Record Breaking Ticket Sales for Paralympic Equestrian at London 2012
Posted by FEI Press Release
Greenwich Park, pictured here at the London Prepares Test Event in July, will provide a spectacular backdrop for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Photo: Kit Houghton/FEI.
Sales of Paralympic Equestrian tickets for the London 2012 Paralympic Games have broken records, with more than 40,000 tickets already sold. And there is a further opportunity for spectator numbers to increase with remaining tickets going on sale at 1pm GMT today (2 December). The USPEA now has 4 riders in Australia as they continue their quest to qualify to represent the United States. Recently the US Para team won a Gold medal in Mexico on borrowed horses. Para-Equestrian Dressage is the only equestrian discipline that is included in the Paralympic Games, where it has been a regular fixture since Atlanta 1996.The number of tickets sold to date for the 11 Paralympic Equestrian events taking place in Greenwich Park next year (30 August - 4 September) has already overtaken the previous record of 33,000 spectators that watched the Beijing 2008 Paralympic equestrian events in Hong Kong.
In total over one million tickets have already been purchased for the 20 sports at the London 2012 Paralympic Games since they went on sale this year.
"We have six days of Paralympic Equestrian competition in Greenwich Park, in a country where Para-Equestrian Dressage was pretty much born," said Tim Hadaway, Equestrian Competition Manager at Greenwich Park, venue for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
"Greenwich is a large venue and we already have huge spectator numbers for Paralympic Equestrian. With further ticket sales expected over the coming days, we are pleased to say that we will be hosting the highest number of spectators ever to have watched Para-Equestrian at any Paralympic Games."
The remaining tickets for the 2012 Paralympic Equestrian events will be available on a first-come, first-served basis at www.tickets.london2012.com. For residents outside the UK, a full list of Authorized Ticket Resellers is also available on the London 2012 ticketing website.
"It is fantastic that 78 of our Para-Equestrian athletes will be competing in front of their biggest ever audience at the London 2012 Paralympic Games in the beautiful surroundings of Greenwich Park," said Trond Asmyr, FEI Director of Dressage and Para-Equestrian Dressage.
In 2006, the FEI became one of the first International Federations to govern and regulate a sport for disabled athletes when Para-Equestrian Dressage joined the ranks of the seven disciplines the FEI regulates.
The London 2012 Paralympic Games competition schedule and background on the Paralympic Equestrian events can be found here.
For additional information on the London 2012 Paralympic Equestrian procedures, including qualification, rankings and appointed officials, please click here.
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