Officials with the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games recently announced Richard Nicoll as the driving course designer. Nicoll began designing and building courses in 1976 and has been working with carriages and horses since 1970. He competed with pairs and singles, and is currently the director of the Coach & Livestock Department of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Williamsburg, VA. Nicoll became course designer and technical delegate for the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) in the early 1980s. He has designed numerous courses, including three world championship courses, in several countries, including England, Canada, Austria, Argentina, Australia, Ireland, Sweden and the United States. Nicoll has recently been re-elected chairman of the FEI Driving Technical Committee where the number of international driving events has increased from 121 to 145 during his first term.
“Richard will be a tremendous asset to our efforts,” stated Jack Kelly, CEO of the World Games 2010 Foundation, Inc. “His experience and talent will translate to a superb driving course that both athletes and fans will enjoy.”
“I feel very privileged to have been named as the driving course designer for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games,” stated Nicoll. “The site at the Kentucky Horse Park offers a unique setting for driving and has enormous potential for designing and building a challenging and exciting marathon course.”
The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games will be held September 25-October 10, 2010, at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. The event, which is held every four years, will host the crowning of world champions of the eight equestrian disciplines recognized by the FEI. The games have never before been held outside of Europe; nor have all eight disciplines ever previously been held together at a single site. These are firsts that will be achieved at the Kentucky Horse Park. The 2010 Games are expected to have a statewide economic impact of $150 million. It is anticipated that more than 600,000 spectators will attend the 16-day competition.