Alec Lochore played a part at not only the London 2012 Olympic Games but also the recent Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy
The 2012 Olympic Games might be a distant memory, but equestrianism's legacy lives on as the focus shifts to Rio 2016. Five key British players from the Greenwich-based team are sharing the experience they gained in 2012 with those involved in the 2016 Rio Games.
Tim Hadaway, Equestrian Competition Manager in 2012, joined the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) staff in 2013 as Director of a newly created Games and Championships Department. “We are lucky to have such a depth of experience in Great Britain, and to see its continued involvement at the highest level is a real legacy of the last Games,” said Hadaway.
The FEI has appointed London Eventing Manager Alec Lochore as Eventing Technical Delegate (TD), and 2012 Para-Equestrian Dressage Manager Amanda Bond is back as TD of the Para-Equestrian Dressage.
“For me, Rio will be a new experience; as TD I sit on the other side of the table from the Organising Committee (OC) and that will be a challenge, given I was with the OC for both London and Beijing. It's a great honour that the FEI put their trust in you to help deliver the Games, but at the same time, a bit nerve-wracking!” admitted Bond.
“At the highest level, the FEI make these key appointments, and it is a reflection of both Alec and Amanda's experience in their relevant disciplines,” Hadaway explained. “Add Stephen Renouard and Jenny Hall into the mix and you have something of a dream team.”
London 2012 Jumping and Dressage Manager Stephen Renouard has been brought in as Equestrian Consultant for Rio 2016, and Jenny Hall, Veterinary Services Manager in 2012, is engaged as Veterinary Consultant.
Alec Lochore has the experience he gained in London, along with 16 years of running Horse Trials in the UK; he is also a 3*/4* course designer and previously competed at the highest levels. “I'm sure the experience I gained in London will be an invaluable asset. An understanding of how both Olympic Organising Committees and the International Federation interact and work is a key requirement,” he said. “Rio will have different challenges to London, but the scale of knowledge sharing is a great development in the sport. It's not just competitive success that marks the legacy of 2012.”
Jenny Hall agrees: “The depth of our knowledge transfer is very much a legacy from London – a 'soft' legacy that it is easy to overlook. It would be safe to say that we were all on a massive learning curve in Greenwich. For me, I knew what the end result needed to look like, having been a team vet, but I had limited event management experience. My role this time around has been about developing people who have all the ability but, as was the case with us, have not had the experience of delivering an Olympic Games.”
Stephen Renouard has a wide ranging advisory role for Rio. “I have to make sure that the right systems and infrastructure are in place, and this is where I can draw from my time in Greenwich; what could we have done better with hindsight?
“Equestrianism is different to other sports. Departments within the Rio Team (Functional Areas) are specialists in their field but there is no reason why they should understand horse sport; this is always the case, and a problem we had to overcome in London too.”
Other senior posts have been filled by esteemed French cross country course designer Pierre Michelet, responsible for the track at last year's Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy; and the experienced Ataide Pereira from Brazil who takes on Tim Hadaway's role as Equestrian Competition Manager, having been assistant TD at Sydney 2000, London 2012 and the 2014 WEG.
“The right management team can make or break any event. Without exception, challenges will come along that threaten a successful outcome,” Amanda points out. “It is the way a team pull together with gritty determination to find a solution that makes the difference.”
This is an abridged version of the full article London legacy lives on as focus shifts to Rio 2016 by Hilary Manners, first published on Inside The Games on 7th Feb 2015
