WELLINGTON, Fla., Dec. 10-Installation of all-weather footing in the Internationale Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center began Monday only hours after the conclusion of the National Horse Show that was the last event on the grass ring.
Work crews began taking up the grass sod from an area measuring 360 feet by 280 feet centered in the arena that is scheduled to be ready for the opening of the 2008 Winter Equestrian Festival on Jan. 16. WEF is being expanded to 12 weeks in Wellington with record prizemoney of $5 million and ending with the Parade of Champions on April 6.
The all-weather footing is being installed by Bart Poels of Belgium, a footing expert for thee 2008 Olympic Games equestrian events in Hong Kong.
More than 2,000 tons of sand sourced to several Florida quarries and specially mixed by Poels will be installed over a base of more than 4,500 tons of rocks. A grass border of 14 feet on the eastern and western sides of the arena and 60 feet on the northern and southern sides will frame the competition ring.
Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC (ESP) which manages the Wellington horse shows, consulted with riders who will be the major competitors in the Internationale Arena before beginning the resurfacing.
Other PBIEC competition rings will also be refurbished in time for WEF.
In addition to the footing, improvements to the competition program and the physical facility are scheduled.
Among them are major spectator attractions such as a North America versus Europe jumping series, a speed derby, six-bar contest as well as a full schedule of hunter-jumper and dressage competitions for high performance, amateurs and childrens divisions. Five Olympic jumping selection trials, a Nations Cup, three World Cup jumping qualifiers and a dressage Olympic qualifying competition are scheduled.
Spectator enhancements include new spectator seating, extensive landscaping, golf cart roads to ease congestion around competition arenas, user controlled electronic processing of scheduling and office functions and outdoor wine and coffee bars.
New, state of the art lighting will be installed at the Internationale Arena for night classes.
The all-weather surface covers an area of 100,800 square feet, making it larger than the competition arenas for the 2008 Hong Kong and 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
“Installing all-weather footing has been the number one issue for riders, owners and spectators for the sake of the horses,” said Mark Bellissimo, Managing Partner of ESP.
“The new surface will provide the best, most consistent footing over the several weeks of WEF. To make sure it is maintained at optimum levels, we have ordered equipment from Europe where all-weather arenas have been developed at top competition venues.
“A grass arena is impossible to maintain for the intensive competition schedule at the Internationale Arena.
“However, we will maintain a grass surface at The Stadium which will be used sparingly. We are in the process of rebuilding the grandstand at The Stadium and will have some events there during WEF.”
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