Normandy 2014 sports team photograph, from left to right and from top to bottom:
Alain Soucasse FFE, Philippe Rossi vaulting manager, Didier Ferrer dressage manager, Jean-Pierre Brisou driving manager and Jean-Marc Varillon eventing manager;
Michèle Pfender reining manager, Nicolas Wahlen endurance manager, Laurent Cellier sports director, Fanny Delaval para-equestrian and Frédéric Morand, jumping manager.
Eight discipline-specific experts have been appointed to the Normandie 2014 Organising Committee. Appointed to the sports management team, the eight official discipline managers started their roles at a conference in May at the Haras Du Pin stud. During the conference the newly-appointed managers spent three days exchanging ideas and meeting with their counterparts from the FEI.
The chosen team members are principally specialist technicians in the organisation of equestrian competitions and each is an expert in their own discipline:
Jumping : Frédéric MORAND, technical manager of the Bordeaux CSI World Cup
Eventing : Jean-Marc VARILLON, technical director of the CCI 4* Stars of Pau
Dressage : Didier FERRER, event organiser of the Biarritz CDI 3* and the Vidauban CDI
Driving : Jean-Pierre BRISOU, director of the International Driving Competition, Compiègne,
Endurance : Nicolas WAHLEN, event organiser of the CEI Compiègne,
Vaulting : Philippe ROSSI, event organiser of the 2011 European Championships and the 2012 World Championships,
Reining : Michèle PFENDER, international judge since 2002,
Para-Equestrian sport : Didier FERRER as well as a soon-to-be-appointed specialist
During 2012, the sports management team will be putting together the programmes and it is expected that foreign delegations will be shown around the site now the London 2012 Olympic Games have finished.
Five minutes with Jean-Marc Varillon
Jean-Marc Varillon Photo: JEM 2014
Jean-Marc Varillon is well known in the eventing world as the technical director since 1996 of the 4* event, Les Etoiles de Pau in France, part of the FEI HSBC Classics Series. He has also been involved with FEI World Cup finals and FEI European Championships as well as having been an amateur rider himself up to CCI 2* level.
What is your most memorable moment involving horses?
The organisation of the Eventing European Championships in Pau in 2001, when we were faced with a large public attendance. We had been expecting 15,000 people, but in fact 60,000 people turned up for the event! It was terrifying being in charge of the organisation and yet at the same time it was very moving to realise that we had pulled off this crazy exploit.
And then there’s when my daughter, trained by my wife, won the Critérium National CCE junior eventing competition on a horse we had raised ourselves.
What do the World Equestrian Games represent to you?
I have a dual role. I have a career which has nothing to do with the organisation of equestrian competitions (car rental business) then there’s the ‘horse riding as a leisure activity’ side to me with the organisation of equestrian competitions.
I have always wanted to organise the competitions that I’m in charge of in the most professional manner possible. The fact that I have been chosen for the WEG is a real vote of confidence for me, it’s recognition of all the work I have put in over the past years.
What particular challenge will you be up against in your discipline?
There are two of them:
- To make sure that together, both riders and the eventing public are able to share in the thrill of not only our event but of the rest of the competition as well.
- Confirm the position of the Haras du Pin as one of the most beautiful competition sites around and to have one of the best eventing competitions in the world.
How will we able to see that you have succeeded in your goals for the World Equestrian Games?
I’ll be able to say that I’ve been successful if the competitors and spectators compare this event to the Burghley Horse Trials, which are, in my opinion, the best in the world.
