California’s Santa Anita Park — where famous racehorse Seabiscuit won his last race — has been announced as the venue of the equestrian events for the Los Angeles Olympic Games (15-30 July 2028).
The announcement comes less than a week after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that all three of the Olympic equestrian disciplines — showjumping, dressage and eventing — will be a part of the 2028 Games.
Santa Anita Park is a horse racing venue and it previously hosted the equestrian events for the 1984 Olympics. It is located close to LA city — around 25 miles from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
“Santa Anita Park will be a spectacular venue for the LA28 Olympic equestrian events,” said FEI President Ingmar De Vos.
“The FEI has very fond memories of Santa Anita, which had hosted the equestrian events at the 1984 Olympic Games. The venue is set to offer a breathtaking stage for all the Olympic equestrian competitions and the proximity to LA City will undoubtedly attract many spectators to Santa Anita.
“We look forward to continuing our cooperation with LA28 to deliver spectacular equestrian events at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.”
About the venue
Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia that hosts several prominent horse racing events in the United States, including the Santa Anita Derby, the Santa Anita Handicap, and the Breeders Cup.
The famous racehorse Seabiscuit won his last race there in 1940.
The park also hosts showjumping events, including a CSI3* and a FEI Jumping World Cup™ Qualifier CSI5*-W, which will take place in November.
The venue has an on-course veterinary clinic and covers 320 acres, including a grandstand that seats 26,000 spectators.
A track infield area, which is said to resemble a park with picnic tables and large trees, can accommodate a crowd of 50,000, while 61 barns can stable more than 2,000 horses.
Concerns about the future
After serious concern about the future of equestrian events within the Olympics, it was confirmed last week (9 April) that showjumping, dressage and eventing will be a part of the 2028 Games.
The equestrian programme will consist of six medal events: a team and an individual medal in each discipline.
Equestrian retains the 200 quota places it had in Paris in 2024 and the breakdown by discipline remains unchanged: 75 for jumping, 60 for dressage, and 65 for eventing.
The decision was taken by the executive board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
“We are extremely pleased with [the] IOC decision,” said Ingmar De Vos.
“The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games were a historic success for equestrian sport, which proved very popular with the live crowds and TV and online viewers worldwide.
“It’s a great news that our numbers remain unchanged and we are looking forward to delivering exciting sport at the same level of excellence.”
Paralympics
The venue for the para equestrian events will be announced at a later date following the review and approval of the International Paralympic Committee Governing Board.
The Paralympics will take place from 15 to 27 August 2028.
Main image © Shutterstock
