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lucretia

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Funnyly enough, i have been discussing the latest site plan for the XC at greenwich yesterday and was going to post a copy but then i found this today.
i suggest you all go look at the plan and see if you can see the obvious flaws. This should make for a good discussion today. and i will let anyone that cant see them out of their misery later if no one on here beats me to it!!
that is aside from those mentioned in this link!! x
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-o...rden/article.do
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Having only had a quick look at this, if this plan is remotely to scale the training areas and the stabling seem to occupy no more space that my own 10 box stable yard! I cannot see any facilities for fast work, 200 or so horses will have to use the single designated training arena in which case perhaps we should be running it for Shetland ponies? Where are the veterinary and first aid sites or is what they call the Event Compound fulfilling that role? The course looks horribly twisty and the fences will come thick and fast. Really it is about time the organisers faced up to the fact they've boo-booed on this and make alternative arrangements. Will study this in greater detail later!!
 
Just seen another two "training areas" nearer the river (still not enough though) but still stand by my comment about the lack of stabling.
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miles from each other? that is doable though. i think there's a ghosted path from finish back to the stables (alongside course though).
i think it is a terrible idea to run it there, and it should be at Blenheim or, ideally, Windsor - they have enough time to sort the ground out and we'd have a fab venue in perpetuity then.
 
I dont think its that do able in reality kerrilli. you know how bad the crowds are at badminton, the chase there would be about the same distance away and you would only just make it back to the box in time to get horse ready for xc then. and most people didnt chance it and sent an extra person to the chase. can you imagine getting from stable to start to set horse on way, then getting from start to finish to meet horse in the crowds even assuming it is a tem minute course? either loads extra helpers required or a special fenced off track for shuttles to run up and down thus lessening spectator space again.
 
and daffodil you are quite right about the scale that is why they have had to re do the course plan cos it wasnt to scale the last time.
you also mention the lack of a training gallop. well spotted and an FEI requirement.
 
hmm, i can see what you mean. although there would be members of "Team GB", and other teams etc, at both start and finish i guess.
if it's another nail in the coffin, good. trying to cram it into an unsuitable, unpopular and delicate postage stamp is not a good idea!
 
Oh I wish they were doing it at Barbury - all that lovely space - and still pretty accessible from the M4 - it would have been a wonderful showcase for the english countryside for all the visitors too.
 
Theres no scale but stabling looks rather tight, and 3 areas for work is not enough!!!
Start and finish miles apart but thats not really a problem apart from after xc warm-up u gotta walk 5-10mins to the sart and then also once finished xc walk 10mins+ back to stables through the middle of the course!!! Slightly dangerous considering all the "non-horsey londoners" that are supposedly attending!!
Also all these lorries that'll arrive with horses, how do they get there and unload and park? Or where are they going to be parked? Traffic mayhem obviously!!!
 
but lets face it can you see yogi carrying the stuff to the start that the riders might decide they need, spare set, etc etc while you rag it to the finish? would you really be happy as groom or rider not having your right hand person ready to help attend in the start area. I cant think of a rider i have worked for who would. most of Team GB will barely have touched the horses other than a pat at training sessions.
Now the gallops have been mentioned but there is more if you think about it. look carefully!
 
Is the park fenced? Is there any chance of a loose horse on the xc ending up in the London traffic?
Oh, is there only 1 water jump, early on? they'll make a mess making another one elsewhere in the park, that's for sure. Can't have only 1 water jump at Olympics though.
 
I really do not undertsand why they don't use an existing venue for the eventing. There are several places within a couple of hours of London that are top quality and capable of taking the numbers of people expected to attend.
 
Is the boat pond to be use as the water fence?
Will this not need alot of work on it to make it useable?
ie fences through middle to stop horses if loose riders, making decent bottom so no accidents etc
Also the course goes over alot of "roads", are these just gonna have mats/sand stuck on top?
Also is arena gonna be a surface, as how many dressagers will ride tests on grass after eventing dressage, sj and xc and maybe sj's actual sj.
 
very good kerrilli. the course is very close to the perimeter of the park adding some more logstic problems and less space for people. there are not many places at many three days wher spectators arent fitted in on both sides and the road is very close, though i believe the park is fenced so will they close the roads so people trying to peer through said fence (and with the ticket shortage there will be a few to say the least) dont get squashed.
and you are right about the water jump as well....
anything else?
 
umm, xc warm-up? there's no space for a pipe-opener or a grass warm-up i guess, so are they supposed to warm up in a manege? eww, that'll be nice, ride straight out on a 3 1/2* CIC course in real cold blood.
must admit, unless the perimeter fencing is 8' high, i'd not trust it... eventers have proved in the past that they'll jump whatever they're aimed at, inadvertently or otherwise, whether it is flagged or not...
will keep thinking, going out to do my horses now!
 
You can't get to the start without crossing the track or walking alongside it for a prolonged section! Then when you do get to the start the horses already on the track are passing in both directions. Not ideal for wizzy horses who haven't had the benefit of roads and tracks/steeplechase or those inclined to nap.
 
it is a bit of a plod and as i said above making it a bit of a nightmare for the groom leading it badminton is bad enough and that isnt so far though the crowd problem will be similar. the riders cant ride back they are required under FEI rules to get off and have their horses checked at the finish.
 
it would be lovely to see England come up trumps wouldn't it. I do remember a lot of concern when Seoul was chosen as a venue but they put in a huge amount of work and the facilities were excellent. Again with Beijing. I always have a fear GB will do it on the cheap, this isn't allaying those fears. Surely they at least have the top event organisers and course designers working with them though? I just hope they are not constrained by lack of money etc to get the site up to Olympic standards.
 
well i think that if people dont stop their wishful thinking about greenwich soon there wont be eventing in 2012 at all. they have had plenty of expert advice for the site plans so far and this is the best they can up with?
 
I would be nice to have an olympic venue that can be used after the event. What is the point of taking it all down again afterwards. What a waste of money.

Pocket Olympics.
 
Can't comment on the Evening Standard's map as it keeps crashing on this PC, but I do know that there is an 8' high brick wall around the park on at least two sides. There is also Blackheath just outside the park, which provides some fairly serious lorry parking space. Greenwich Park and Blackheath cope with the start of the London Marathon every year.
 
on would hope that one of the compounds on the map would be for the lorries because i wouldnt be too happy about lleaving my brand new £350,000 oakley supremacy parked on blackheath unless it was secured. anyway if you read the above you will see that parking is the least of the problems.
 
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