Builders net contract to build 2016 equestrian course

A FAMILY firm from Malmesbury that builds fences for equestrian events has struck gold after winning the contract to create the cross-country course for the 2016 Olympic Games.

Fence-building specialists Willis Brothers, based at White Lion Park, is Rio-bound after being selected for one of the world’s most prestigious sporting events.

It will be the fourth time that Willis Brothers have been involved in the Olympic Games, having helped create the cross country courses at Barcelona in 1992 and Atlanta in 1996 before building the course in its entirety for the Sydney Games in 2000.

Now, 16 years later, it is back on the Olympic stage and has already been to Rio de Janeiro to lay the groundwork before returning in a few weeks’ time to create the course for an Olympics rehearsal event this summer.

“We are absolutely delighted – it’s brilliant news,” said Alan Willis, who helped found the company in the 1960s.

“You could hardly wish for a more prestigious sporting event to be involved in.

“It’s great for Willis Brothers to have won this contract – it certainly hasn’t done us any harm.”

The firm, started by three brothers, specialises in building fixed and portable cross country jumps, steeplechase jumps and hurdle fences for the racing industry.

It has become a major player on the UK eventing circuit, having built the jumps and fences for the Badminton Horse Trials for decades, as well as building the courses for other main British events, such as Gatcombe Park and Barbury Castle.

Over the years the sons and cousins have also become involved in the company and it is Alan’s son James who has been the front runner in the bid for Rio contract.

The road to Rio began for James in March when he inspected the site of the Olympics course, close to the heart the Brazilian city.

James, who has worked on all three of the firm’s previous Olympic projects, said: "It’s going to be a really big challenge.

This is a one-off, we have more or less a year to get it right.

“We have to be absolutely precise, the management of the whole thing is going to have to be really slick.

“We build the Badminton course every year but that’s just five minutes away from where we are based. Rio is 5,000 miles away – so if we forget something we can’t pop home and get it.

"It’s a really good site – a former military base 10k from the city with some gentle undulations.”

James’ team will build the course, which is being designed by French specialist Pierre Michelet.

In July a six-strong Willis Brothers team will build a Trial Olympics course in Rio that will be used for an event the following month in preparation for the real thing next summer.

The work on preparing jumps has already begun in Malmesbury with structures being built, packed and ready to be shipped out to Brazil.

James said: “We are trying to source as much material as possible locally, and will use local help as well.

“We want to try to keep it looking as though it fits in with its surroundings - it’s Brazil, not Badminton, after all.”