From Staff Reports

MILL SPRING – The 2018 World Equestrian Games, which originally was forecast to attract 500,000 people to the Tryon International Equestrian Center,  drew a little more than — unofficially — 200,000 people, organizers said Sept. 23, just before the final two events (jumping and driving) concluded the two-week event.

Attendance was below projections largely because of heavy rain and flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Florence, officials said. However, while the games began under the threat of Hurricane Florence, they ended with warm, sunny weather.

The $250 million TIEC facility, built on a 1,600-acre site in Mill Spring, drew some critcism as a portion of it was still under construction during the games.

The Asheville Citizen Times reported on Sept. 23 that “(Mark) Bellissimo (founder and managing partner of the TIEC) said about $30 million was budgeted for the games. At best, he said, WEG may only breeak even — with a possible loss of up to $1.5 million — which he said still constitutes ‘a great success.’ He noted that’s largely a result of lower-than-expected ticket sales due to bad weather and refunds issued for a canceled event.” 

Meanwhile, the Hendersonville Times-News quoted Ingmar De Vos, president of the Fédération Equestre Internationale, the governing body of the games, as saying, “No doubt this has been an extraordinary two weeks. We’ve had our challenges along the way.”

De Vos also told the Times-News that organizers had to make tough decisions, including the cancellation of the freestyle dressage and endurance competitions, due to weather and concerns for horse welfare.

“Despite these challenges, we have had incredible sport,” De Vos told the Times-News. Indeed, Team USA clinched the gold medal in the World Team Driving Championship after American Chester Weber won the silver medal in the Sept. 23 FEI World Individual Driving Championship. In addition, several teams qualified for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo in dressage and eventing during the games.

Late morning on Sept. 23, TIEC Chief Operating Officer Sharon Decker told the Times-News that tickets were still being sold for the day’s jumping and driving championships, and that final attendance numbers would not be available until later. 

But she told the Times-News that it looked like attendance would come in at a little more than 200,000.