Equestrian events unaffected by Swiss pullout
Responding to reports of the withdrawal of Switzerland’s dressage team from this year’s 2008 Olympics Equestrian Events to be staged in Hong Kong, a spokesman for the Equestrian Company (EqCo) said the decision is regrettable, but it is one made by an individual team.
“We do not expect this to have any effect on the games, as the withdrawn team will be replaced by others on the ranking list,” he said. “We are not aware of any other complaints from athletes and national federations about the weather conditions in Hong Kong.”
A total of 200 horses will compete in the 12 days of events to be held August 9-21.
While the hot and humid conditions prevailing in Hong Kong in August have been well recognized, the welfare of the horses and athletes is of uppermost importance to the event organizers.
Previous Olympic equestrian events have been held successfully in hot and distant (to Europe) locations such as Los Angeles and Atlanta. A great deal has been learned over the past couple of decades about how to look after horses competing in these weather conditions.
In Hong Kong, significant time and effort have been invested over the past two years to develop strategies and protocols to minimize the effects of weather on the horses. Professor Leo Jeffcott, Federation Equestre Internationale’s (FEI) Veterinary Delegate for the 2008 Olympic Equestrian Events, and Dr. Chris Riggs, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Head of Veterinary Clinical Services and the EqCo’s Veterinary Services Manager, have supervised these efforts.
“Transport arrangements, stabling, cooling facilities and veterinary services have all been refined to provide optimal support for the horses.
“In addition, the latest meteorological facilities of the Hong Kong Observatory are being fully utilized in protocols to ensure it has minimal impact on horses,” the spokesman said.
These protocols have been fully tested in two simulated events in 2006 and 2007, and again at last August’s Good Luck Beijing–HKSAR 10th Anniversary Cup competition.
Some serious adverse weather conditions were encountered during the competition last summer, but all horses and riders from overseas were found to have coped with the conditions very effectively.
Competition times have been arranged to take advantage of the cooler times of the day, either early in the morning or in the evening after sunset. Training times also will be adjusted according to weather conditions.
In addition to fully air-conditioned stables that will keep the horses cool and comfortable during the rest period, large misting fans and ice boxes will be installed at the venues to ensure maximum cooling effects for horses after competition.
Dr. Riggs said, “While the effects of the weather can never be guaranteed, we will be relying on some of the most sophisticated forecasting available in the world. We are confident that effective strategies will be in place to minimize the consequences of these prevailing conditions on the health and welfare of horses.”
A full briefing on these and other veterinary matters relating to the Equestrian Events in August will be the subject of a workshop in Lausanne, Switzerland, in February. The workshop, entitled “On to Hong Kong,” will be held by FEI and is open to representatives from all national federations.
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