FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
SIDELINES APRIL 2014 121
D’Ornano Stadium in Caen, the main venue for the 2014
Games, will host dressage, show jumping, and the jumping
phase of eventing.
Photo by François Decaens
main arena for dressage was not built for the test event. We’ll
have a new dressage arena for the Games just in front of the
castle. The cross-country track was around 4,500 m for the test
event and will be 6,800 for the Games. The test event course was
2* level and at the Games will be 4* level. All the fences will be
different from the ones we used at the test event.
JUMPING: Frédéric Morand
I’m so lucky to be the Jumping manager for the Alltech FEI
World Equestrian Games 2014 in Normandy! It’s something
wonderful and probably unique in my life. I’m part of a
talented team. We are committed to offer to the public the
most beautiful shows and emotions.
When I work on other events, I’m in charge of the sport,
the technical side of the competition, and the logistics. Here
in Normandy I’m only in charge of the sport, the discipline of
jumping. The organizing committee is very well structured.
The teams with whom we work are very skilled in their jobs
and help a lot with our missions.
Everything is getting beautifully in place for a successful
2014 Games. Our major preoccupation in most aspects of
sports/disciplines is to provide comfort to horses, riders
and grooms. My job here is like building a house. After the
shell construction, there are still the finishing touches to do!
We have moved into the verification and adjustment phase
now. We will also repeat the
sequences (the arrival of
horses, horses traffic plan,
etc.) so everything is perfect
on ‘the day.’ We need to
adjust the details, and repeat
the different phases.
The test event will allow
us to check different points,
mainly technical aspects
like footing maintenance,
reporting of scores and
results, stables, fences,
sound system, TV, traffic in
the stadium, horse traffic,
trucks/parking, etc.
Every time I go to D’Ornano
Stadium
I’m
impressed!
This place is magical for
the discipline of jumping.
Our advantage compared
to London and Lexington is
that we have a stadium that
offers 21,500 seats, that
are covered and that the
stadium is built like a real
theater or auditorium. It will
be wonderful to ride in this
arena. Horses and riders will
really be impressed, and the
atmosphere for spectators
will be extraordinary.
To everyone, I say:
Please come! You will not
be disappointed! The Alltech
FEI World Equestrian Games
2014 in Normandy will be
extraordinary!
About the writer: Darlene Ricker is CEO of Equestrian Authors, LLC
(equestrianauthors.com). She covered Olympic equestrian sports as a staff
writer for the Boston Globe and the Los Angeles Times. She has toured the
Normandy venues and will be reporting from the 2014 Games.
