World Para Dressage Championships
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
Hartpury to host World Para Dressage Championships 2007
Hartpury College is delighted to announce that it has been successful in bidding to run the World Para Dressage Championships in 2007. The event, which will run from 16 – 22 July, will be the main qualifying event for the Beijing Paralympics in the following year.
The Championships are likely to attract in the region of 150 competitors from 40 nations. The event will build on Britain’s success in hosting the European Dressage Championships in 2003 and the European Eventing Championships at Blenheim this year, demonstrating the UK’s increasing ability and profile as a major equestrian sporting venue. Paralympic equestrian sport, currently governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) will shortly become the eighth discipline of the FEI, making this event the first FEI World Para Dressage Championships.
Hartpury College is becoming a recognised venue for international equestrian events, having hosted the 1997 FEI European Pony Championships, the European Young Rider Championships in 2000 and the very first disabled World Championships in 1994. The College also runs their own annual International Festival of Dressage and the Mitsubishi Motors Hartpury Three Day Event.
The successful bid has initiated another cycle of development at the College, which is already one of the UK’s top equestrian facilities. Plans are underway to extend the current outdoor arena, and to construct a new championship indoor arena, specifically designed for the needs of disabled riders.
UK Sport have been instrumental in supporting the bid to host the Championships, and have just confirmed the event will receive £200,000 of Lottery funding, which represents over a quarter of the total staging costs. John Scott, UK Sport's International Director, said,
"We are delighted that Hartpury College has been successful in bringing the World Para Dressage Championships to the UK. The event will build on the nation's excellent record for hosting truly world class equestrian events and - together with the Paralympic World Cup - demonstrates once again, the UK's unparalleled commitment to Paralympic sport. We also look forward to seeing our world class riders relishing the opportunity to perform at the top level on home turf.”
Malcolm Wharton, Principal of Hartpury College and Chairman of the Organising Committee, commented:
“We are truly honoured to have been selected to run the World Championships, and delighted to extend our support to the paralympic dressage movement. We are extremely grateful to UK Sport for their support, as their grant will allow Hartpury to stage a truly world class event.”
