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[RC] Malaysia WEC: First Arrivals - Steph Teeter

First Arrivals

It was a huge task for the organizing committee to manage the arrival of all of the horses, but now they are here and settled in at TIEP (Terengganu International Endurance Park). All of the horses except UAE, Bahrain and Qatar which will arrive later by private plane, were shipped from various airports around the world and flown directly to Terengganu by Malaysia Airlines Cargo. Only a month ago these huge planes - the jumbo B747-400's - could not land in Terengganu because the airport runway was not long enough. The Terengganu state government and Malaysia Airlines funded a construction project to extend the runway from 2800 to 3400 meters - allowing enough room for the jumbo jets to land. This project enabled the Sultan Mahmood Airport to gain International status, which will be a tremendous boost to Terengganu's economies. With sights set on the 2008 WEC and the need to transport 150 horse from around the world, the project was pushed along at a rapid pace. Construction began in April and was completed by October - crews worked around the clock to achieve the goal. On October 11, for the first time, a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 747-400 landed at the Kuala Terengganu Sultan Mahmud (International) Airport.

So now the horses are settled in to their respective quarantine stables. Grooms and equipment arrived with the horses, and the additional riders and support crews are trickling in. The grooms (which are also the riders in some cases) are settling into their routines - the feeding, watering, exercising, clipping. Most teams have a veterinarian on site (in addition to the 'local' veterinarians) monitoring the conditions of the horses and dealing with any issues that arise. There will be one more large influx of people on October 29, which is the date at which the organizing committee will begin covering additional accommodation costs for the various Nation's teams - riders, veterinarians and chef d'equipes.

I'm trying to guess at the number of people that will be here for this event - it's going to be huge! 141 horses - riders, grooms, team staff (vets, chefs, support staff) - that will be close to 600 people just for each horse/rider combo. (not counting the UAE which will probably have close to 100 of it's own support staff). Then there's the organizing committee - a hundred or so. The FEI staff - vets, judges, stewards - close to 100? The military and state staff to manage the track and facilities and traffic control and emergency services. The food services. Vendors and displays. The maintenance and janitorial staff. The swarms of media, the spectators (this is HUGE event for Malaysia as a nation). It's mind boggling...

But there is an air of capable confidence here. I see a lot of tired faces, but still very good spirits and there is no sense of panic. Everything is moving along as planned, as hoped. The event is in very capable hands. The head of the WEC OC, Dato' Salleh, is always smiling, always calm and friendly. He exudes a wonderful welcoming manner and I'm sure his firm quiet way contributes greatly to the overall mood. Azrin Zhudi is the event director. The company Arif Solutions which is owned by Azrin and her husband Daniel had developed event management software which makes everyone's life much easier. Eventuz is targeted for the larger world of event management, but has been honed to perfection through the management needs of the 2008 WEC. Azrin said that the software has made her job much easier as all of the event management details (such as travel and accomodation) are accessible and organized by the system.

This week will provide time for the grooms and horses to relax and settle in to a routine before the intensity begins. And the organizing committee will be able to take a deep breath now that the horses have safely arrived - but I'm certain there is no time for relaxation for them. Now with barely 2 weeks left, they will sharpen their focus to the final preparations.

later -

Steph
http://www.endurance.net/2008WEC/





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