Swiss Team & Two Canadians withdraw from Olympics

The Swiss Dressage Team has announced that it will not be sending a team or any individuals to compete at the Olympics to be held in Hong Kong later this year. Top Swiss rider, Silvia Ikle, was the first to announce that she would not participate as she was concerned for the welfare of her horse. “I don’t want to put my horses through this,” Ikle explained.

Ikle’s decision prompted the Swiss Equestrian Federation to announced the withdraw of the entire team as previous good results were in large part due to the marks that she contributed.

In response, Swiss dressage team coach, German Jurgen Koschel, announced that he was resigning his position as team trainer. “The flight time as well as the climate in Hong Kong were known as soon as it was announced that the Games were going to be held there and they were accepted by all international riders, who also competed at the Olympics in Seoul, Atlanta or Los Angeles, which were successfully held under the same circumstances,” Koschel stated.

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Two top Canadian medal hopes have also pulled out. Cindy Ishoy and Ashley Nicoll-Holzer, who were bronze team medalists in Seoul in 1988, are citing the pre-games competition requirements and the hot conditions in Hong Kong.

A spokesman for the Equestrian Company in charge of organising the Games in Hong Kong said the decision is regrettable, but it is one made by an individual team. “We do not expect this to have any effect on the Games, as the withdrawn team will be replaced by others on the ranking list. We are not aware of any other complaints from athletes and national federations about the weather conditions in Hong Kong,” he said.

The Equestrian Company also emphasised that while the hot and humid conditions prevailing in Hong Kong in August have been well recognised, the welfare of the horses and athletes is of uppermost importance to the event organisers. Previous Olympic equestrian events have been successfully held in hot and distant (to Europe) locations such as Los Angeles and Atlanta.

In Hong Kong, a huge amount of time and effort has been invested over the past two years to further develop strategies and protocols to minimise the effects of these weather conditions on the horses, under the supervision of Professor Leo Jeffcott, Federation Equestre Internationale’s (FEI) Veterinary Delegate for the 2008 Olympic Equestrian Events, and Dr Chris Riggs, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Head of Veterinary Clinical Services and the EqCo’s Veterinary Services Manager.

“Transport arrangements, stabling, cooling facilities and veterinary services have all been refined to provide optimal support for the horses. In addition, the latest meteorological facilities of the Hong Kong Observatory are being fully utilised in protocols to ensure it has minimal impact on horses,” the spokesman said.

These protocols have been fully tested in two simulated events in 2006 and 2007, and again at last August’s Good Luck Beijing-HKSAR 10th Anniversary Cup competition.

Some serious adverse weather conditions were encountered during the competition last summer, but all horses and riders from overseas were found to have coped with the conditions very effectively. Competition times have been arranged to take advantage of the cooler times of the day, either early in the morning or in the evening after sunset. Training times will also be adjusted according to weather conditions.

In addition to fully air-conditioned stables which will keep the horses cool and comfortable during the rest period, large misting fans and ice boxes will be installed at the venues to ensure maximum cooling effects for horses after competition.

Veterinary Services Manager of EqCo, Dr Riggs, said: “While the effects of the weather can never be guaranteed, we will be relying on some of the most sophisticated forecasting available in the world. We are confident that effective strategies will be in place to minimise the consequences of these prevailing conditions on the health and welfare of horses.”

A full briefing on these and other veterinary matters relating to the Equestrian Events in August will be the subject of a workshop in Lausanne, Switzerland, next month. The workshop, entitled “On to Hong Kong”, will be held by FEI and is open to representatives from all national federations.