Eduardo Tame spends time in Mexico City and at the house his father bought in Houston Texas. He’s a writer and served as press officer for the 2011 Guadalajara Pan American Games. He rides three horses a day and enjoys participating every spring at the Pin Oak Horse Show. He still rides jumpers and used to compete in dressage and eventing. His three best competition memories are winning the Amateur at the Palacio de Los Deportes (late ‘80s) in Mexico City and the 2008 Alamo Cup at the Pin Oak (Houston) and being able to participate at Spruce Meadows as rider and this year, as Chef d’Equipe. Eduardo caters to hundreds of people, organizing trips around the world to international equestrian events: WEG, World Cup Finals, Pan American and Olympic Games.
Eduardo Tame, Press Officer for the 2012 Pan American Games
Sidelines: Who are your three favorite horses?
ET: Alive – Antares (McLain Ward, jumping), Totilas (dressage), ET Chavo (my own – used to be shown by Alberto Michan in Grand Prix, now I am jumping him). And a few horses no longer with us: Milton, Hickstead, Gem Twist, my own Gaucho – all jumpers. My horses: El Gaucho, Primo and Chavo, jumpers; Paprazzi, eventer.
Sidelines: What were three of your greatest challenges in Guadalajara?
ET: I looked at the venue a couple of months before the Games. When I arrived to Guadalajara early October, I found out that the space for Media was reduced to half and that we did not have space at the stands as the OC [organizing committee] over-sold the entries. I fought against all the elements to get a covered space, with tables and connections to internet and electricity. These were installed just the day before the first competition! I even thought I was going to be excused for the severity of my demands, but got support from the Chief Media and from the Equestrian Manager, Juan Jose Martinez and Anderson Lima. At La Hípica (eventing) I had a similar situation. The OC answered to my demands with: “There is a space in the grass, there you can sit.” Knowing that the demand was not that big, I managed with Mauricio Guerra, competition manager, to get an area for 20 to 30 and that was enough. Press offices were small to my wishing, but were enough at the end of the day!
Sidelines: What was the equestrian highlight of the Pan Ams for you?
ET: The bronze medal for the Mexican Team in jumping and having 33,000 spectators for eventing – my prediction was 20,000 and nobody except Leopoldo Palacios believed it! Also the recognition from Ingmar de Vos, John Roche and Catrin Norinder, from the FEI, who were there.
Sidelines: What about your equestrian getaways?
ET: The best trip I have ever organized was the WEG in Aachen, which together with Spruce Meadows are my favorites and I try to go every year. In Aachen everything was perfect in both sides, mine and in the competition – the organization was impeccable. I took 234 people from Mexico, US, Venezuela, Chile and even Germany! The worst was the WEG at Kentucky. The people in the OC were not supportive of big groups and the prices were skyrocketed! I have been to the Rolex since the World Championship in 1978, but for WEG I had a lot of problems and no solutions, mainly in transportation. I ended paying five times what I usually do for transportation and at the end of the day did not receive what I paid for. Other tour operators from Germany and Switzerland had the same problems.
Sidelines: What is your advice for aspiring equestrian journalists and photographers?
ET: Don’t expect much, that way you will not be disappointed. Always be ready and get all the help you can handy – information in the computer, printed material, etc. Do not expect lockers, each time it is more difficult to have them due to security reasons: if you get it, great – if not, you did not expect it.
-by Lauren R. Giannini
