The Royal Greenwich Equestrian Centre, a £1.6 million facility that opened in 2013 as part of the London 2012 Olympiad, faces an uncertain future after just 11 years. The center offered training and courses, including a hydrotherapy pool, mechanical horse, treadmill, cold-water spa, paddocks and stables for about 20 horses.
Funding came from Sport England, British Equestrian (BEF), Hadlow College, Greenwich Council, the Olympic Development Authority, LOCOG and the Mayor's Fund for London. The center had to offer a minimum of 82 hours of riding lessons per week to the community.
Hadlow College went into educational management in 2019, after which North Kent took over the equestrian courses. As of Aug. 1, North Kent no longer uses the facilities in Greenwich. Greenwich City Council has not yet made a decision on the future of the center.
Tao Baker, a former user, is trying to save the center and wants to run it as a community facility focused on physical activity, mental health and inclusiveness. Baker argues that the facilities are excellent and that the center can become a model for the city, focusing on social inclusion and well-being.
In recent years, services to the public have been reduced, the equestrian center has closed and the horses have been removed from the site. Baker stressed that preserving the center is important to the community and the Olympic legacy.