News

Volunteers? Yep, horse event needs thousands

By NANCY WACLAWEK, Published: May 25, 2018

Fun facts about what it takes to put on the World Equestrian Games, shared by Carly Weilminster, national press officer for TIEC and WEG:

• Horses will fly into Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport in container-like box stalls that they will board in their home environment. Upon landing at GSP, horses in the stalls will be driven to TIEC and quarantined, waiting for health clearance from the USDA.

• Security is a top priority, with local, state and national agencies involved. They include the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, international security firms, crisis teams and local emergency management. The World Equestrian Games are considered a Level 1 event based on the number of people attending, Weilminster said. WEG is among the largest international sporting events taking place this year. That list includes the Winter Olympics in South Korea, the FIFI World Cup in Russia and the Tour de France.

• Yes, there will be celebrities. Jessica Springsteen has made the short list for Show Jumping-Individual, so you might see her mom and dad in the crowd. Be on the lookout, too, for the Bill and Melinda Gates, former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheik Hamdan, whose discipline is Endurance. Alas, you won’t be seeing Prince William or Prince Harry. They have other things going on in their lives right now.

• Major media from around the world will arrive Sept. 9 and 10. The equestrian disciplines will start daily at 9 a.m. and conclude by 6 p.m. to meet international broadcast deadlines.

• NBC will provide exclusive coverage of the WEG through its NBC Sports and Olympic channels and live streaming. The final discipline of the games, show jumping, will be broadcast live on Sept. 23 on NBC before the NFL game that evening, Weilminster said. The Detroit Lions take on the New England Patriots that evening, according to NBC’s broadcast schedule.

• Each of the competitors’ teams has its own entourage of veterinarians, farriers, groomers and stewards, but TIEC has also reached out to local farriers and veterinarians in case they are needed.

• St. Luke’s Hospital in Columbus will be used for non-trauma cases, and it will staff a satellite hospital at TIEC. Spartanburg Regional, a Trauma 1 facility, will be the other hospital on call.

• If you speak more than one language, the games need you. Volunteers and staff who are multilingual will help athletes, media and spectators from more than 75 countries. TIEC needs 3,000 volunteers to fill 9,000 shifts during the games in such areas as the horse show, food and beverage, welcome center, parking, shuttles, the spectator experience and more. On-line applications will be accepted through early September. To volunteer, visit https://volunteers.tryon2018.com and create a volunteer profile.You will be contacted by email.