Posted March 27, 2006

Derosa's Diary - Entry One
Article and photos by Diana DeRosa

About WEG

With the centralized location also brings some difficulty in that everything has to fit within the 20 hectares that the competition grounds encompasses (the Kentucky Horse Park boasts 400 hectares). The cross country course is in a fairly tight area and the surface is “undulating hills” commented Astrid Schorn who is in charge of the accreditation for the Games. The footing on the track is good and while the track looks not too difficult to negotiate, the hills will test the endurance of the horses.

Fritz Otto-Erley, who is overseeing the technical aspects of both the driving and eventing, noted that “The whole area is like a valley – like a pot. From nearly every part of the course you can watch a lot of different obstacles.”

This will be the first WEG with a shortened version of the cross country for Eventing (no steeplechase or roads & tracks to start off the competition) and the cross country obstacle phase for driving (which has eliminated two phases – including a walk and fast trot section). So, all eyes will be focused on how the horses deal with this different type of Championship event. The organizers are in support of anything they feel will benefit the “welfare of the horse” as that is a key part of the foundation of horse sports in Germany.

“For us it is very important the welfare of the horse. We want to do everything possible that we have a successful Games and that the horse is the winner,” explained Frank Kemperman, who oversees the entire WEG,

The stabling is mostly permanent stalls and three additional barns were built to house most of the horses. “The driving and endurance horses will be in temporary stalls behind the crew area on the grounds,” explained Birgit Albersmeier, who is overseeing the Endurance. “This is better for them because they like the grazing space.”

The seating in the main Stadium 1 has been improved and increased. They will build a temporary roof over the vaulting/reining arena (known as stadium 3). Stadium 2, which is now just an open field, will have temporary stands brought in for seating. This is where the dressage phase of both the Eventing and Driving will take place as well as the stadium jumping and cones. This will also be a Vet Inspection area for the Endurance. The main stadium will showcase the dressage and show jumping. Endurance will begin and end on site but that is the one event that will be taken off the grounds and in fact much of it will take place in The Netherlands and in Belgium.