Ticket details for the Olympic test event (4-6 July) at Greenwich have been released.
And there’s good news for the horseworld — equestrians will get the lion’s share of the 7,200 free tickets on offer for this and the modern pentathlon test event (9-10 July).
But allocation will be on an invitation-only basis. Members of the public will not have the chance to buy tickets.
The British Equestrian Federation (BEF) will distribute 3,700 tickets, first to elite athletes on the World Class Performance programme, with the others shared between the 18 affiliate members of the BEF.
BEF chief executive Andrew Finding said: “This allows each organisation to identify their worthy recipients and recognise those who contribute to our sport.”
Member bodies will decide how to allocate tickets, but it is thought priority will be given to potential team members, owners, support staff, sponsors and volunteers.
To enable as many people to attend as possible, most tickets will be valid for only one day.
Invitations were being sent out as H&H went to press.
British Dressage and the Riding for the Disabled Association will ballot members.
When H&H tried to find out which athletes are likely to compete a BEF spokesman said “team preparations are being kept firmly under wraps”.
Greenwich locals will share the rest of the tickets, with 3,500 being distributed by LOCOG (the Olympic organising committee) to Greenwich schools and Greenwich University.
Greenwich council will hand out 1,000 tickets to residents. Details are to be announced.
This news story was first published in the current issue of Horse & Hound (12 May, 2011)
