26th March 2007
The British Equestrian Federation (BEF), the national governing body of Olympic horse sports, revealed key recommendations which will form the basis of the 2012 Equestrian Legacy Plan at the National Equine Forum on 22nd March 2007. The BEF was one of the first national governing bodies to look at how the Olympic and Paralympic Games could be used to develop long term benefit for the UK and London in particular. The Legacy for London Advisory Group, headed by Barbara Cassani, was set up in order to investigate ways of significantly increasing the level of equestrian activity in London as a result of hosting the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The group took as its starting point Lord Coe's promise "to stage an inspirational Games that captures the imagination of young people around the world and leaves a lasting legacy". As a result the equestrian legacy recommendations concentrate on the possibilities for bringing a wide range of equestrian activities within the reach of Londoners, particularly children.
The key recommendations are:
- Set up new riding facilities in London
- Bring together all equestrian related activity via a "London Horse Network"
- Establish a schools programme for children in London
- Establish the "London Festival of the Horse"
- Roll out the London initiatives to the rest of the UK.
The BEF will appoint an equestrian legacy group which will be responsible for drawing up and implementing a 5 year plan based on these recommendations. The group's members will represent a wide range of equestrian interests. It is expected that the group will launch the implementation plan within the next two months.
In order to turn these recommendations into reality the legacy group will be asking for support from all sectors of the horse world. Any comments and suggestions should be directed to info@bef.co.uk.
For further details about the recommendations - see here.
