Posted on Fri, Jul. 11, 2008

Olympics

Interest in WEG ready to rev up

By Jim Jordan

jjordan1@herald-leader.com

The countdown clocks say there's 805 days until the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games begin at the Kentucky Horse Park, but a leader of the organizing group warned Thursday that worldwide interest in the games is about to accelerate.

”We are about 90 days away from going 60 miles an hour,“ said John Long, chairman of the World Games 2010 Foundation.

Long, who is also CEO of the U.S. Equestrian Federation, reminded foundation directors and staffers at Thursday's board meeting that the Beijing Olympics are less than a month away — Aug. 8-24.

He said competitors will begin shipping horses next week to Hong Kong where Olympic equestrian events — show jumping, dressage and eventing — will be held.

Those are three of the eight disciplines that make up the World Equestrian Games.

Public interest is likely to be heightened by television programs, which will include 20 hours of coverage to be shown on the Oxygen cable TV network.

Oxygen will focus on gymnastics, tennis and equestrian events, because those sports are popular among women, the channel's target audience.

After the Olympics, Long said FEI holds its 2008 General Assembly in Buenos Aires in November and then the international equestrian community will be focused on Lexington and the 2010 games.

Interest is ”going to ramp up quickly — very, very quickly,“ Long predicted.

He urged the foundation's staff to be prepared and have ”lots of answers“ to questions about shipping horses, quarantine procedures and farm rentals in the Lexington area.

Organizers say the games will attract more than 800 athletes who will have at least 900 horses. More than 600,000 spectator tickets are expected to be sold.