competition in Greenwich Park, where the world's best horses and riders will compete for six gold medals in eventing, dressage and jumping.

To celebrate a year to go, the Federation Equestre Internationale is running London 2012 image campaigns on Facebook and will constantly update news on Facebook and twitter as nations qualify for the equestrian events.

The London organising committee has launched an interactive twitter stadium and world map on the website http://www.london2012.com/get-involved/one-year-to-go.php .

"The excitement in the run-up to the Olympic equestrian events at London is huge and the stunning location of Greenwich Park means that we are at the heart of the Games," FEI president, Jordan's Princess Haya, said.

"We are proud to be given centre stage at such a poignant time."

Equestrian sport has been part of the Olympic movement since the 1912 Games in Stockholm.

Nine nations have earned team places for the London Olympics after qualifying at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky last year and Ukraine earned its team place for jumping recently in Aachen, Germany.

FEI Olympic director Catrin Norinder said qualifying events were now taking place at venues around the world for the remaining Olympic hopefuls to secure a spot next year.

"We will be announcing the nations as they qualify," she said.

2012 Olympic Equestrian Events to Take Place in Royal Park | Allied ...

Michael Goldman, a Greenwich resident who has campaigned against the event and collected 2,720 signatures on a petition against the use of the park, said: “The choice was made largely because this World Heritage Site would look good on television.

“The fact that it is a World Heritage Site is a compelling reason not to choose it.”

A spokesman for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) claimed Greenwich Park would suffer only three weeks of closure, and only lower branches of relatively few trees would require removal.

Many people have voiced concerns over the choice of these locations, due to the potential for damage to the beautiful surroundings, but few can deny the glorious backdrop this choice will provide for the 2012 equestrian events.

Organising a cross country event in a city is difficult at the best of times, and it would seem sensible to use the open spaces the Royal Parks provide, or to relocate the equestrian events away from the City, as many Olympic cities have in the past. However, what is certain is that it will be great for the equestrian competitors to be involved with the throng of the Olympic community for 2012 rather than the situation we saw in Beijing, where events took place far removed from the rest of their compatriots in other sports.

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I think it is great that the horse events will be held in Royal Park London. It means that people do not have to leave London to enjoy all aspects of the games. To Brenda Reed I say get a life and enjoy the games it is only a fortnight of your life, 14 days. The benefits it will give to London will outweigh any shortfalls in inconvience

I agree Jenny, one could always book a holiday for the fortnight and avoid the whole thing! Also, if you choose to live in the busiest city in the UK, then you shouldn’t really be grumbling about traffic and – well – how busy it is. A lot of other cities would rip your arms off if offered the Olympic Games, so stop complaining about it.

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