Home > Spectators > House Rules for Spectators (Ticket Holders)
House Rules for Spectators (Ticket Holders)
1) Applicability
House Rules shall apply:
a.
At the Sha Tin and Beas River Cross-Country venues (hereinafter called the venues) within the perimeter boundary and inside all buildings and structures therein, and including the accreditation and screening facilities; and
b.
During the whole period of the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games (Equestrian Events).
2) Entry to Venues
a.
Valid entry tickets must be presented when entering the venues, and within the venues when requested by venue security staff, officials, or by the Police.
b.
Validity of an entry ticket ceases when a holder leaves a venue on the specified date. Re-entry will only be granted with adequate reason and upon presentation of a ticket stamped and signed by designated venue management staff. Lost tickets are not replaceable.
c.
Children above two years old will require tickets. Children of two years old or younger will be admitted without a ticket provided that they share the seat with their guardians.
d.
There shall be no unauthorized parking inside the venues.
3) Security Control
a.
Security staff at the venues may intercept or interdict persons who constitute a
threat to public safety and good order for any reason, including those apparently under the influence of alcohol or drugs and those in possession of dangerous items or substances. Such persons may be barred from entry or ejected from the venues.
b.
Security staff at the venues are authorized to request people present in or entering the venues to submit to security screening and search. Persons who refuse to submit to security screening or search without good reason may be refused entry and / or removed from the venues.
4) Good Behaviour at Venues
a.
Persons entering or present at the venues shall not deliberately cause obstruction at points of entry or exit, stairways, aisles, zone access points, emergency exits or access routes for emergency services within the venues, nor shall they impede, obstruct or detrimentally affect the flow of pedestrians or traffic on roads and walkways.
b.
Persons present at the venues shall obey all reasonable instructions of venue security staff, officials and the Police. Spectators shall remain within areas reserved for them and shall not enter areas to which entry is restricted. At the Shatin venue spectators shall proceed to the seat designated in their tickets by the routes indicated by venue security staff and officials and shall occupy their designated seat unless using the public areas and catering facilities of the venues. During the Paralympic Games, seating is not numbered and spectators will be required to sit when in the spectator stands.
c.
No form of unauthorized publicity, commercial or otherwise, and no form of political propaganda, appearing on flags, banners, clothing, sportswear, accessories or, more generally, on any article of clothing or equipment whatsoever worn or used by spectators, athletes or other participants in the events is permitted. However, this shall not apply to identification of the manufacturer of the article or equipment concerned, provided that such identification shall not be marked conspicuously for the purposes of advertising.
d.
Flags and banners shall not be displayed in such a manner to obstruct the full view of other spectators. Venue management reserves the right to confiscate any form of banner, flag, poster or other means of exhibition which, in the opinion of venue management is, or may constitute a source of visual obstruction to spectators, or which may cause offence to any person.
e.
Litter is to be disposed of in litter bins.
f.
Found property shall be handed to venue security staff, officials or to the Police. All unclaimed property before the closure of the venues at the end of events for the day will be handed over to the Police.
g,
Reports of missing persons or lost property should be reported to venue security staff, officials or the Police.
h.
Photo-taking and audio/video recording will not be permitted unless authorized or for private purposes. The use of flash photography is prohibited in spectator stands because of potential distraction to those in the Field of Play.
i.
The normal usage of mobile phones and similar devices shall be allowed, provided no undue inconvenience is caused to other spectators and no interference is caused to the competition or to the management of the venues. Only silent mode will be allowed during competition hours at the spectator stands to minimize distraction to those in the Field of Play.
j.
The following acts and activities within the venues are specifically prohibited:
i
Interference with horses, athletes or officials by any means;
ii
Unauthorized entry to restricted zones;
iii
Selling or distributing unauthorized merchandise, clothing, accessories or other items, or re-selling entry tickets without authority;
iv
Any form of demonstration or acts of protest, expressing or otherwise propagating political, religious or racial propaganda, distributing unauthorized printed material, or engaging in collections or signature campaigns;
v
Smoking, except in the designated smoking area for FOH (see attached maps);
vi
Writing, painting or creating graffiti on buildings, facilities or roads;
vii
Standing on spectators’ seats;
viii
Bringing into the venues any drinks and food (except baby food, medication and, at own risk, small quantity of food for self consumption);
ix
The use of umbrellas in such a manner as to cause danger or any unnecessary obstruction, or interference with any person in the venues; umbrellas brought into the venue are not to be opened within the area of the spectator stands when competition is in progress or about to begin. (ponchos will be distributed for use in all competition venues); and
x
Unauthorized use of "walkie-talkie" radio handsets.
5) Prohibited Items
Persons entering venues are prohibited from bringing any of the following items without authority:
a.
Any banners, propaganda, leaflets, and/or other promotional and display materials, the contents of which are discriminatory, political, or have any association with the activities described in para. (4) c. and d. above;
b.
Any kind of article, object or substance which could be used as a weapon or which may be harmful to health, such as compressed gas or liquid spray containers, acidic, flammable, combustible or colouring substances;
c.
Fireworks, star shells, smoke powder, smoke bombs or other pyrotechnic objects of any kind, including firing devices;
d.
Flags sized larger than 2 x 1 meter, flags of nations or regions not represented at or hosting the Equestrian events and banner poles, sticks or rods longer than 1 meter, or with a diameter of over 3 centimeters and so-called double holders; however this prohibition does not apply to walking sticks for the elderly, sick or handicapped;
e.
Flags and banners not made from flame-resistant material;
f.
Noise instruments (whether mechanically operated or not) such as megaphones, gas pressure clarions, whistles, drums, gongs, musical instruments, or radios with loudspeakers;
g,
Any glassware or easily broken containers which could become dangerous;
h.
Animals (except guide dogs);
i.
Laser pointers;
j.
Radio station or radio transmission equipment that has not been authorized and without "Radio Equipment Permit" label for use at the venues by the Office of Telecommunications Authority (OFTA); and
k.
Any other thing that may constitute an infringement of IOC / IPC rules for Olympic and Paralympic venues.
6) Liability
Persons enter and remain in the venues at their own risk. All persons are warned that entry to the arena during events or to the stables and training areas exposes them to risks of contact with horses and is very dangerous. The venue management shall not be liable for injury or damage by third parties.
7) Violations
Persons, who deliberately act contrary to House Rules, may be removed from the venues and if their acts are contrary to the Laws of Hong Kong they may be arrested by the Police.
8) Interpretation
Interpretation of these House Rules and any terms or expressions herein is the sole prerogative of the Chief Executive of Equestrian Events (Hong Kong) of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad Company Limited.
Acknowledgements: we would like to thank Getty Images, the Hong Kong SAR Government, Hong Kong Jockey Club, FEI,
Riding for the Disabled Association Limited, Xinhua & Fung Kai Yan for providing some of the pictures for this website
