Hickstead Highlights Lack Of Financial Support
New
ground improvements brought forward to answer criticisms
Hickstead
has brought forward planned improvements to the All England Jumping
Course to answer FEI criticisms after last year's Samsung Super
League Nations Cup competition.
"Apart
from work on the all-weather surface in the warm-up area, everything
now being done had been on our development plan," said director
Edward Bunn. "Like everything, improvements need financing
and we walk the same narrow line as everyone else."
And
he adds: "But it does highlight a particular problem faced
by Hickstead. For 43 years, the upkeep and facilities on the show
ground have been financed by my father and it does beg the question
of why a venue classified as one of the best in the world and certainly
the best in this country has to be financed solely out of Bunn family
resources.
"In
most other countries there would be government aid or some financial
help from the national federation, but although the BEF is looking
into this, we have no idea what the future holds. In the past there
has been help from Lottery funding for the 1999 European Championships
and a decade ago financing for safety improvements following the
Bradford disaster.
Financing
influenced the decision to limit the Hickstead programme to two
major shows a year and it is only this year that sponsorship from
national audio specialist Alpine has been agreed for the National
Schools and Pony Club Championships, financed for nearly 30 years
out of the Bunn pocket.
"It
has been suggested that if my father had not opened Hickstead and
filled the arena with challenging permanent obstacles, ploughed
money into it over the years and devised competitions to attract
international riders, British showjumping would not have been able
to dominate the world in the 1960s, 70s and 80s and certainly would
not be hosting Samsung Super League Nations Cup competitions today."
Now
Douglas Bunn, who opened the All England Jumping Course in 1960
and has hosted eight European and two world championships, is again
investing in improvements to take the show ground into the next
decade.
The
International Arena, acclaimed worldwide for its footing, is to
receive top dressings of a special sand and continued treatment
by a machine purchased to improve drainage before the European Championships
in 1999.
A
new international stabling area, designed to provide the maximum
security demanded by today's international standards, is to be built
on a 10-acre site purchased recently specifically for this purpose.
This will house all nternational horses, while animals brought in
by foreign riders to compete in lesser classes will be stabled in
a new adjacent block. Both will be serviced by a new access road.
The
entrance "funnel" to the International Arena is to receive
a sand dressing to help reduce muddy conditions in bad weather and
long-term consideration is to be given to an all-weather surface.
Visual considerations for the all-weather international warm-up
area and a planned new warm-up area near ring two will go ahead
if adequate financing can be arranged.
A
much-needed and planned improvement to the press facilities will
meet the modern demands of improved technology, and new sponsor
and timing specialist Longines has agreed to provide an "instant"
computerised results service for international classes.
Criticisms
of show ground access are being met by a new entrance to service
traffic from the South and will ease congestion at peak times.
"Other
improvements have been discussed and these will receive ongoing
consideration as finances allow," said Edward."
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