Ireland’s Alan Wade has been appointed as Jumping Course Designer for the LA28 Olympic Games by the international equestrian governing body, the FEI.
Wade, who has designed courses at the highest level of the sport, including the FEI World Equestrian Games 2018 at Tryon in the USA, and was the Assistant Course Designer at the London 2012 Olympic Games alongside Bob Ellis of Britain, said he was honoured to accept the role.
“I would like to thank the FEI Board and Olympic Games LA 28 Organising Committee for entrusting me with the important role of creating the courses and fence designs.”
“I look forward to designing courses that produce good competition and present our sport in the best way possible on the world stage that is the Olympic Games.”
The Tipperary man, an FEI Level 4 Course Designer and Technical Delegate, grew up immersed in equestrian sport and began designing his first tracks at age 12 at the local gymkhanas in County Tipperary. He is the son of jumping great Tommy Wade, who was part of Ireland’s winning Aga Khan Cup team in 1963 and 1967 aboard the legendary Dundrum.
He began his professional career on home ground in Ireland, designing in the main arena of the Dublin Horse Show for the first time in 2009. Since then, he has officiated in Dublin over a dozen times. He has designed in Rotterdam, Istanbul, Abu Dhabi, Lisbon, and Rabat.
His reputation for excellence has crossed the Atlantic, and his popularity has grown in North America. Currently, most of his designs are created for shows in the United States, alongside some in Canada and Mexico.
“I would like to congratulate Alan Wade on his appointment as the Jumping Course Designer for the Olympic Games LA28,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said.
“This is a crucial role for the success of equestrian in Los Angeles, and I’m convinced that we have made the right choice.”
“Alan is hugely experienced and has a profound understanding of the sport. He is well known for his subtle designs, which are challenging but set a fair test for the athletes and the horses and reward skill and horsemanship. I’m looking forward to world-class jumping at the LA28 Olympic Games.”
“Alan has been at the forefront of his field for many years now, and this appointment is a testament to his hard work and excellence as a course designer,” added Denis Duggan, CEO of Horse Sport Ireland.
“We are very proud as the Irish National Federation that he has been selected by the FEI to be Jumping Course Designer at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles and are very much looking forward to seeing the design of the arena at Santa Anita.”
“Alan Wade’s involvement in designing the Olympic showjumping arena is fantastic news,” said Gavin Noble, Chef de Mission for Team Ireland at the Olympic Federation of Ireland.
“The jumping venue is always one of the most spectacular and iconic settings of the Games, and it’s fitting to see Irish expertise at the heart of it, demonstrating the best of us. Ireland has such a proud equestrian tradition, with consistently strong teams competing at the Games, so that this announcement will be welcomed across our Olympic community.”
The Olympic Games LA28 will take place from 14 to 30 July 2028. Equestrian will be staged at Santa Anita Equestrian Park in Arcadia and will feature team and individual competitions in Jumping, Dressage, and Eventing. A total of 200 athletes and horses will compete in the equestrian events.
Image Credit: Horse Sport Ireland
Further Reading for Sport for Business members:
Read our Sport for Business Coverage of Equestrian Sport
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