Bid teams from 11 cities in Asia, Canada, Europe and the United States have presented their final bid books to the FEI Evaluation Commission at FEI headquarters in Lausanne (SUI) targeting the FEI’s major events.
Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Final 2015
Barcelona (ESP), which staged the inaugural Final for the global team Jumping series, the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™, last year and will host the 2014 Final on October 9-12, is seeking a third Final in 2015. The Barcelona organisers are up against Old Salem Farm in North Salem, New York (USA), which is also bidding to host this prestigious Final.
FEI European Championships 2017
Four cities are aiming to host FEI European Championships in 2017.
Gothenburg (SWE) is bidding to host the four disciplines of Jumping, Dressage & Para-Equestrian Dressage and Driving in 2017, while Rotterdam (NED) is being considered as host venue for the FEI European Jumping Championships.
Fontainebleau (FRA) and Strzegom (POL) are both aiming to host the 2017 edition of the FEI European Eventing Championships, which have taken place every two years since 1953. Fontainebleau became the third French venue to host these Championships in 2009, while success for Strzegom would make this a first for Poland.
FEI World Cup™ Jumping and Dressage Finals 2017
Omaha, Nebraska (USA) is now waiting to hear on its bid to stage the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping and FEI World Cup™ Dressage Finals in 2017.
Hong Kong (HKG) and ‘s-Hertogenbosch (NED) are meanwhile seeking to host the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final and FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final respectively.
Due to planned construction on the site of the proposed British venue, London’s O2 Arena, the bid team will now focus its efforts on hosting future double Finals.
“The 02 arena is one of the largest state-of-the-art concert venues in Europe, and staged the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games basketball and gymnastics events,” said Ingmar De Vos, FEI Secretary General. “It is a perfect venue for our sport, and we are looking forward to seeing London in the running again for the FEI World Cup Finals.”
FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2018
The candidates for the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2018, Bromont/Montreal (CAN) and Lexington, Kentucky (USA), will present their final bids to the FEI Bureau in June.
“To have 11 cities on three continents bidding to host major FEI events over the next four years demonstrates the importance of equestrian sport and its significance for organisers and sponsors, who have the potential to reach millions of spectators and viewers around the world,” continued De Vos. “The successful host cities for our Championships and Finals in 2015 and 2017, and our flagship FEI World Equestrian Games in 2018, will be given the green light following the FEI Bureau in-person meeting on June 9-10.”
Bidding for the FEI European Endurance Championships 2015 for Seniors has been reopened and, following final review of bid books at the end of July, will be allocated by the FEI Bureau on 12 August.