Tryon World Equestrian Games Plans to Build Athletes Village to House 1,000 Riders, as Well as All Grooms at Venue

7 years ago StraightArrow Comments Off on Tryon World Equestrian Games Plans to Build Athletes Village to House 1,000 Riders, as Well as All Grooms at Venue
The Tryon World Equestrian Games Athletes Village proposed to built for the championships of eight horse sports next September. Housing for grooms is shown at the top left corner.

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, Nov. 21, 2017–An athletes village to house an estimated 1,000 riders as well as all grooms is planned to be built at the Tryon International Equestrian Center venue in time for next September’s World Equestrian Games.

The ambitious undertaking, the first of its kind in the history of the WEG, was announced Tuesday by Sharon Decker, Chief Operating Officer of the Carolina operations of events at Tryon, to the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) annual general assembly being staged here.

The organizers of the event, the eighth combined championships since WEG was first staged in 1990, are funding the event with private financing. The WEG was awarded to Tryon with less than two years to go after Bromont, Canada pulled out.

Sharon reported to the national federation members of the FEI that governs international horse sports that if the village is not completed on time the organizers have already booked enough hotel rooms to accommodate all the riders and other officials.

The Tryon center on 1,600 acres (650ha) in western North Carolina will host all eight disciplines on the facility that already has about 1,200 permanent stables with more being built.

Dressage, jumping, eventing dressage and show jumping and para dressage will be staged in two stadiums in the heart of the facility–the existing George H. Morris arena and a stadium being built to seat 20,000 spectators. Vaulting and reining will be held in an arena that was initially constructed as a covered structure but has been expanded and is being enclosed for vaulting and reining. Cross country and driving marathon will be on a course initially designed by Mark Phillips.

Mark Bellissimo at the robotic modular home assembly plant near the Tryon International Equestrian Center. © 2017 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

Mark Bellissimo and the organizing group that owns and has built the show grounds at a cost of about $200 million had created a modular home construction operation called U.S. Precision.

The business being operated at a 200,000-square-foot (18,580 sq. meters) factory just eight miles (13km) from the show grounds is capable of producing at least eight modular units a day on the robotic assembly line.

The units will be stacked up to three levels for the athletes village that will provide single rooms for each athlete.

Bedroom in one of the modular home units to be created for the Tryon World Equestrian Games athletes village. Mark Bellissimo, majority owner of the factory and who heads up organization of the WEG, is standing on the left. © 2017 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

Several restaurants, from a high end steak house, to Italian and sushi and a classic New Jersey diner, already exist on the site with more planned. Special buffet-style restaurants are planned for riders, grooms, media and officials.

Sharon said a three-story building is being constructed on an embankment between the two stadiums with views to both for VIP seating.

Ticket sales and room reservations are well ahead of projections, she said.

An estimated 700 vendors are projected for the WEG.

Parking for 10,000 cars is being prepared with other nearby substantial parking areas to bring spectators in by buses that will pull up by the vendor area.

 

 

,