WEG Endurance: Cluster**** of the Century

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

September 14, 2018
by: Pippa Cuckson

A few days before WEG, I shared a current aeriel video of Tryon on Facebook, saying it looked rather more finished than all the images we’ve been seeing from the ground. An American friend promptly posted a picture of Earth taken from Outer Space – Tryon looks even better and more finished the further away you stand….

Certainly the past week has been like observing from a parallel universe. On the one hand, nothing but pink and fluffy press releases from the FEI and Tryon itself. Let’s cheer Tryon for working so hard to get a luxury venue we all thought was more or less ready when given the games 18 months ago half-ready on time.

On the other hand, I have been mesmerized by the non-stop feed on social media of organisational chaos, red dust, mud and floods, and still-being thought-about-but-not-actually-constructed key facilities.

Three days into actual competition, I remain staggered that fire and safety authorities have signed off the public areas. Horse welfare is paramount, as the FEI bleats all the time, but what about people welfare? I’ve been reassured to read about the evacuation plans if Florence hits with all her might. Yet meanwhile I see (current) photos of electric cables festooned willy-nilly across ceilings (where they’ve managed to supply a ceiling, that is) and chunks of discarded construction stuff propped up along public walkways. All lie in wait to mangle innocent passers-by through falling down of their own accord.

I will address the general viability of Tryon and – yet again – the troubled history of all WEGs in another blog. But for now, of course, the fall-out from endurance...

Read more here:
https://horse-canada.com/horse-news/weg-endurance-cluster-century/