The World Games 2010 Foundation, Inc., the organization responsible for planning, staging and conducting the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG), announced that Michael Etherington-Smith has been selected as the eventing course designer for the 2010 WEG.

Etherington-Smith brings to the Foundation more than 30 years of international experience in competition riding, training and course designing. He has been an FEI international course designer and technical delegate since 1985. Etherington-Smith served as course designer for the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, was technical delegate for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, and was eventing advisor to the 2006 WEG held in Aachen, Germany. He is currently course designer for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

As the eventing course designer, Etherington-Smith will design the fences and the course including its layout, measurement and preparation, for the Eventing World Championship at the 2010 WEG. He will work with course builders to oversee the construction of all the obstacles, and will also co-ordinate with the technical delegate and the ground jury to ensure that all requirements are met for the Games.

“We are very pleased to have Michael joining the team as we prepare for the 2010 Games,” said Rob Hinkle, Chief Operations Officer for the World Games 2010 Foundation. “His lifelong involvement in equestrian sport, and his history in working with the FEI, will greatly aid our efforts in creating the world championship level of competition courses expected at the Games.”

“I am truly delighted and honored to be invited to be course designer for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and am very much looking forward to working with the team in Lexington,” Etherington-Smith said. “The Kentucky Horse Park is one of the best settings in the world for such a competition and to have the opportunity to design a world championship course is very exciting and a real privilege.”

Etherington-Smith currently resides in the United Kingdom with his wife, Sue.