Rotterdam Decorated With Horses Ahead of Euro Champs

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Life size model horses being placed around Rotterdam ahead of European Championships.

ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands, July 13–Rotterdam will be the horse capital of Europe hosting two top events–the FEI European Dressage Championships and CHIO Rotterdam in August.

To create a more equestrian feel, 25 life-sized models of real horses will be placed around the city center. The horses will be painted and decorated by local artists and students and will be used for several activities over the summer.

“At least for a short period Rotterdam will be the equestrian capital of Europe,” said Frans Lavooij, president of the Organizing Committee. “The FEI EC Dressage directly followed by the 63rd edition of the CHIO Rotterdam will bring the whole equestrian world to Rotterdam. This is a nice way to profile these major events in our city linking sports, art and culture.”

The European Championships of Dressage are scheduled for Aug. 17-21 and are a qualifier for the London Olympics next year. Competition will be intense as 21 countries have applied.

Tickets for the championships are selling out quickly.

All tickets for the closing day Freestyle were gone in just a few weeks.

Some tickets are still available for the Grand Prix and the Special online at http://www.ecdressage2011.com.

“It’s exciting to see the interest from everyhwere around the world to watch the best European riders and horses here in Rotterdam,” said Tineke Bartels, Director of Sports. “We expect a full house when we pay tribute to the new European Champions on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.“