WEG venue insists it is ‘ready for the Games’
Construction workers are finishing facilities at the venue for the World Equestrian Games, which start next week
CONSTRUCTION workers are finishing facilities at Tryon International Equestrian Centre (TIEC), even though the first horses for the World Equestrian Games (WEG) were due to arrive on Sunday (September 2).
Amid rumour some events may have to be cancelled or allocated to other venues at short notice, TIEC operations director Sharon Decker staged a press conference last week to assure local media “the Games are still happening”.
Tryon took over as host for the 2018 WEG after original venue Bromont, Canada, dropped out
two years ago. The resort, in North Carolina, has been developed to a similar business model as Wellington, Florida, by the same promoter, Mark Bellissimo. But neither venue has experience staging all eight FEI disciplines.
Unlike the past two WEGs, Tryon has attracted no title sponsor, but some individual sport sponsors have been confirmed.
There have been months of speculation about ticket sales, cash-flow and contractors walking off the job, and unavoidable delays from unseasonal heavy rain.
The eventing cross-country course was belatedly reinstated at 5,700m after TIEC announced in July that it might cover a notably shorter distance — impacting some teams’ selection decisions.
The biggest horse-related project is the endurance trail, widened to 30ft and cleared of trees and scrub over 60 miles to fulfil control of piroplasmosis, a tick-borne disease common to southern states.
The works were signed off on 29 August by the US Department of Agriculture, which would otherwise have barred 40 piroplasmosis-positive endurance horses from competing.
On 25 August, Tryon issued a renewed plea for volunteers.
It also announced information would be issued “as soon as possible” about the opening ceremony, supposedly next Tuesday (11 September) for which tickets were not yet available as H&H went to press on Monday.
At the start of 2018, TIEC announced 1,500 hotel rooms on site, but the build has not progressed. Polk County has few hotels, and riders have accepted they will stay an hour’s drive away.
Ticket sales for all events except reining are reportedly so slow that Tryon asked the police to halve its planned manpower, according to county sherriff Capt Lowell Griffin. But Mrs Decker said she expects up to 400,000 spectators over the Games.
“We have adjusted our staffing numbers based on days that are higher in volume versus days lower in volume according to ticket sales, which is much more realistic than estimated daily averages. We have refined our internal security and safety planning, which has allowed the outer circle of support to reduce its numbers,” she told H&H.
“We continue to work with Polk County Sheriff ’s Office in law enforcement, security, medical and public safety planning. The number of resources will continue to be fine-tuned as we get closer to the Games.
“Our preparations continue and we are working multiple shifts. We feel confident we will be ready for the Games.”