GRIFFITH PARK—The 2015 Special Olympics World Games, taking place from July 25 to August 2, will be holding their equestrian and golf competitions in Griffith Park.
The equestrian competitions are to be held at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, the largest covered horse-show arena in the country. The venue is located at 480 W Riverside Drive in Burbank. Events include dressage, English equitation, working trails, and two-person relay team. Equestrian events take place July 28 through August 1, and run from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day, except for the final day, when events will run from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The first day of the event consists of divisioning, in which athletes complete a preliminary round and are matched against other athletes of similar ability. Awards will be presented each day after divisioning day.
Golf competitions will happen at the Wilson and Harding Golf Courses at 4730 Crystal Springs Dr. The complex includes two 18-hole courses, four putting greens, and a double decker driving range, all of which will be utilized during the World Games. There will be five different events, some of which will test athletes’ individual skills, and some that are team-oriented. Golf competitions take place from July 28-31 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. On July 27, from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., there will be a Unified Sports Experience at the golf courses.
The Unified Sports Experience is an event unique to the Special Olympics, in which athletes, spectators, and sports and entertainment personalities come together to take part in activities. These activities are not part of the official competition, but are held to “showcase the incredible impact of having people with and without disability play on the same playing field,” according to the Special Olympics website. Goodwill ambassadors Beverly Johnson and Tyree Washington, comedian George Lopez, and Miss USA 2015 Summer Priester will be in attendance, as well as golf professionals O.D. Vincent, Kevin Heane, and Jason Gore.
These events will be free and open to the public, with free on-site parking. Both venues are ADA accessible, although there will be no spectator seating provided at the golf courses. For a complete list of venues and schedules, click here.
