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L ONDON 2 0 1 2
This summer the UK will come
alive with the London 2012
Olympic Games and Paralympic
Games. The years of meticulous
preparation and anticipation
will finally be realised on 27th
July 2012 as London proudly
hosts the opening ceremony
of the 2012 Games. The 2012
Games will feature 26 sports,
which are broken down
into 39 disciplines and the
Paralympic Games will see
20 sports compete.
The Games last for a total 17
days beginning on Friday 27th July,
with the closing ceremony on Sunday
12th August. The Paralympic games
run from 29th August to 9th
September. There are three equestrian
disciplines which compete at the
Olympics - dressage, eventing and
showjumping. There is only one
Paralympic equestrian sport;
para-equestrian dressage.
The build-up toLondon
Greenwich Park
The equestrian competitions, both Olympic
and Paralympic, are being staged at
Greenwich Park, London. Greenwich Park is
a World Heritage site and is less than five
miles away from the Olympic Park, placing
equestrian sport at the heart of the Games for
the first time in its post-war history. The park is
visually stunning with views across London
from the Royal Observatory. The stadium next
to the Queen's House promises to be one of
the finest settings ever seen in an Olympic
Games and will provide a unique atmosphere
that cannot fail to excite. This iconic location
showcases Greenwich and London to
audiences worldwide.
The main Arena will be a temporary structure
seating approximately 23,000 people around
a field of play measuring 80m x 100m.
Temporary stables housed within a series of
marquees will be located on the open areas
of the Park. It is anticipated a total number of
5,000 spectators will be within the Park and
Arena on Cross Country day.
Equestrian Disciplines
Equestrian, as we know it, has been part of
the Olympic programme since the Games in
Stockholm in 1912 and is the only Olympic
sport where men and women compete
against each other. Para-equestrian dressage
has been included in the Paralympic Games
since Atlanta in 1996. Equestrian consists of
Dressage, Eventing and Jumping.
Dressage
Dressage takes place over four days in
the temporary Arena. There will be 50
competitors in team and individual events.
The Dressage tests are performed in a 60m
x 20m all-weather arena, there are a
predetermined set of movements, except in
the final (freestyle) round where the riders
decide their own test and perform it to music.
Riders are striving for harmony, lightness and
a free, flowing and regular movement of their
horse in all paces. The horse and rider are
marked by five judges from different positions
in the arena and each rider will receive a
final percentage score.
15
EQUINE MATTERS
2012
©Kit Houghton
©Kit Houghton
©Kit Houghton