Warwick should bid to be the host for equestrian events at the Brisbane Olympics, that is the word from Warwick Horse Trials Club vice president Cameron Osborne, of Allora. He said Warwick already had a masterplan to make its facilities at Morgan Park into an international equestrian precinct.
Toowoomba has come out pushing its case to hold the equestrian events now it is likely the main Olympic Stadium could be at Victoria Park which ends any plans for equestrian events to be held at the Brisbane Exhibition Grounds and Victoria Park. “Toowoomba Showgrounds wouldn’t be suitable for a cross country course,” he said. “We adopted our masterplan four or five years ago. “It is a great idea to have Olympic events in regional areas on facilities which are ready to go. “There is a huge amount of parking at Morgan Park.”
Osborne is not a fan of setting up cross country courses which are “pulled down after the games, see you later”. He claims the already established dressage, cross country and showjumping courses at Morgan Park could become a high quality, international facility with a lot of legacy for the future. “Warwick has an already established facility, it is a better option than a greenfield site but it appears Equestrian Queensland is supporting Toowoomba,” he said.
The Warwick Horse Trials Club has hosted some World Cup qualifiers and attracted many Olympians to its events, including Shane Rose and gold medallist Stuart Tinney. The cross-country course at Morgan Park is one of the few in the world in a bush setting which would prove a drawcard for spectators and television watchers around the world. He said Burghley in England was the world’s highest regarded facility with the closest town Stamford not as big as Warwick. “You don’t need a big town nearby, Burghley hosts the highest regarded five-star event in the world,” he said.
