PRESS RELEASE – 2014 WORLD EQUESTRIAN GAMES
At the start of 2013, the Sports team of the Normandy 2014 Organizing Committee is enriched with a key skill. Anne Couroucé-Malblanc, veterinary doctor, is now responsible for all veterinary and health issues. This nomination was carefully prepared with the Fédération Equestre Internationale from the development of the desired profile to the final selection. At the same time, the Peden Bloodstock company was selected to carry out the important horse transit mission.
More than 500 days before the start of the competitions, the central question of the well-being and health of the horses is more than ever placed at the forefront of the organizers' concerns, to guarantee the complete success of the event.
1000 horse athletes in horse land
During the 15 days of the discipline world championships, 1000 horses of all breeds and origins will come together in Normandy. Athletes who must be in the best health and well-being conditions, to ensure sporting performance at the highest level. In addition to the horses involved in these competitions, other equines dedicated to entertainment will also be present in the Games Village. A large gathering of equines who will stay for a time in the leading French equine territory due to the size of its herd. These elements measure the level of requirements required in terms of veterinary and health safety.
Triple experience required
Anne Couroucé-Malblanc will organize this major part with the expertise required by the scale of the event. Lecturer at Oniris, National Veterinary, Agro-Food and Food School of Nantes Atlantique, she is also a specialist in equine internal medicine. She has always had a great interest in sports medicine, which has led her to follow national and international level sports horses. Another important criterion which contributed to his nomination: his great knowledge of national and international health authorities due to a long-standing involvement within networks and associations such as the Association of French Equine Veterinarians (AVEF) and the Network of Epidemiological surveillance in Equine Pathology (RESPE).
“It’s a chance to participate in this major sporting event for high-level sport horses. We have the great honor of organizing it in 2014 in France and Normandy, to be able to show the professionalism and expertise of French equine veterinarians. Such an international gathering requires flawless organization and close collaboration with the equine industry, veterinarians, health authorities and the Fédération Equestre Internationale. Collective work is now underway with the Committee so that the mission is carried out successfully.”
Anne Couroucé-Malblanc, Veterinary Services Coordinator of the Normandy 2014 Organizing Committee
Anne Couroucé-Malblanc now has full responsibility for:
– monitoring and prevention of health risks with national and international authorities and with the freight forwarder,
– the establishment of a “veterinary care map”, by site and by discipline (teams, qualifications, equipment, emergency management, etc.),
– the contribution to the fight against doping and the establishment of means for controls carried out under the authority of the FEI.
Now is the time to plan. At the time of the FEI Alltech 2014 World Equestrian Games in Normandy, it will be a matter of managing a multidisciplinary team on the ground, in a responsive manner and in good understanding with the veterinarians of the delegations and the authorities.
« We were impatiently awaiting his arrival to prepare now for the central veterinary question. The Organizing Committee wishes to go even further in collaboration with Oniris, National Veterinary, Agro-Food and Food School, Nantes Atlantique. The event provides the unique opportunity to date in France to propose research topics, to increase meetings between students and equine specialists from all national federations... We want to establish bridges by welcoming students during the preparatory phase and during competitions. This is also what leaves a long-term legacy for the French industry. ».
Laurent Cellier, Sports Director of the Normandy 2014 Organizing Committee
The journey of Anne Couroucé-Malblanc, in summary…
Veterinary doctor working as a teacher-researcher at Oniris, National Veterinary, Agro-Food and Food School of Nantes Atlantique, Graduate of the European College of Equine Internal Medicine (ECEIM), President of the scientific council of the AVEF (Association of French Equine Veterinarians) from 2002 to 2010, President of the scientific and technical council of RESPE (Epidemiological surveillance network of equine pathologies) since 2011
A four-star freight forwarder
The Veterinary Services Coordinator and freight forwarder will work together with the national and international authorities to ensure, at the right time and in optimal conditions, the entry of horses to the competition sites and their exit from the territory after the event.
The Normandy 2014 Organizing Committee has just selected Peden Bloodstock to ensure the official transit of competition horses.
This society (www.pedenbloodstock.com) is unanimous in its field internationally since it has already proven its effectiveness during previous editions of the Olympic Games and the World Equestrian Games, World Cup Finals, World Endurance Championships or stages of the Global Champions Tour.
The news is therefore particularly well received by the federations as this mission of trust is important for the health and well-being of horses.
In detail, Peden Bloodstock will ensure the international transport of equines by plane – at the expense of the federations – which concerns 15 to 20% of the horses entered from distant origins.
He will also manage all logistical, customs and health formalities for all the horses, but also the equipment and the participants, so that they come to Normandy and go to the competition sites in complete safety and legally. This implies that participants must all have, in addition to their FEI passport, a health certificate dedicated to the event and approved by the health authorities. Peden will be in charge of the planning, implementation and monitoring of these very technical subjects – transport, health and logistics – for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy.
The mission of the official freight forwarder falls within the general framework of services to delegations managed by the Sports Department – called “Horse one-stop shop” – in the same way as the management of the stables. Everything must be ready on D-1 for performance to be expressed.
Press contact – Normandy 2014 Organizing Committee:
France – Claire Montémont: +33 (0)2 31.29 16 96 – mobile: +33 (0)6 10.15 04 18
Email: [email protected]
About the 2014 FEI Alltech World Equestrian Games in Normandy
The 2014 FEI Alltech World Equestrian Games in Normandy will pave the way, in France, for other major events: the 2016 Euro Football Championship, the 2017 World Handball Championship and the 2018 Golf Ryder Cup.
Organized every four years, alternating with the Olympic Games, under the aegis of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), the World Equestrian Games constitute the largest equestrian event in the world. They will be held from August 24 to September 7, 2014. The event brings together eight disciplines over fifteen days of competition: Show Jumping, Dressage, Eventing, Driving, Reining, Vaulting, Endurance and Para-Dressage. It brings together more than 60 nations and nearly 1000 competitors to present the highest level equestrian competitions to the 500.000 spectators expected at the sites.
