The Good Luck Beijing – HKSAR 10th Anniversary Cup Competition, which will serve as a Test Event for the 2008 Olympic Equestrian Competition and which, for international riders, will take the form of a CCI 2*, will be held in Hong Kong, Sha Tin and Sheung Shui, from 11 to 13 August 2007. Seventeen riders from six countries will take part in it.
The main objective of this event is to examine in detail the logistics surrounding the Olympic equestrian competition. Special attention will be given to the study of the climatic conditions which, the FEI is well aware, may present difficulties for horses and riders given the high temperatures and level of humidity that occur in Hong Kong in mid-August.
FEI’s foremost veterinary specialists are currently in Hong Kong monitoring the conditions and conducting a study on the effect these conditions may have on top competition horses. The conclusions of the study will be communicated to the National Federations and made public as soon as they are available.
The timetable of the 2008 Olympic competition, which is available on the FEI website www.horsesport.org > Olympic Games > Reference Documents > Competition Timetable, has been specifically designed to take in consideration the high temperatures with competition sessions taking place early in the morning or later in the evening. Three contingency days have been specifically integrated in to allow for the competitions to be rescheduled if difficulties in connection with the climate were to arise.
“We take very seriously the challenges we are facing,” John McEwen, Chairman of the FEI Veterinary Committee currently in Hong Kong, said. “The conditions do present difficulties but every effort is done to ensure that neither the training nor competitions sessions are in any way detrimental to the welfare of the horses.”
It is not the first time that the FEI has to deal with complex conditions at an Olympic equestrian competition. A heat and humidity research, conducted in the lead up to the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, GA (USA) proved extremely successful providing very useful information for managing top competition in adverse climatic conditions. Not a single horse suffered from heat stress in Atlanta.
A great deal of in-depth research monitoring the climatic challenge has been done in the last 12 months in association with the Hong Kong Observatory. The Hong Kong Observatory have made available their latest data on the basis of which two virtual Cross Country competitions have been run. Foreign Veterinary Delegate Prof. Leo Jeffcott declared, “We are as confident as we can be that a safe event will be run.”
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