Parker, CO – May 9, 2016 – The Colorado Horse Park (CHP) has begun major renovations to upgrade arena footing throughout the facility in preparation for the start of the 2016 season. Equestrian Services International (ESI) will oversee the improvements and are on pace to complete the footing renovations by the end of spring. The footing upgrades will serve as the first step in the anticipated construction timeline for restoration of the historic facility since its purchase by the Colorado Equestrian Partners in late 2014.
Equestrian Services International (ESI) will use their International All-Weather Footing, the same footing material that furnishes competition rings at both the world-renowned Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) and Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC), to complete the rings at CHP. The International Ring alongside Ring 6 and Ring 7 will be the first arenas scheduled for completion and are currently under construction.
“We’ve moved almost 10,000 cubic yards of dirt over the past two months and have created rings to meet the proper angles for major competition arenas,” said Brett Raflowitz, President and CEO of Equestrian Services International. “When we build rings, we never have more than a 1% incline and a lot of the rings that we’ve redone so far were at a 3% or 4% incline, so the hard work on that front is done.”
A major focus throughout the entire footing upgrade process has been the addition of a more technologically advanced draining system based in each arena. Raflowitz explained, “These arenas will each have full drainage and a pre-draining base with five to six inches of riding surface on top, as well as an equivalent amount of drainage rock underneath.”
The improvements come as a welcomed addition to the overall revamp of the facility and the management team at CHP is thrilled with the progress the venue has made in the past few months.
“We feel very strongly that these footing upgrades will be an incredible asset to the growth and expansion of The Colorado Horse Park, while creating a competitive and safe atmosphere for our exhibitors,” said Meg Krueger, Chief Operating Officer of The Colorado Horse Park. “Brett and his team have done an excellent job organizing and executing this project for us and we’re very pleased with the results so far.”
Raflowitz sees the final pieces of the project coming together at CHP, which he noted is his favorite component of major reconstruction at equestrian venues.
“I really enjoy watching the site work come together. That’s where you see the biggest improvement of that stuff getting shaped in. You grade it in the right positions and the arenas start to come alive when you find the right angles,” he elaborated. “Our main goal here was to prevent the water from coming down off those slopes into the arena and I think we’ve done a very good job at constructively solving that problem.”
For more information about The Colorado Horse Park, please visit www.coloradohorsepark.com.