8th June 2007
Great Britain will be taking 3 riders and horses to the Good Luck Beijing - 10th Anniversary Cup CCI2*, taking place in August this year, in preparation for the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This is part of a series of 42 sporting events taking place between July 2007 and July 2008. The events are all themed 'Good Luck Beijing' and cover the whole range of Olympic sports.
The riders and horses provisionally selected to go are:
- Amanda Ratcliffe - Teveri, age 14, owned by Rider
- Amy Young - Highville, age 12, owned by Anne Marie Young
- Caroline Moore - Don Giovanni II, age 15, owned by Rider
This event provides the Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) with the opportunity to test all their procedures ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2008. This is an essential part of the build up for BOCOG but also for the British Equestrian Team.
The event is run as a CCI2* but is a vital part of preparations for the 3 Olympic disciplines and 1 Paralympic discipline. The British Equestrian Team will be looking to rehearse and finalise a number of training and preparation protocols as well as logistical plans, including preparation before, during and after transportation of the horses.
Accompanying the three horses will be representatives for all of the Olympic and Paralympic Disciplines, including Team Managers, coaches, riders and grooms.
The British Equestrian Team's logistical planning, including taking three riders and horses to the event, is being organised and funded by the Equestrian World Class Programme. Performance Director and Chef de Mission for the British Equestrian Team, Will Connell, said, "This event will provide us with vital information that will assist us in optimising our plans for Hong Kong in 2008. The horses will arrive 10 days before the competition, exactly as they will do for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, allowing us to practice, in detail, the processes we hope to adopt in 2008. I'm very grateful to both the riders and the owners of the horses who will travel to Hong Kong as their role is of great importance to this overall process."
