In an extraordinary release (which follows) the FEI have announced that the 2008 Olympic Games will have a split venue with the Equestrian events being moved to Hong Kong!

The following comes from the FEI:

2008 OLYMPIC GAMES: EQUESTRIAN COMPETITIONS MOVED TO HONG KONG

The IOC confirmed today the decision of BOCOG (Beijing Organising Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games).that the equestrian competitions of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad would be organised in Hong Kong.

When the FEI was informed of BOCOG’s wish to move the equestrian competitions away from the heart of the 2008 Olympic Games, the FEI made every effort to try to reverse the plan. Letters from the athletes and the National Federations to BOCOG in support of the FEI’s position, as well as a proposal to move the disciplines to an alternative site just outside Beijing did not succeed.

The main reason given by BOCOG to move the equestrian competitions to Hong Kong surrounded the quarantine and inability to set up and enforce an adequate disease free zone for horses in China. Although these were mentioned in Beijing’s bid when securing the Games, at the time it did not appear to be the insurmountable obstacle that it has now become. And therefore it has left the FEI with no alternative but to accept BOCOG’s request to relocate the event

Since 2001, the FEI has worked in close cooperation with the OIE (Office International des Epizooties) to help BOCOG establish specific protocols in order to obtain an international acceptance of the health status for equine that would allow temporary import and re-export of the Olympic horses.

Even if the decision is difficult to accept by many in the equestrian community, the FEI will now turn its full attention to ensure that there is an outstanding Olympic equestrian competition staged in Hong Kong in 2008.

The FEI has confidence in the ability of Hong Kong to stage horse sport and looks forward to joining forces with BOCOG. Hong Kong’s experience in hosting international equestrian events is well known, even if a number of issues still remain to be solved. A study on the climate will be conducted this summer, to determine the competition formats and schedules, as the normal weather patterns suggest an extremely hot and humid environment for horses as well as excessive rains and typhoons which could interfere with the timetabling of events. A number of safeguards will be established as the welfare of the competing horses is paramount. The Hong Kong Jockey Club will be integral to this co-operation and it is acknowledged that they already have the best veterinary services in Asia.

BOCOG, the FEI and the Chinese Equestrian Federation will jointly establish a working group that will determine the long-term and positive legacy for equestrian sport in China. This group will develop an equestrian training and competition facility, which will be located within a newly created disease-free zone and will be able to host international events.

Her Royal Highness The Infanta Doña Pilar de Borbón said:
“There has been a great movement of solidarity among the National Federations, riders and the whole equestrian community to try and remain in Beijing. I would like to thank them all here, as well as the IOC, who supported our case and negotiated with BOCOG. We now have a big challenge ahead of us: to be at the heart of the 2008 Olympic Games despite the distance from the host city. We are confident that, with the help of the IOC and BOCOG, the media, spectators and television viewers will have the opportunity to enjoy the excitement of the Olympic Games, which has been part of our history and heritage since the Stockholm Games of 1912.”

Questions and Answers:

Q: Beijing was elected as a host city in 2001. Why was such an important decision taken so long after the election of the host city? Since when was the FEI informed of BOCOG’s intentions?

A: The FEI unofficially heard about a possible alternative in Hong Kong for the first time after the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, but no concrete proposal was submitted before January 2005, when the FEI Executive Board was presented with Hong Kong as an alternative venue for equestrian sport.

Q: How is it that the quarantine issues for the temporary import and re-export of Olympic horses was not raised at the time of Beijing’s bid?

A: In its Bid book of 2000, BOCOG stated that the quarantine period would b shorten to 15 days, for all Olympic horses going through import quarantine approval procedure as a group through an agency designated by BOCOG”. In its report of April 2001, the IOC Evaluation Commission already mentioned “the difficulties in providing proper equine quarantine measures to satisfy OEI and EU regulations”.

Q: Who chose Hong Kong? Was the decision taken by BOCOG, IOC or did Hong Kong express interest?

A; The decision was taken by BOCOG

Q: Two years to go to the Games. Is this period enough to build all the facilities?

A: The FEI intends to organise a visit of technical officials at the end of August in order to assess the proposed facilities and plans. So far, the FEI has only seen Hong Kong plans on paper or video presentations.

Q: Hong Kong Sport Institute has raised strong opposition to the tenure of the equestrian competitions in Sha Tin, which would lead to the closing of their training centre. Was this opposition taken into consideration in the discussions?

A: FEI was only informed one month ago of the situation – It is our understanding that BOCOG now has negotiated satisfactory arrangements with all parties concerned which will be announced shortly by BOCOG.

Q: Is it the first time that the equestrian events are organised outside of the Games?

A: 1956 Melbourne (AUS), the equestrian competitions were organised in Stockholm The reason was the distance & time for horses to travel by boat – air travel for horses was not an option at that time

Q: What are the measures that will be taken to preserve the welfare of riders and horses competing in the heat and humidity that can be foreseen in Hong Kong at this period of the year?

A: We will adapt the competition formats for all disciplines, carefully plan the competition hours and programme, so that competitions can be postponed to later days in case of adverse weather. The heat and humidity index will be carefully verified and specific installations for the cooling of horses installed.

Q: Wasn’t it simply a cost problem for Beijing?

A: All proposals from the FEI to cut down costs in the 2008 Beijing Master Plan were not considered and it is the right of the Organising Committee to determine the investment they wish to make for each sport. The FEI drew BOCOG’s attention to the fact that equestrian can be organised on temporary facilities and does not require huge budgets.

Q: Will the same arrangements (visas, etc.) apply for Hong Kong as for Beijing?

A: Yes, and additional efforts will be made by BOCOG to encourage Olympic visitors to go to Hong Kong to watch the equestrian competitions.

Q: Is it true that the riders threat to boycott the Games if they are held in Hong Kong?

A: Riders’ representatives wrote to the FEI to express their concern with regard to the welfare of the horse if the equestrian competitions were to be held in Hong Kong. They never mentioned a boycott but made the point that their horses’ health was paramount and that they would not put it at risk. We will maintain constant dialog with the riders during the assessment phase and later for the implementation of the safety measures.

Q: This move is likely to affect the good media coverage of the sport as many accredited journalists cover more than one sport. Will any specific measures be taken to compensate for this disadvantage?

A: The FEI has made a certain number of requests to BOCOG to ensure the best possible coverage of the equestrian competitions. Hong Kong will benefit from all facilities of a media sub-center directly linked to the Main Press Center in Beijing. Olympic Organisers are used to dealing at different locations than at the heart of the Olympic city (for example with sailing and football) and thanks to modern technology, we do not believe that the location of the equestrian competitions will represent a major obstacle.