New venue proposed for Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games

In a bid to promote sustainability, the LA28 equestrian events are set to move to an existing facility

The Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles 2028 (LA28) has announced plans to move equestrian and para-equestrian competitions to an existing, purpose-built facility in Temecula, southern California, emphasising sustainability, legacy and fiscal responsibility in their decision. The relocation of the equestrian events will achieve significant cost savings by eliminating the need to construct an expensive temporary venue.

FEI President and International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Ingmar De Vos said: “The FEI has worked closely with the Organising Committee to evaluate and choose a venue capable of hosting all equestrian and para-equestrian events with the aim of managing the overall costs and complexity.

“Importantly, the venue can also accommodate eventing competitions, which was a condition of the IOC Executive Board to include this discipline in the programme of the LA28 Olympic Games. The reasoning behind the venue change also fits well with the equestrian sport’s sustainability ideals and aims, and will create lasting legacies for the local community. With this important announcement we can now start working with LA28 on the field-of-play design and organisation of the equestrian competitions.”

In order to make LA28 more sustainable, while elevating the experience for athletes, the Organising Committee revised its venue plans to use more existing venues. The new venue assignments will create more than US$150 million in combined cost savings and revenue increases for the Games.

The amendments to the venue master plan have already been approved by the board and will be put forward to the City Council of Los Angeles for its formal approval in the coming months, as the proposals involve relocating the competition venues outside the city’s boundaries and differ from the plans submitted in the original bid.

CEO of the United States Equestrian Federation, Bill Moroney, said: “We are thrilled a venue has been chosen that can host all equestrian events. The announcement of the equestrian venue aligns with the IOC requirement stating all equestrian events must be held in the same location. The Equestrian Centre for the LA28 Games in Temecula will be a world class international experience on the field of play for athletes, horses and their support teams, as well as for fans and spectators alike.

“US Equestrian is proud to support equestrian sport’s inclusion in the Olympic and Paralympic programmes for 2028 and is eager to work with the FEI, LA28 Organising Committee, and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee to bring an extraordinary event to the USA. The LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games hold immense potential to elevate the visibility and popularity of our sport nationwide.”

The LA28 Olympic Games will take place from 14–30 July and the Paralympics from 15–27 August, with the programme being finalised following the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

For more information, visit la28.org