Princess Haya, FEI and the Olympics

[billyslad]

What does everyone else think about the article in HnH today about the viability of the Equestrian sports in the Olympics, particularly interesting in some of her comments about being elitist and appealing to a wider audience ?

 

[kerilli]

I think she's spot on tbh.
The doping allegations, however ridiculous, will have very far reaching implications I think. For those who know nothing about the sport it's very easy to think "they give the horses drugs to make them do stuff" etc.
Must admit, reading the article has made me determined to keep my mouth shut in future about the advisability of Greenwich Park as the venue. As long as they can get enough spectators in (big sticking point?) I think it'll be great.

 

[billyslad]

As I have previously suggested the legacy left may well be the wider exposure of the sport

 

[viola]

Maybe I am naive but I was really surprised, shocked even, to read that the IOC seriously considers dropping equestrian sports altogether. I hope it does not happen in my lifetime.

I'm not convinced about the wide appeal comments. There are so many sports that are far from being widely popular and yet have their place at Olympics.

 

[Daffodil]

Whilst it continues to be part of the Olympics I shall cheer all our teams on, stay up all night to watch, and keep everything crossed that they succeed, but equally I don't have a problem if it was decided to remove it all from the Olympics.
My personal view is that the real traditional highlights of the eventing calendar are Worlds, Europeans, Badminton and Burghley and that the Olympics cause nothing but trouble. The lead-up to HK, brilliant competition though it was in the end, was fraught with concerns about the climate and welfare. A strong element of luck played its part in the success of the Event too. Personally I think the choice of Greenwich, simply so that we have an impressive background with the Queen's House encased in a grandstand (as illustrated in the Telegraph yesterday), is utterly absurd and over the past couple of months I have asked Lord Coe (twice) for an explanation of the criteria for choosing it, and various other involved persons, and have yet to receive a reply from any of them.

 

[TarrSteps]

This is not the first time dropping the equestrian sports has come up and it's been VERY close before, most notably before Seoul. To be fair, the arguments - that they are expensive, usually require a whole extra dedicated venue, and significantly limit which countries can apply for the Olympics - have some validity (yachting faces the same issues). The challenge has been fought before and obviously it's safe for this round but honestly, every time there is a drama about the way the sport runs or how much money gets spent, the spectre comes up again.

There are sensible - and emotionally intense - arguments on both sides.

I'm curious about the cost involved in the Greenwich proposal, give the relatively small budget for 2012 and the arguments about dedicated venues. Wouldn't it be FAR more cost effective to upgrade an existing venue? Is there only money to buy a new one? Is London being "forced" to build from scratch, perhaps to prove it doesn't have to cripple the event? I have to say the paranoid part of me is suspicious of the IOC's motives, especially in light of some of the higher ups coming out publicly in favour of dropping equestrian sports or at the very least, eventing - I wonder sometimes if they will simply make increasing demands on the sport, on the assumption that if the make it difficult enough to continue then the problem will solve itself.

Right now, the only thing keeping horse sports in is the "power nations" - GB, USA, Germany - wanting it that way. As the balance of power shifts I wonder what will happen . . .

 

[Horsemad12]

Hmmmmm

Taking bets on when "Express Eventing" will hit the Olymics then?

 

[seche]

Why Greenwich? Im my opinion its not going to be a big enough venue - Does anyone know if there was a reason why Windsor Great Park cant be used? - after all its pretty much built for purpose!

 

[showjumperanna]

i think it should be one of the following venues:
Burghley
Bleheim
Great Witchingham
Milton Keynes
Aston Le Walls
Hickstead (Hurstpierpoint)
Windsor
Badminton
Unex Towerlands
Ely Eventing Centre

why would Greenwich park be a good idea?
All of my above suggestions are purpose built, with most having good seating for spectators! if someone was to use Hickstead for example, the seating is there all year round as are the fences. It doesn't cost £1bln to build a cross country course! Burghley also has all this plus the advantage of a four star cross country course! who is with me on Burghley? After all, this year four the Beijing olympics, the equestrian games were only i don't know erm not far...only over 2 thousand km! So it would be a major problem if the equestrian olympics were being held at a purpose built place called Burghley horse trails b/c it's 100 miles away (sarcasm if you didn't pick it up

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