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2002
World Equestrian Games
Jerez 2002: First Horses in Chapin To Test the Footing
 Members
of Jerez 2002 Organising Committee and the Technical
Delegate of the International Equestrian Federation
attended the first test of the brand new footing of
the showground at Chapin where the dressage and showjumping
competitions for WEG will take place next September.
The Royal Andalusian Equestrian School riders Antonio
Cid and Jose Maria Perez were those invited to test
the footing in the main stadium. The sand footing of
the 74x120 metres large competition arena has been created
and laid down by the French company Toubin and Clement.
The sand was put down only a week ago when a total of
2600 tonnes of French prosol sand, transported by 60
trucks, arrived from the port of Cadiz, and it is still
very fresh. The FEI Technical Delegates, Olaf Petersen
(Showjumping) and Gotthif Riexinger (Dressage), together
with Frank Kemperman (Jerez 2002 showmanager for these
two disciplines), the director of Toubin and Clement
and members of the Sports Department of the Organising
Committee attended this first test.
Antonio Cid and José María Pérez, both dressage instructors,
rode Bandido and Grullo 2 for the test. Gotthilf Reixinger
praised the tremendous progress that has been made on
the magnificent installations of Chapin’s sports complex
since his visit last May. With regards to the condition
of the sand, Riexinger pointed out that, taking into
account that the sand is still fresh, “..... the footing
is good, although it will need to be compressed further
as it is not firm enough yet, as well as it needs achieving
more elasticity on its top layer”. To ensure that everything
is in perfect order for the fourth World EquestrianGames,
the FEI TDs confirmed that a second test will be carried
out on 8th and 9th September, prior to the Opening Ceremony.
After overseeing the showjumping tests in Chapin consisting
of five jumps, the FEI Technical Delegate for Jumping,
Olaf Petersen, praised the fantastic job that has been
carried out to date by the Committee although he stressed
that there is still more to be done. On the arena Petersen
stated that “.... this initial evaluation of the footing
has been carried out too early. Improvements must be
made as the sand for Jerez 2002 has to be the best”.
The test and the FEI Delegates' visit has not only
served as a revision of the texture, colour, density
and condition of the sand, but also as an evaluation
of other technical aspects of the dressage and showjumping
competitions such as the location of the judges, the
entrance of the horses into the showground, the conditions
of the warm-up arenas or even the positioning of the
green areas, flower arrangements and billboards that
together will convert Chapin Stadium into the epicentre
of the World Equestrian Games Jerez 2002.
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