The British Equestrian Federation’s (BEF) consultant director of facilities Tim Hadaway will mastermind the Olympic and Paralympic equestrian competitions at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The appointment may come as a surprise to members of the equestrian community who had tipped Olympia and Royal Windsor organiser Simon Brooks-Ward for the job.
But BEF chief executive Andrew Finding is convinced of Tim’s suitability.
“He may not be the best-known person in the [horse] world but he is very well organised, works very hard and is very consultative in his approach.”
As competition manager, Mr Hadaway will be responsible for ensuring the show jumping, dressage and eventing competitions run smoothly at the Olympic venue, Greenwich Park in south-east London.
Mr Hadaway said: “The Greenwich venue is a very special one and I am looking forward to getting to grips with running this very exciting event there.
“I want it to be memorable for athletes and spectators alike. That will be at the absolute forefront of my mind throughout the planning and delivery of the Olympic Games.”
His first role will be as an observer at the equestrian competitions at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and in October he takes over his full-time role with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG).
Fran Edwards of LOCOG said: “Tim’s appointment is a full-time one. Some sport managers are part-time and go full-time nearer the Games, but we felt we needed someone full-time on equestrian.”
Mr Hadaway, who has been a British Eventing (BE)) technical adviser since 1996, was director of Blair Castle International Horse Trials from 1998 to 2001, and advised the organisers of the 2006 Asian Games on the delivery of the cross-country phase.
He was also BE sports and technical manager from 2002 to 2005 and was behind the feasibility study to evaluate the implications of staging the World Equestrian Games in the UK in either 2014 or 2018.
This news story was first published in Horse & Hound (24 July, ’08)
