07.09.12

Then there were 3, 2018 WEG down another host bid!

Posted in 2018 Games at 8:25 pm by Thomas

It became official today, though the writing had been on the wall for some time, Wellington, Florida has announced their intention to drop a bid to be host city for the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games.  We are disappointed but it is hard to be surprised by this outcome considering the political in fighting that had been on public display for the last couple of months.  Actually our primary disappointment is the with how this was handled and some feelings that Wellington should not of even submitted a bid in the first place because the dynamics that caused this failure were in place prior to the bid being submitted.

I realize my group and maybe more importantly myself will draw some fire for publicly making that statement.  I am not trying to indite the good intentions of certain individuals in Wellington, but it would seem there was a sense the other side would raise up to prevent this bid from being successful.  I have a pretty good sense of why that is, but that is totally unimportant to me, what is important, where the 2018 Games finally land and the impact that has on Kentucky pursuing either the 2022 or 2026 Games.

Currently the favorite to win the bid is Vienna, Austria for the simple fact, its Vienna.  With Wellington out though Bromont, Canada picks up some support with those wanting the Games in North America.  However Vienna effectively received the same boost when Budapest, Hungary withdrew their bid a few weeks ago.  Rabat, Morocco is the other city via for the Games, but it seems hard to in-vision them beating out Vienna.

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